Life cycle sustainability assessment of the nanoscale zero-valent iron synthesis process for application in contaminated site remediation

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) is the main nanomaterial used in environmental remediation processes. The present study aims to evaluate the life cycle sustainability of nZVI production methods applied in environmental remediation. Three production methods of nZVI were selected for analysis: milling, liquid reduction with sodium borohydride, and chemical reduction with hydrogen gas (in two approaches: considering the goethite and hematite synthesis and after using in nZVI production and, using goethite and hematite particles already synthesized for nZVI production). The life cycle sustainability assessment was carried out based on a multi-criteria and multi-attribute analysis. The multi-criteria analysis was used to determine impact category preferences of different specialists in sustainability and remediation, and calculate the sustainability score through a linear additive model. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to quantify the results uncertainty. The functional unit considered was 1.00 kg of nZVI produced. The milling method and the hydrogen gas method in approach considering the use goethite and hematite particles already synthesized were the most sustainable. Moreover, the sustainability index was found to be influenced by the considered location scenarios as well as the perspectives of the different specialists, which was essential in producing a more accurate and comprehensive evaluation of the aforementioned sustainability methods. Overall, this study significantly contributed to applications of the state-of-the-art life cycle sustainability assessment in studies regarding nanomaterials, employing a simple methodology that included an analysis of different specialists. In addition, this is the first article that uses life cycle sustainability assessment in nanomaterials.