This study was initiated to examine the potential impacts on the environment during the management of food waste by anaerobic digestion in Daejeon Metropolitan City (DMC) that is built in 2017. The evaluation was based on both material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). The MFA study was performed using STAN 2.5, while the LCA was conducted according to ISO standards by utilizing Total 4 LCA software with the incorporation of CML 2002 methodology. According to the LCA results, global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) were found to be approximately 166 kg CO2-eq/ton of food waste, 0.43 kg SO2-eq/ton of food waste, 0.66 kg PO4 3−eq/ton of food waste, and 0.08 kg C2H4-eq/ ton of food waste, respectively. The disposal stage showed higher impact of GWP on the environment due to the landfilling of solid sludge and screening waste. In case of eutrophication potential, the treatment phase showed the highest impact on the environment, mainly because of the consumption of electricity. Based on the results of normalization, the highest environmental impacts was found in the treatment stage related to eutrophication potential. The results of LCA would provide policy-makers to identify and reduce potential environmental impacts associated with food waste to biogas conversion in DMC by life cycle.

• Yashoda Padeyanda(충남대학교 환경공학과)
• 고영재(충남대학교 환경공학과) | Youngjae Ko
• 장용철(충남대학교 환경공학과) | Yong-Chul Jang Corresponding author