Environmental benefit evaluation of copper tailings resource utilization based on LCA

Taking the copper tailings as the research object, the environmental impact of the conventional treatment of copper tailings and three resource utilization methods of copper tailings were compared by using life cycle assessment (LCA). The main environmental effects of four methods dealing with 1t copper tailings were as follows. Effects of Option 1 with stacking were: ecological toxicity (ET: 7.05×10^-1) and human toxicity (HT: 1.467×10^-7). Those of Option 2 with copper tailings replacing the clay in cement production were primary energy demand (PED) that decreased by as much as 10.25%. There was the largest drop, 19.51% down in the global warming potential (GWP) when Option 3 with copper tailings replacing the sand in autoclaved aerated concrete was used. As for Option 4 with copper tailings replacing the siliceous materials in the foam microcrystalline materials, there was the largest decline, a fall of 70.35% in its water consumption (WU). The three resource utilization schemes had different environmental benefits.