Transboundary hazardous waste management. Part I: Waste management policy of importing countries.

Mixed metal-containing waste, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) containing capacitors, printed circuit boards, steel mill dust and metal sludge were among the most common wastes exported from Taiwan. Before the implementation of the self-monitoring model programme of the Basel Convention (secretariat of the Basel Convention 2001) in the Asia region, Taiwan conducted a comprehensive 4-year follow-up project involving government authorities and the waste disposal facilities of the importing countries. A total of five countries and nine plants were visited in 2001-2002. The following outcomes can be drawn from these investigations. The Chinese government adopts the strategies of 'on-site processing' and 'relative centralization' on the waste management by tightening permitting and increasing site inspection. A three-level reviewing system is adopted for the import application. The United States have not signed the Basel Convention yet; the procedures of hazardous waste import rely on bilateral agreements. Importers are not required to provide official notification from the waste exporting countries. The operation, administration, monitoring and licensing of waste treatment plants are governed by the state environmental bureau. Finland, France and Belgium are members of the European Union. The procedures and policies of waste import are similar. All of the documents associated with transboundary movement require the approval of each government involved. Practically, the notification forms and tracking forms effectively manage the waste movement.     

Hazardous and solid waste issues in Europe and related who activities

The overall goal of WHO is to co-operate with its Member States, and provide them with assistance on demand or as needed. Towards this end, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has implemented, over many years, programme activities related to the management of municipal and industrial solid waste, sewage sludge, hazardous waste, waste from hospitals and other health care facilities, and radioactive waste. The published results of the various activities include conclusions and recommendations addressed to national public and environmental health authorities and to the scientific and professional community, as a whole.In more specific terms, work has been completed in recent years on the impact on health from microbes and chemicals in sewage sludge applied to land, and from emissions of dioxin, furan, PAH and heavy metal compounds from municipal waste incinerators. Policy guidelines and a code of practice for the management of hazardous waste, prepared together with the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP, were published in six languages, including Chinese. At present, the emphasis is shifting to hazardous waste, and a study is under way on the health impact of hazardous waste containing certain identified “priority chemicals”. A code of practice is currently being used in work for the site selection for hazardous waste facilities, including landfills. There is also a plan for the training of national trainees in the sound management of hazardous waste. WHO/HQ, together with UNEP and the World Bank, are completing a text on the management of hazardous waste in developing countries. The first two volumes are expected to be published in 1988. A third volume with a number of national case studies is also being prepared. To assist WHO in its tasks, increase the effectiveness of results, and avoid duplication of activities, co-operation is being maintained with various individual experts, national institutes and authorities, and other international governmental and non-governmental organizations. Co-ordination of work and exchange of information is a matter of routine by means of periodic interagency consultations, participation in meetings of other organizations and country visits.     

Management of hazardous waste in Thailand: present situation and future prospects

 This paper deals with the present scenario of hazardous waste management practices in Thailand, and gives some insights into future prospects. Industrialization in Thailand has systematically increased the generation of hazardous waste. The total hazardous waste generated in 2001 was 1.65 million tons. It is estimated that over 300 million kg/year of hazardous waste is generated from nonindustrial, community sources (e.g., batteries, fluorescent lamps, cleansing chemicals, pesticides). No special facilities are available for handling these wastes. There are neither well-established systems for separation, storage, collection, and transportation, nor the effective enforcement of regulations related to hazardous wastes management generated from industrial or nonindustrial sectors. Therefore, because of a lack of treatment and disposal facilities, these wastes find their way into municipal wastewaters, public landfills, nearby dump sites, or waterways, raising serious environmental concern. Furthermore, Thailand does not have an integrated regulatory framework regarding the monitoring and management of hazardous materials and wastes. In addition to the absence of a national definition of hazardous wastes, limited funding has caused significant impediments to the effective management of hazardous waste. Thus, current waste management practices in Thailand present significant potential hazards to humans and the environment. The challenging issues of hazardous waste management in Thailand are not only related to a scarcity of financial resources (required for treatment and disposal facilities), but also to the fact that there has been no development of appropriate technology following the principles of waste minimization and sustainable development. A holistic approach to achieving effective hazardous waste management that integrates the efforts of all sectors, government, private, and community, is needed for the betterment of human health and the environment. Received: February 26, 2001 / Accepted: October 11, 2002     

