It is nothing more than the assessment of all possible impacts associated with a product or process, throughout all its manufacturing stages, from extraction to final use or disposal. Analyzed according to ISO 14040:2006, this analysis aims to identify the main points causing environmental impacts during the production and consumption flows of a given product.
In a study conducted by researchers from the Federal University of Viçosa/MG, aiming to compare the LCA of the natural coagulant Acquapol and an inorganic coagulant Aluminum Sulfate, widely used in water and wastewater treatment plants, it was observed that Acquapol is 17 times less impactful than Aluminum Sulfate with respect to human carcinogenic toxicity, a category that is associated with the accumulation of chemicals in nature and bioaccumulation along the human food chain, linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The analysis was conducted "from cradle to gate", i.e., from the plantations of the Black Acacia trees to the finished product, ready to leave the factory. In all, 18 impacts were evaluated, presenting significant differences in the results of freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, human carcinogenic toxicity, and human noncarcinogenic toxicity, concluding that the natural coagulant Acquapol, besides presenting environmental benefits, still has a cleaner production and less impact throughout its life cycle.
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