Application of fuzzy logic reasoning in environmental systems

In many cases, the solution for the design and control of environmental systems requires processing imprecise, uncertain, qualitative and vague data. Two cases of this type of processes are the supervision and control of wastewater treatment plants, specifically for anaerobic treatment processes, and the ecodesign of processes and products, which requires considering environmental criteria apart from the general design criteria (i.e. technical, functional, ergonomic, aesthetic or economical). In this chapter, the application of fuzzy logic techniques to these environmental systems is presented. The first system deals with the supervision, diagnosis of acidification states and control of wastewater treatment plants (for wastewaters containing ethanol and carbohydrates). Representative experiments of application of fuzzy logic techniques are presented and discussed for these three items. In the second one, fuzzy logic techniques are applied to the integration of environmental criteria in ecodesign. To do this, a number of environmental evaluation methodologies (Ecological Footprint, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Risk Assessment, etc.) are considered to build up an environmental index, which takes into account the values of different indicators at a time. The integration of all of them was made using fuzzy logic reasoning. As a result, a Fuzzy Ecodesign Index was obtained. A case study consisting in the selection of the best packaging materials for a beverage bottle is presented to illustrate this application. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.