Small-quantity-generator hazardous-waste production and management in Florida

Data are presented on the production and management of hazardous waste by approximately 20 000 small-quantity hazardous-waste generators (SQHWGs) in the state of Florida. SQHWGs are generators that produce less than 1000 kg of hazardous waste in a calendar month. There were approximately 117 000 metric tonnes of small-quantity-generator (SQG) hazardous waste produced annually. Included in this total are over 43 000 tonnes of waste oils even though they were not regulated as a hazardous waste at the time of the survey. Approximately half of this hazardous waste is managed using the following methods: recycling, treatment, and disposal in permitted hazardous-waste-management facilities. However, large quantities of this SQG hazardous waste are disposed of in sanitary landfills and discharged to public sewers and these facilities are typically not designed to handle hazardous waste. These data indicate that there are potential environmental and human-health problems associated with the management of SQG hazardous waste in Florida as well as throughout the U.S.A.     

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this study along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.     

Electronic tracking and management of industrial waste in Taiwan

This study discusses an online reporting system used for waste flow tracking (auditing) and investigation of violations. In contrast to systems used in other countries, this system requires waste generators and transporters, as well as the treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) to file online reports on the movement of industrial waste within 24 h of being shipped, received, or completely treated. This system also provides online analytical processing for reporters to analyze all their data, thereby encouraging self-management of waste. Currently there are 25,861 generators, 4,963 transporters, and 865 TSDFs in Taiwan that are required to file online reports. Approximately 80 % of all waste generated in Taiwan is reported using this system. More than 7,000 vehicles are equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) for waste tracking, among which over 2,000 transport hazardous waste. Disposal vehicles transmit their locations to the Control Center every 30 s. Database quality has been enhanced through auditing and inspection for more than 12 years since this system was established. It serves as a “single portal” for industrial waste management and facilitates informed decision making for resource exchange and material flow among various industries to achieve resource and environmental sustainability.     

Industrial hazardous waste treatment facilities in Thailand

In Thailand, hazardous waste is becoming a major problem, especially toxic chemicals and heavy metal pollutants discharged from factories. The Industrial Works Department (IWD), which has full responsibility for the control of all factory pollution problems, has initiated a joint hazardous waste treatment programme for handling industrial liquid, sludge and solid hazardous wastes from all factories situated in and around Bangkok and the eastern seaboard region. Four industrial hazardous wastes treatment centres are planned. Secure landfills together with research and development centres will also be provided nearby for the ultimate disposal of the inert-salt sludges. The investment, operation and management of the centres is to be handled by private companies which can generate revenue by charging service fees directly to their customers. Since both governmental and private sectors have no experience in this field, a grant system for a pilot centre has been launched by the Government which has reduced the operating costs by providing land, treatment facilities, infrastructure and secured landfills. The first treatment centre which was officially planned in 1985 was put into operation in July 1988 at Samea Dam, Bangkhuntien District, a western suburb of Bangkok. The construction of all necessary facilities was paid for by the Government. The operation and management of the centre is handled by a private contractor, Siam Control Company (SCC) under a 5-year lease. The users will pay service fees directly to the contractor and the Government will receive a rental and royalty fee from the contractor.     

Optimization of regional hazardous waste management systems: an improved formulation

The planning and design of regional hazardous waste management system (RHWMS) involves selection of treatment and disposal facilities, allocation of hazardous wastes and waste residues from generator to the treatment and disposal sites and selection of the transportation routes. An improved formulation based upon multi-objective integer programming approach is presented to arrive at the optimal configuration of RHWMS components. This formulation addresses important practical issues like unique characteristics of the hazardous wastes reflecting on waste–waste and waste–technology compatibility. A utility function approach is presented to integrate both cost and risk related objectives. An illustrative case example is presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the improved formulation as a tool which can be used by environmental planning agencies in regional planning for hazardous waste management.     

