Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025
10:35
Study on the Metabolism of Six Systemic Insecticides in a Newly Established Cell Suspension Culture Derived from Tea Camellia Sinensis L. Leaves
Published on: June 15, 2019
7.8K
Implementation of life cycle analysis on green tea process
Vimalraj Thiruvengadam1, Nurul Huda Binti Baharuddin1, Lim Jeng Shiun1
1School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Heliyon
|May 14, 2023
Summary
This study evaluated green tea waste disposal methods. Adsorption impacts ecology more than landfill or incineration, but bulk processing can improve sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Waste Management
Background:
- Green tea production generates significant waste, necessitating sustainable disposal strategies.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for evaluating the environmental impact of waste management techniques.
- Existing disposal methods for green tea waste include landfilling and incineration, with limited research on alternative applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comparative Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of green tea waste management.
- To evaluate the environmental impact of landfilling, incineration, and using green tea waste as an adsorbent for heavy metal removal.
- To identify the most ecologically sound disposal method for green tea waste.
Main Methods:
- The study employed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology aligned with ISO 14044:2006 standards.
- OpenLCA software and the AGRIBALYSE version 3 database were utilized for environmental impact assessment.
- Key impact categories assessed included human carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic toxicity, global warming (human health), and fine particle creation, measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).
Main Results:
- Processing 1 kg of green tea waste via adsorption resulted in a significantly higher environmental impact (63% more than incineration, 58% more than landfill).
- The adsorption process, while more impactful, showed potential for improvement through bulk preparation.
- Landfilling and incineration presented lower immediate ecological burdens compared to the adsorption method in this study.
Conclusions:
- The adsorption of green tea waste for heavy metal removal, while innovative, currently poses a greater ecological burden than conventional landfilling or incineration.
- Optimizing the adsorption process through large-scale preparation is essential to mitigate its environmental impact.
- Further research into sustainable waste management for green tea production is recommended, focusing on process optimization and alternative applications.
