LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY ANALYSIS IN ADSORBENT PREPARATION FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT : A CASE STUDY

Life Cycle Inventory Analysis (LCIA) is a part of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is a thorough procedure accounting for the environmental loads during the product’s life cycle. LCA is an approach to analyze the environmental implications of product and service systems. An indigenous adsorbent is prepared in the laboratory from sawdust using chemical-thermal treatment mechanism. A close analysis of the several activities involved in the process revealed that, the raw material, i.e., sawdust is being converted into an adsorbent, i.e., product. In other words, conversion of a material from one form into another is taking place. Simultaneously, a useful product is being obtained that is used in another activity. LCIA based on material balance approach is applied for the primary data generated in the laboratory for the preparation of the adsorbent using sawdust. Few suggestions are floated for minimizing the waste generated in the process. It is found that the LCIA can be successfully applied in the adsorption studies to assess the material flow changes and identify the options for minimizing the waste emissions and for reducing the load on natural resources.