The current situation of solid waste generation and its environmental contamination in China

In China, controlling environmental pollution resulting from solid waste (SW) and hazardous waste (HW) has become one of the most pressing tasks in the field of environmental engineering. It is reported that the annual generation of industrial solid waste (ISW) in China exceeded 0.6 billion tons in the 1990s, and is increasing every year. Although ISW management has been strengthened in recent years, about 40% of SW is put in uncontrolled landfill without appropriate treatment. According to statistics from the national Environmental Protection Agency, the cumulative ISW uncontrolled landfill in China had reached 6.6 billion tons by the end of 1995, occupying around 55 000 hectares of land. Although some major uncontrolled landfills were constructed, nonetheless groundwater contamination resulted from the use of low-standard liners and poor management. Furthermore, about 20 million tons of ISW was discharged into the environment illegally, and a third of this waste was discharged directly into water bodies, making ISW one of the greatest pollution sources for surface water and ground water. Environmental pollution accidents resulting from SW occur about 100 times a year in China, and environmental issues frequently arise because of ISW pollution. The practices of SW management, treatment, and disposal started relatively late in China, and for a long time the management of SW pollution has received little attention compared with water and air pollution management. China faces problems such as the insufficiency of management laws and regulations, insufficient investment, inadequate treatment and disposal technology, and a lack of qualified technicians. At present, most treatment and disposal technology cannot meet the requests for solid waste pollution control. In order to protect, restore, and improve environmental quality in China and to realize sustainable development, the safe management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes is a pressing challenge. In recent years, much attention has been paid to SW management in China, and investment to develop management and treatment technologies has increased. In 1995, the Law for Solid Waste Pollution Protection was issued, and work on solid waste treatment and disposal began to be legally managed. SW treatment and disposal facilities have been constructed, and now operate in some large and medium-sized cities. In particular, rapid improvements have been seen in ISW recycling, collection, and disposal of municipal solid waste and regional HW management. All the figures in this paper are from 1995, and represent the situation in China in that year. Received: April 18, 2000 / Accepted: May 15, 2000     

Hospital waste management in Libya: A case study

In Libya, as in many developing countries, little information is available regarding generation, handling and disposal of hospital waste. This fact hinders the development and implementation of hospital waste management schemes. The specific objective of this study is to present an appraisal of the current situation regarding hospital waste management in Libya. Procedures, techniques, methods of handling, and disposal of waste are presented, as well as the amounts and compositions of hospital waste. This research was conducted in the form of a case study. Fourteen different healthcare facilities in three cities, Tripoli, Misurata, and Sirt, all located in the northwestern part of Libya, were selected for investigation. The investigation showed that the hospitals surveyed had neither guidelines for separated collection and classification, nor methods for storage and disposal of generated waste. This deficiency indicates the need for an adequate hospital waste management strategy to improve and control the existing situation. The average waste generation rate was found to be 1.3 kg/patient/day, comprised of 72% general healthcare waste (non-risk) and 28% hazardous waste. The average general waste composition was: 38% organic, 24% plastics, and 20% paper. Sharps and pathological elements comprised 26% of the hazardous waste component.     

The Best-of-2-Worlds philosophy: Developing local dismantling and global infrastructure network for sustainable e-waste treatment in emerging economies

E-waste is a complex waste category containing both hazardous and valuable substances. It demands for a cost-efficient treatment system which simultaneously liberates and refines target fractions in an environmentally sound way. In most developing countries there is a lack of systems covering all steps from disposal until final processing due to limited infrastructure and access to technologies and investment. This paper introduces the ‘Best-of-2-Worlds’ philosophy (Bo2W), which provides a network and pragmatic solution for e-waste treatment in emerging economies. It seeks technical and logistic integration of ‘best’ pre-processing in developing countries to manually dismantle e-waste and ‘best’ end-processing to treat hazardous and complex fractions in international state-of-the-art end-processing facilities. A series of dismantling trials was conducted on waste desktop computers, IT equipment, large and small household appliances, in order to compare the environmental and economic performances of the Bo2W philosophy with other conventional recycling scenarios. The assessment showed that the performance of the Bo2W scenario is more eco-efficient than mechanical separation scenarios and other local treatment solutions. For equipment containing substantial hazardous substances, it demands the assistance from domestic legislation for mandatory removal and safe handling of such fractions together with proper financing to cover the costs. Experience from Bo2W pilot projects in China and India highlighted key societal factors influencing successful implementation. These include market size, informal competitors, availability of national e-waste legislation, formal take-back systems, financing and trust between industrial players. The Bo2W philosophy can serve as a pragmatic and environmentally responsible transition before establishment of end-processing facilities in developing countries is made feasible. The executive models of Bo2W should be flexibly differentiated for various countries by adjusting to local conditions related to operational scale, level of centralized operations, dismantling depth, combination with mechanical processing and optimized logistics to international end-processors.     

