Life cycle assessment on producing a heavy metals biosorbent from sugarcane bagasse

Modification of sugarcane bagasse with sulphuric acid improves the metal ion binding capacity of the bagasse. The process for this modification must be optimized for being cost effectively and environmentally accepted. In this regard, the objective of this study is to employ life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify and compare the potential environmental impacts of producing this modified biosorbent of heavy metals obtained from the sugarcane bagasse by a conventional process with two new alternatives proposed in this work. The results of the life cycle assessment on laboratory scale showed that the reuse of the non-reacted sulphuric acid and water of the washing and, drying the bagasse in trays under sun were of paramount importance because they involve a lower environmental impact. Therefore, it is recommended that this environmentally-friendly alternative be carefully considered in further assessments to develop and employ the production of chemically modified sugarcane bagasse on a larger scale.