Life cycle-based water footprint analysis of ceramic filter for point-of-use water purification in remote areas

Abstract Ceramic filters are a point-of-use (POU) technology applied for water purification in developing regions. Nano-CeO2 modified ceramic filter water purifier (CeO2–CFP) is designed to provide clean potable water and address drinking water safety issues in remote areas. To assess the impact of the entire life cycle of CeO2–CFP on the water environment, a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based water footprint framework was established. The context of remote areas was used to exemplify the calculation of the developed model under different technical scenarios. The production of CeO2–CFP in the high-tech scenario exhibited excellent environmental performance and water resource cost-effectiveness was found to be only 0.59. Raw materials (71.41%) and staff consumption (82.54%) represented the largest share of water footprint in the high-tech and low-tech scenarios, respectively. Sensitivity analysis was proceeded to identify the critical factors affecting the water footprint of CeO2–CFP system and the interactions of these significant factors were investigated. A results-based analysis was carried out in consideration of environmental, social, and economic aspects, and some recommendations for reducing water footprint of CeO2–CFP were formulated.