Evaluation of Drinking Water Treatment Technology: An Entropy-Based Fuzzy Application

Abstract

Environmental risk management strategy often encounters conflicting criteria of a subjective and objective nature that are associated with a particular management system concerning multicriteria decision making. In this study, a combination of subjective and objective criteria for risk management has been applied for drinking water treatment technology. Fuzzy set theory has been incorporated in this study. Fuzzy triangular membership functions have been developed to capture uncertainties of the model parameter values. The analytic hierarchy process has been incorporated to construct subjective priority schemes for different hierarchy level attributes. In developing subjective priority schemes, flexible ranges of importance were considered; thus the uncertainties associated with crisp values were incorporated. Using the concept of entropy, subjective importance of the objective attributes have been transformed into integrated importance. The overall ranking was evaluated based on subjective and objective criteria. An example of human health risk management from drinking water disinfection by-products has been presented through several drinking water treatment technologies. Finally, the best treatment technology is outlined.