Work

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Framework for Contaminated Site Remediation: Integrating LCA, Economic Analysis, and Social Big Data

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The remediation of contaminated sites necessitates robust and objective sustainability assessment frameworks to guide decision-making, yet prevailing methods often rely on qualitative or semi-quantitative metrics susceptible to subjectivity. This study establishes a comprehensive, fully quantitative evaluation system integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions, comprising 13 objective indicators derived from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), economic documentation, and publicly accessible social data—including nighttime light intensity, Point of Interest (POI) data, and social media sentiment analysis. The system employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for weight assignment, ensuring methodological rigor and expert consensus. Validated through three case studies of remediated contaminated sites in Shandong Province, China, the framework reveals distinct sustainability profiles: Site 1 achieved the highest composite score (0.1030), demonstrating balanced performance across all dimensions, whereas Sites 2 and 3 yielded negative scores (−0.2490 and −0.1069, respectively), reflecting trade-offs between remediation efficiency, secondary environmental impacts, and socio-economic outcomes. The key findings underscore the dominance of environmental health indicators—notably Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)—in overall weighting and highlight the critical influence of remediation technology selection on lifecycle impacts. The study validates the utility of a quantitative, multi-criteria approach in identifying optimal remediation strategies, facilitating cross-project comparability, and supporting the transition from cost-centric remediation toward value-driven, sustainable redevelopment.

Source: Water

DOI: 10.3390/w17233416

Authors: Yuanyuan Li, Ruihui Chen, Xintong Yang, Xiaoyu Liu, Ganghui Zhu, Qiang Hu

Institutions: Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Quality and Pollution

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137