Sustainability Assessment Applied to an Air Treatment Biotechnology: Methodology and Results of Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment methodology has been applied to the sustainability evaluation of an environmental biotechnology in an eco-design perspective. This to avoid possible shifting of burdens among different environmental matrices possibly occurring when a remediation activity is performed. GHG Protocol and IMPACT 2002+ calculation methods have been applied. Results show that about 80% of the impact generated is to be attributed to energy consumption during the use phase, thus promoting an integration of the technology under study with renewable energy sources. In order to try and consider environmental benefit deriving from air treatment activity, an evaluation of the technology as carbon sink has been performed, comparing results obtained from impact assessment with specific reference. Results obtained suggest that a single bioreactor unit could act as carbon sink equivalent to a number of trees ranging from 43 (high growth rate species), to 268 (low growth rate species).