A review of waste management practices and their impact on human health

This work reviews (i) the most recent information on waste arisings and waste disposal options in the world, in the European Union (EU), in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEDC) countries, and in some developing countries (notably China) and (ii) the potential direct and indirect impact of waste management activities on health. Though the main focus is primarily on municipal solid waste (MSW), exposure to bioaerosols from composting facilities and to pathogens from sewage treatment plants are considered. The reported effects of radioactive waste are also briefly reviewed. Hundreds of epidemiological studies reported on the incidence of a wide range of possible illnesses on employees of waste facilities and on the resident population. The main conclusion of the overall assessment of the literature is that the evidence of adverse health outcomes for the general population living near landfill sites, incinerators, composting facilities and nuclear installations is usually insufficient and inconclusive. There is convincing evidence of a high risk of gastrointestinal problems associated with pathogens originating at sewage treatment plants. In order to improve the quality and usefulness of epidemiological studies applied to populations residing in areas where waste management facilities are located or planned, preference should be given to prospective cohort studies of sufficient statistical power, with access to direct human exposure measurements, and supported by data on health effect biomarkers and susceptibility biomarkers.     

Guidelines for the evaluation and assessment of the sustainable use of resources and of wastes management at healthcare facilities.

This paper presents guidelines that can be used by managers of healthcare facilities to evaluate and assess the quality of resources and waste management at their facilities and enabling the principles of sustainable development to be addressed. The guidelines include the following key aspects which need to be considered when completing an assessment. They are: (a) general management; (b) social issues; (c) health and safety; (d) energy and water use; (e) purchasing and supply; (f) waste management (responsibility, segregation, storage and packaging); (g) waste transport; (h) recycling and re-use; (i) waste treatment; and (j) final disposal. They identify actions required to achieve a higher level of performance which can readily be applied to any healthcare facility, irrespective of the local level of social, economic and environmental development. The guidelines are presented, and the characteristics of facilities associated with sustainable (level 4) and unsustainable (level 0) healthcare resource and wastes management are outlined. They have been used to assess a major London hospital, and this highlighted a number of deficiencies in current practice, including a lack of control over purchasing and supply, and very low rates of segregation of municipal solid waste from hazardous healthcare waste.     

Comparison research on waste classification between China and the EU,Japan, and the USA

Waste and waste management have become significant global issues and common challenges that we face. Efficient and effective waste management is an essential part of civilized society. A good waste classification system is the foundation and precondition for efficient waste management. In this paper, in accordance with waste classification principles of systematicness, hierarchy, practical maneuverability and expansibility, waste classification systems in China, the EU, Japan and the USA are reviewed for collection, transportation and treatment sectors. Comparison analysis results show that waste classification methods are diversified and process-oriented classification, substance-oriented and hazardous properties classification principles are widely adopted for waste generation and transportation. For waste treatment process, all the countries and regions adopt similar classification methods based on follow-up treatment process. In general, the EU and Japan all have established their own integrated waste classification system. However, the EU’s macro–micro integration waste classification systems are more suitable for China to learn which process-oriented waste classification is used for declaration and registration at the micro-level and substance-oriented waste classification system for environmental statistics at the macro-level.     

2020年危险废物市场分析

危险废物处理与政策、法规、标准、技术、市场等影响因素关系密切。对2019年以来我国出台的危险废物管理政策法规、管理措施和标准规范情况进行梳理,对危险废物产生和利用处置情况进行对比分析,对危险废物利用处置技术进展、价格变动和市场投资趋势等进行概述,对环境违法案件舆情及突发事件等因素对危险废物市场影响进行分析,综合运用类比、归纳和演绎等方法,对2020年危险废物市场进行预测分析。     

Characterization of a thermal power plant air heater washing waste: a case study from Iran.

