Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Waste is a by-product of our daily activities, which poses a serious threat to societies all over the world. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used to determine municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategy for Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Three scenarios were modelled as alternatives to the current waste management system in Minna. The current waste management in Minna city was developed in this research work as baseline scenario. The baseline scenario was the existing open dumping waste management strategy operating in Minna presently and this was used as the reference and chosen as the benchmark in which all the three modeled scenarios were measured and compared. One tone of municipal solid waste of Minna was selected as the functional unit. The life cycle inventory analysis was carried out with the aid of SimaPro 7.2 educational software. The environmental impact parameters dealt with were: carcinogen, ecotoxicity, acidification, eutrophication and global warming. In the context of the five impact parameters considered, scenario 1 is the best and most favourable alternative in term of ecotoxicity, eutrophication, acidification, carcinogen and global warming potentials in Minna city. This research work showed that modeled scenario 1 had a greatest reduction in global warming, carcinogen, ecotoxicity and acidification potentials in Minna city