Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to obtain a full picture of the total impact on the environment during a products life cycle from raw material via production to final use. An important factor is the consumption of energy.

Coagulants are not only very important products for giving us pure safe water but also during production they are an important source for consuming by-products from industrial processes which otherwise would end up as hazardous waste contaminating our environment.

Coagulants used for sewage treatment are therefore very often given a double positive effect with their impact on the environment.

Chemical treatment of sewage separates organics without energy consumption i.e. no energy is consumed for the decomposition of organics. Chemical treatment therefore produces sludge that in a digester will produce methane gas.

In biological treatment of sewage a lot of energy is used to decompose organics.

In order to show the impact of the use of coagulants for water treatment, INCOPA performs studies on life cycle assessment for the different types of coagulants and treatment processes.

The production of most coagulants consumes a negligible amount of energy.