In Iran most of the electricity is generated by thermal power plants. As a result of fuel oil burning in winter time, the air heaters of the boilers have to be washed and cleaned frequently. The wastewater originating from air heater washing is then treated in an effluent treatment plant by chemical precipitation followed by dewatering of the sludge produced. The resulting waste is classified as specific industrial waste that should be characterized in detail under the Waste Management Act of Iran. The quantity of this waste produced in the studied power plant is about 20 tonnes year(-1). In the present investigation, the first to be carried out in Iran, seven composite samples of dewatered sludge from air heater washing wastewater treatment were subjected to investigation of the physical properties, chemical composition and leaching properties. The most likely pollutants that were of concern in this study were heavy and other hazardous metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and V). The results revealed that mean pH, wet and dry density and moisture content of the waste were 6.31, 1532 kg m(-30, 1879 kg m(-3) and 15.35%, respectively. Magnetite, SiO2, P2O5, CaO, Al2O3 and MgO were the main constituents of the waste with a weight percentage order of 68.88, 5.91, 3.39, 2.64, 2.59 and 1.76%, respectively. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test results for some heavy and other hazardous metals showed that mean elemental concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in leachate were 0.06, 1.55, 5.49, 36.32, 209.10, 0.58, 314.06 and 24.84 mg L(-1), respectively. According to the Waste Management Act of Iran this waste should be classified as hazardous and should be disposed of in accordance with hazardous waste disposal regulations.     

Current status and future focus of hazardous waste management in China

 Rapid social and economic development in China has caused the amount of hazardous wastes being generated to increase drastically. The necessary regulations and systems regarding the management of hazardous wastes are currently still not in place. Based on an analysis of the characteristics of hazardous waste pollution and pollution trends in China, this paper reports on China's current status regarding hazardous waste management, and introduces the main difficulties to be faced. The principles and objectives, and the action plan for hazardous waste pollution control in China are also explained in detail. These principles and objectives have been stipulated in the Technological Policies on Hazardous Waste Pollution Control, which is issued by China State EPA, State ETC, and the Science and Technology Ministry. Received: April 30, 2002 / Accepted: October 17, 2002     

An evaluation of legislative measures on electrical and electronic waste in the People's Republic of China

With the increasing number of recycling mishaps in connection with waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) in the People's Republic of China, it is imperative that the handling and recycling of WEEE be sufficiently regulated in China. Regulations covering three major issues, namely, take-back issues, controls on hazardous substances in WEEE and the assurance of good environmental management in WEEE plants, were promulgated between 2006 and 2008. The evaluation in this country report shows that few of these regulatory measures have performed satisfactorily in terms of enforcement, of public acceptance and of environmental concerns. In brief, the take-back requirements and the associated financial responsibilities are only vaguely defined; the control on hazardous substances and the so-called "environmental expiry date" requirements cannot be properly enforced, and the resources needed to ensure the satisfactory enforcement of the environmental abatement and pollution control requirements in WEEE plants are overwhelming. In addition, the use of a "multiple enforcement body" approach to the control of hazardous substances in WEEE is an indication that the Chinese government lacks the determination to properly enforce the relevant legal requirements.     

EU landfill waste acceptance criteria and EU Hazardous Waste Directive compliance testing of incinerated sewage sludge ash

A hazardous waste assessment has been completed on ash samples obtained from seven sewage sludge incinerators operating in the UK, using the methods recommended in the EU Hazardous Waste Directive. Using these methods, the assumed speciation of zinc (Zn) ultimately determines if the samples are hazardous due to ecotoxicity hazard. Leaching test results showed that two of the seven sewage sludge ash samples would require disposal in a hazardous waste landfill because they exceed EU landfill waste acceptance criteria for stabilised non-reactive hazardous waste cells for soluble selenium (Se). Because Zn cannot be proven to exist predominantly as a phosphate or oxide in the ashes, it is recommended they be considered as non-hazardous waste. However leaching test results demonstrate that these ashes cannot be considered as inert waste, and this has significant implications for the management, disposal and re-use of sewage sludge ash.     

A novel model of organic waste composting in Taiwan military community

The relatively large quantities of waste generated daily in military barracks pose a significant impact on environments in this small island of Taiwan due to limited land and crowded populations. In order to find a suitable handling method to the barracks' characteristics in Taiwan, a comprehensive selection model for various barracks carrying out waste composting was established through personal interviews and questionnaire data analyses on the military barracks. From this, the basic data for this research was also built, to evaluate the experiences and management practices in these facilities. This study found that environmental responsibility and expertise are the primary concerns and considerations among all of the military units when doing waste composting. Support of the commander, organizational image and human resource/facilities are also concerns. To offer the military barracks a selection model and policy guidelines for the waste composting treatment, an itemized score evaluation standard and a selecting chart of composting recycling methods were designed by combining the practical experimental results with economic considerations, waste classification, and Delphi expert technique.