Journal of Urban Environmental Management

Abstract This study was conducted to perform a life cycle environmental assessment of ethylene glycol production in Iran’s petrochemical industry. Using a quantitative and systematic life cycle assessment approach, it aimed to identify and quantify the environmental impacts associated with producing one tonne of ethylene glycol and to determine the key hotspots. The methodology was developed in accordance with the ISO 14040 series. The system boundary was defined as gate-to-gate, and the functional unit was set as “production of one tonne of ethylene glycol.” The results indicated that the environmental impact profile of ethylene glycol production is significantly influenced by utility units and supporting processes. In the global warming impact category, electricity generation—and subsequently steam generation—accounted for the largest share of CO₂-equivalent emissions, highlighting the dominant role of fossil fuel–based energy supply in shaping the product’s carbon footprint. In human health–related categories, including carcinogenic effects and inorganic and organic respiratory impacts, electricity generation was also identified as the primary hotspot, reflecting the substantial contribution of combustion-related emissions and associated pollutants. By contrast, in the non-carcinogenic category, the industrial water production unit was the dominant contributor, underscoring the importance of chemical consumption and management of water-related flows in health-oriented impacts. Overall, the findings confirm that improving the environmental performance of ethylene glycol production requires an integrated approach that simultaneously focuses on optimizing energy use (electricity and steam), reducing combustion emissions, enhancing water and wastewater management, and improving waste management.

Abstract The Anjilsi landfill in Babol County, located in the humid region of northern Iran, generates a considerable volume of leachate daily due to high rainfall and the high permeability of landfill layers. Managing this leachate poses serious technical and environmental challenges. This study aims to present an integrated framework for analyzing, strategizing, and technically designing an optimized leachate treatment system for this site. In the first step, the actual volume of generated leachate was simulated and estimated using the HELP (Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance) model, revealing that the current treatment facility lacks sufficient capacity to handle the inflow load. Subsequently, by applying multi-criteria decision-making tools, namely SWOT, QSPM, and SPACE, the existing system was evaluated in terms of technical and managerial performance, and the strategy of “capacity enhancement while maintaining the existing structure and upgrading critical units” was identified as the optimal alternative. Based on this strategy, a modified treatment process was designed, consisting of anaerobic (ABR), chemical coagulation–sedimentation, membrane bioreactor (MBR), reverse osmosis (RO), and final disinfection (UV/chlorination) units. Mass balance analysis demonstrated that the proposed system can remove COD, BOD, ammonia, TSS, and heavy metals with efficiencies exceeding 80%, producing an effluent fully compliant with national discharge and agricultural reuse standards. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of hydrological modeling, strategic analysis, and a locally adapted process design, which can serve as a practical model for upgrading leachate treatment systems in humid-region landfills across Iran.

Abstract Occupational incidents in the oil industry have difficulties and problems in the various phases of construction and operation. In this research, we tried to investigate the effect of oil industry risk in phase construction in one of the largest oilfields in the country, Yadavaran field in Khuzestan province. For this purpose, the FMEA model has been used that is typically used to assess the risk of occupational accidents. According to surveys, interviews and statistics, 47 job incidents were identified during the construction phase of this oil field and the details were collected. According to the obtained results, the value of the risk priority value is obtained by an average of 212. Also, based on the type of events classified, several corrections’ suggestions were proposed, which is expected to decreased the RPN to 133.2 which shows a reduction of 37% of the risk priority number. Although changes have been made in the form of low-cost, continuous and periodic suggestions that showed the positive impact of the reform in this area.