Probabilistic evaluation of integrating resource recovery into wastewater treatment to improve environmental sustainability

Significance Conventional methods used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) emphasizing removal of detrimental substances from wastewater are essential for protection of the aquatic environment and public health. However, they are associated with costs in terms of environmental problem shifting, such as energy consumption, solid waste production, and greenhouse gas emissions. An improved approach involving wastewater-derived resource recovery in WWTPs is recognized as one potential solution. However, the environmental impacts and benefits of such a substantial change remain uncertain. We conducted an integrated assessment of the net environmental benefits of this transition in WWTPs for more than 50 individual countries to determine how best to update current methods of wastewater treatment and facilitate sustainable WWTPs in various parts of the world.