A Review of Life Cycle Assessment of Soil Remediation Technology: Method Applications and Technological Characteristics

With increasing complexity of soil contamination and more variety in remediation technologies, remediation alternatives must be assessed thoroughly and urgently. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to analyze the environmental impact of a technical process and avoid the transfer of the environmental impact. LCA has been applied in soil remediation technology from a single method to a combination of multiple methods, focusing on a few environmental impacts to approximately 20 types of environmental impacts. The life-cycle stage contributions and environmental impact characteristics of LCA are also reviewed. The proposed optimization measures cover the life cycle stages, specific energies or substances, and technology process nodes. The LCA methodology framework of remediation technology must be established by including functional unit determination considering the remediation duration and environmental impact selection methods. Primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts should be considered to reflect technical efficiency, process optimization of technology, and land reuse after restoration. LCA application still needs to be improved in terms of technological processes to reveal the relationship between technical parameters and environmental impacts. This study provides an insightful overview of the methodological elements of LCA in soil remediation technology evaluation, such as the functional unit definition, the system boundary determination, and the selection of impact categories, which can support the revolution of LCA methods applied in soil remediation technology.