Life Cycle Assessment of Potassium Mining Wastewater Treatment: Evaluating Environmental Footprint & Sustainability
1. Introduction Potassium mining operations generate complex wastewater streams containing high salinity, suspended solids, and chemical residues that require advanced treatment before discharge or reuse. This research introduces a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework to evaluate the environmental performance of a pilot wastewater treatment system. By quantifying impacts across the entire process chain—from raw material input to treated effluent discharge—the study provides a comprehensive understanding of environmental burdens and identifies opportunities for sustainable process improvement. 2. LCA Methodology and Impact Categories This topic explains the structured LCA approach, including goal definition, system boundaries, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. It evaluates environmental indicators such as global warming potential, eutrophication, human toxicity, and fossil energy demand to provide a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of the wa...