1. Material Flow Analysis
Naomi Radke, seecon international GmbH

2. Copy it, adapt it, use it – but acknowledge the source!
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Copy it, adapt it, use it – but acknowledge the source!
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3. Contents
1. What is Material Flow Analysis (MFA)?
2. How to use MFA for SSWM
3. Applicability
4. Advantages and Disadvantages
5. References

4. Quantification and assessment of ...
1. What is Material Flow Analysis (MFA)?
Quantification and assessment of ...
... matter (in SSWM: water, food, excreta, wastewater, ...)
and substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, ...) mass flows (primary natural resources)
in a (human) system (city, country, ...)
during a defined period.

5. MFA contains the following main steps:
1. What is Material Flow Analysis (MFA)?
MFA contains the following main steps:
Identification of the relevant material flows
System analysis (selection of the relevant matter, processes**, indicator substances* and system boundaries)
Quantification of mass flows of matter and indicator substances*
Identification of weak points in the system
Development and evaluation of scenarios and schematic representation, interpretation of the results
*Indicator substances for MFA in SSWM are generally: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C or CO2), NH3
** Processes: transformation, transport or storage of substances (for SSWM: households, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural soils)

6. Example of a System Analysis (Step 2 of MFA)
1. What is Material Flow Analysis (MFA)?
Example of a System Analysis (Step 2 of MFA)
Boxes designate processes, arrows represent the flows of (matter or substance) mass within a system. Source: FORSTER et al. (2003)

7. Example: Pour-flush toilet or Arborloo?
1. What is Material Flow Analysis (MFA)?
Why doing a MFA?
To optimise your local SSWM system:
Identifying problems and quantifying the impact of potential measures on resource recovery and environmental pollution
Comparing different sanitation technology options regarding their environmental and financial impact
Example: Pour-flush toilet or Arborloo?
Two sanitation technologies that differ in material flows and possible in environmental impact (where are nutrients from excreta transported to?)

8. Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (1/3)
2. How to Use MFA for SSWM?
Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (1/3)
Step 1: Identifying the relevant material flow
Relevant goods in SSWM: inputs and outputs to and from the household (food, excreta, blackwater, greywater, organic solid waste)
Relevant material flows in SSWM: Phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon (energy or calorific values), etc.
Relevant processes in SSWM: Households (food and water consumption, digestion, kitchen wastes) and on-site sanitation system

9. Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (2/3)
2. How to Use MFA for SSWM?
Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (2/3)
Step 2: System Analysis: Nitrogen (N)-containing goods are transformed in these 2 processes.
3. Leaving human organism as excreta
2. digestion
Example of system boundaries at the household-level. “I” is import, “E” is export. Source: YIOUGO (2010)
1. N enters the human organism as food

10. Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (3/3)
2. How to Use MFA for SSWM?
Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (3/3)
Step 3: Quantifying good and substance flows in the system
Good = Substance or mixture of substances e.g. Food or solid waste
N flow in excreta = kg excreta/capita/day * N concentration in excreta
Source data: Literature, estimations, measurements, calculations

11. Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (3/3)
2. How to Use MFA for SSWM?
Example of MFA for nitrogen at household-level (3/3)
Step 4+5: Graphing and interpreting the data
Graph: Open-source software STAN can be used for graphic representation
MFA with graphic representation of mass of goods flows. Units can show mass in t/year or t/capita/year. Nitrogen masses can be calculated from mass of goods Source: YIOUGO (2010)

12. 3. Applicability MFA can be used for: Environmental impact assessments
Development of environmental policy for hazardous substances
Nutrient management in watersheds
Waste management
Evaluating the environmental soundness of sanitation options by calculating and comparing the quantity of nitrogen or phosphorus within the city for each option
Sanitation planning:
 Choosing the best options which do not pollute groundwater, surface water and allow for nutrient recycling

13. 4. Advantages and Disadvantages
MFA applied to SSWM
Advantages:
Allows critical view of sanitation/water management
Helps to evaluate the environmental soundness of sanitation options
Can be used as a decision tool to choose sustainable sanitation technology
Ideal technical basis for planning and decision making
In developing countries, proven suitable for early detection of environmental problems
Disadvantages:
Needs a lot of data to be implemented
Limited reliable data available in developing countries
There is a need to deal with uncertainties

14. 6. References
FORSTER, D.; SCHERTENLEIB, R.; BELEVI, H. (2003): Linking Urban Agriculture and Environmental Sanitation. Duebendorf: Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science (EAWAG). URL: [Accessed: ]

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