Methodology and Framework for Comprehensive Risk and Techno-Economic Evaluation of Multi-Purpose Wastewater Reuse
National Key R&D Programme Project: Integration and Demonstration of Efficient Low-Carbon Resource Utilisation Technologies for Urban Wastewater, 2016.07 - 2020.06
Introduction: Conducting holistic evaluations of reclaimed water reuse from multiple perspectives—including risk versus benefit, economic viability, and ecological sustainability—holds significant implications for advancing China's reclaimed water reuse initiatives. Addressing ecological health safety, technical-economic safety, and ecosystem service functions in multi-purpose urban reclaimed water reuse, this research conducts ecological toxicity and health impact assessments, ecological risk and human health risk evaluations, technical-economic appraisals, and ecosystem service evaluations for multi-purpose wastewater reuse. It proposes rational technical methodologies and evaluation indicator systems for multi-purpose reclaimed water reuse, providing assessment approaches to optimise urban wastewater reuse technologies. This project addresses the safety and ecosystem services associated with multi-purpose reuse of urban reclaimed water. Research encompasses ecological toxicity and health impact assessments, ecological risk and human health risk evaluations, and ecosystem service assessments for multi-purpose wastewater reuse. It aims to establish: - A comprehensive toxicity effect evaluation methodology and indicator system for reclaimed water reuse, assessing the safety of reclaimed water produced by wastewater treatment technologies; - Mathematical exposure models for pollutants under different reuse objectives, characterising combined human health risk levels from mixed pollutants; construct a combined ecological risk assessment model for mixed pollutants; and establish a multi-objective integrated evaluation indicator system and value assessment methodology for ecosystem services based on ecological water replenishment, ecological landscapes, life-supporting capacity, and water culture. This will provide evaluation methods for optimising urban wastewater reuse technologies and assessing the ecological functions of wastewater resource recovery and utilisation.
