Environmental, Energy, and Water Footprints of Marble Tile Production Chain in a Life Cycle Perspective

Tehseen Ahmad, Majid Hussain, Mudassar Iqbal, Ashfaq Ali, Wajiha Manzoor, Hamida Bibi, Shamsher Ali, Fariha Rehman, Ahmad Rashedi, Muhammad Amin, Anila Tabassum, Ghulam Raza and Dilawar Farhan Shams
Additional contact information
Tehseen Ahmad: Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Majid Hussain: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur, Hattar Road, Haripur City 22620, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Mudassar Iqbal: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Ashfaq Ali: Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife Management, Karakoram International University, Gilgit 15100, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Wajiha Manzoor: Department of Economics, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
Hamida Bibi: Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Shamsher Ali: Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Amir Muhammad Khan Campus Mardan, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Fariha Rehman: Department of Economics, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
Ahmad Rashedi: College of Engineering, IT and Environment, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
Muhammad Amin: Department of Environmental Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal Dir Upper 18050, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Anila Tabassum: MM Pakistan Private Limited, Tarbela Dam, Lahore 54000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Ghulam Raza: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Baltistan, Skardu 16501, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Dilawar Farhan Shams: Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: The marble industry is growing in Pakistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is the largest producer of marble tiles in Pakistan. Marble production consumes a considerable amount of water during its life cycle stages and impacts various environmental compartments, such as air, water, and soil; therefore, this study aimed to quantify the environmental impacts, water footprint, and cumulative energy demand of one-tonne marble tile manufactured in a small industrial estate Mardan (SIEM), Pakistan, and provide recommendations to improve its environmental impact profile. The study covers water consumption, energy use, and associated environmental impacts of raw materials and processes through different stages of the marble life-cycle during 2017–2018. The cradle-to-gate (extraction to factory gate or store house) life cycle assessment approach was followed in this study. The functional unit for the current study was one tonne of finished marble tile produced. Primary data from the field surveys and secondary data were modeled using the water scarcity index (WSI), CML 2000 v.2.05 methodology, and the cumulative energy demand indicator present by default in SimaPro v.8.3 software. The total water footprint required for one tonne of finished marble tile was 3.62 cubic meters per tonne (m 3 /t), with electricity consumed at processing units contributing to environmental burdens the most. Similarly, electricity consumed (at processing units and during polishing) and transportation of finished marble tile to the local market were responsible for global warming potential (388 kg CO 2 eq/tonne tile), human toxicity (84.34 kg 1,4-DB-eq/tonne), freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity (94.97kg 1,4-DB eq/tonne) and abiotic depletion (7.1 × 10 −5 kg Sb eq/tonne). The results of our study follow other marble tile LCA studies conducted globally (such as in Turkey and Italy), which also reported a high contribution to GWP, AP, EP, and HT due to electricity and fossil fuels consumption. The total cumulative energy demand (CED) was calculated as 5863.40 MJ (Mega Joule), with most energy usage associated with non-renewable fossil fuel sources. The results indicated that reducing electricity (using standard automatic machinery) and waste materials, especially paper and plastic wastes, can reduce environmental impacts. Most of the surveyed industrial units did not have wastewater treatment and recycling plants, and wastewater directly flows to nearby freshwater bodies and terrestrial ecosystems. These wastewaters should be adequately treated before being discharged into freshwater aquatic bodies. Environmental impacts must be improved by using the latest automatic machinery, reducing waste materials generation, reducing the distance between processing units and the market, and installing wastewater recycling plants.

Keywords: water scarcity index; environmental impacts; cumulative energy demand; life cycle assessment; marble; SimaPro (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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