Multi-Objective Decision-Making Evaluation Method of Environmental Impact Associated with the Life Cycle of Agro-Friendly Biochar Materials

The urgency of addressing farmland contamination is undeniable. However, the environmental impacts associated with soil remediation, especially during the production of remediation materials, are often overlooked. This study seeks to fill this gap by conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of remediation material production processes. We apply a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, enhanced by a multi-objective optimization model combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Techniques for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This method enables the integration of multiple environmental indicators into a high-dimensional reference system, reducing subjectivity in decision-making. The study focuses on the environmental impacts of 11 types of biochar materials used in soil remediation. Among these, alkali-modified biochar loaded with nano TiO2 exhibited the highest environmental impact index. Sensitivity analysis further confirmed the robustness of the method, with impact variations ranging from 0.44 to 0.52, suggesting the model’s reliability in comparing different remediation materials. Our findings highlight the significant environmental variability between remediation materials and underscore the necessity of incorporating comprehensive environmental assessments in material selection processes. This study provides a valuable framework for optimizing the environmental sustainability of soil remediation efforts.