Wastewater plants found unsustainable, posing health and environmental risks.
This study evaluates how efficient wastewater treatment plants are in terms of balancing costs and environmental impact. Researchers used a method called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure the eco-efficiency of these plants. They assessed various environmental factors like climate change potential and human health impacts using special software. The Eco-Efficiency Index (EEI) showed a value of 0.183, indicating a balance between cost and sustainability. However, the Eco-Efficiency Ratio (EER Rate) was -445.81%, suggesting room for improvement. The overall assessment found that the wastewater treatment plant is financially affordable but not so environmentally friendly due to a high eco-cost compared to the plant's financial value, showing potential for more sustainable practices.