Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Sorghum (sorghum bicolor) Production, Storage and Disposal in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is one of the major producers of sorghum grains in the world. The production and storage of the crop consumed resources, both biotic and abiotic and this could lead to some environment burden in form of emissions and pollutions.  Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the environmental life cycle of sorghum, from production to storage and packaging for market using life cycle assessment model (LCA).The life cycle inventory data was collected for production, and storage operations of three scenarios of sorghum namely: storage in jute bags and fumigation in Warehouse (FW), usage of Bio-pesticide (BP) and NSPRIDUST (ND) as protectant. The inventory data collected was based on a functional unit of one hectare of land for production, and one ton of grains for storage operations respectively. The data were analyzed using “Ganzheitliche Bilanz” (GaBi) 8.7 software. Environmental impact categories generated were Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Human Toxicity Potential (HTP).The GWP values obtained for sorghum scenario using FW, BP, and ND were 6.850, 7.930 and 6.890 kg CO_2, respectively. The AP values for FW, BP and ND were 0.009, 0.012 and 0.009 kg SO_2, respectively, while EP values obtained for FW, BP and ND were 2.180, 3.010 and 2.070 E-3 kg Phosphate, respectively. The ODP values using FW, BP and ND were 8.96, 8.96, and 8.96 E-13 kg R11 respectively, while the HTP values obtained using FW, BP and ND were 4.150, 4.150 and 4.150 kg DCB, respectively.The research showed that the impact values of FW, BP and NS for sorghum scenario had not much difference. The research finding is recommended for environmentalists, grain producers and handlers.

Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-8-01

Publication date:August 31^st 2022