Integrated assessment of process pollution prevention and end-of-pipe control in secondary lead smelting

•Integrated assessment model of PPP and EPC.•Pointed out the eco-efficiency indicators.•Secondary lead smelting assessment.

Based on the Conservation Law, the equations and variables of the process pollution prevention and EPC were established for a given product process. The eco-efficiency indicator including resource efficiency (r) and environmental efficiency (q) is pointed out as the integrated assessment of the process pollution prevention and end-of-pipe control. Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) was adopted to account all the integrated assessment indicators for three typical secondary lead smelting technologies: Mixed smelting process (MSP), Pre-desulfurization smelting process (PDSP) and Hydro-metallurgical smelting process (HMP). Based on the site monitoring and statistical data collection, there are 15 secondary lead production enterprises covering all the three smelting processes and 87.67% production capacity of sec-lead production of China in 2014. The result of integrated assessment shows us that lead pollution emission load is the result of co-control of process pollution prevention and end-of-pipe control. The environmental efficiency of different technology is PDSP > HSP > MSP without any process pollution prevention or end-of-pipe control. The effect of process pollution prevention improving the eco-efficiency varies due to different technology along with HSP > PDSP > MSP and for different sub-process of different technology. Under the co-control of process pollution prevention and end-of-pipe control, the HSP will be the best available smelting technology for secondary smelting industry.