Dioxins: Sources of environmental load and human exposure

Polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) represent a class of tricylic, almost planar, aromatic ethers with 1 to 8 chlorine atoms. Congeners with substituents in the positions 2, 3, 7, and 8 are of special concern due to their toxicity, stability, and persistence. These compounds have been identified in almost all environmental compartments and humans.

Dioxins are a potent carcinogen for animals and—at the moment—considered a probable carcinogen for humans. Actual toxicological risk assessment for humans are based on 2,3,7,8‐Cl4DD carcinogenicity studies on rodents. Tumorigenic effects were found for 2 strains of rats and 2 strains of mice. All dioxins and furans elicit common toxic and biological responses, starting with a specific binding to a protein receptor, but existing epidemiologic data do not provide definitive data on human health effects.

Toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) have been developed by several agencies as a provisional method of risk assessment for complex mixtures of PCDD/PCDF.

Dioxins have never been produced intentionally and have never served any useful purpose. They are formed in trace amounts as by‐products in industrial processes; for instance within the chemical industry, of the pulp and paper industry, metallurgical processes, processes for reactivation of granular carbon, dry cleaning, and the manufacture of flame‐retarded plastics.

The main pathway for dioxins to enter the environment is via combustion processes. Incineration is of special importance since PCDD/PCDF are directly released to the atmosphere from either stationary sources, such as municipal, hazardous and hospital waste incinerators, the combustion of sewage sludge, and scrap metal recycling, or diffuse sources, e.g. automobile exhausts, private home heating with fossil fuels, forest fires, and cigarette smoking. Furthermore, fires with PCB and PVC have additionally contributed to the total dioxin load. The emission gases can undergo long‐range transport, so that dioxins have been found even in remote areas.

Besides the two primary sources (industrial processes and combustion processes) the release of dioxins from contaminated areas and waste dumps via the leachate and the application of sewage sludge for fertilization represents a third source of PCDD/PCDF.

After more than 10 years of dioxin research the most important sources of PCDD/PCDF have been identified and analytical methods have been developed for their quantification in trace levels and in complex matrices.

Various efforts have been undertaken to reduce the emission of dioxins: for example, optimization of combustion processes for municipal waste incineration, use of unleaded gasoline, ban of chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pentachlorophenol (PCP). More detail is provided in the pulp and paper section where changes have been initiated to significantly reduce the sources of PCDD/PCDF.

However, relatively little is known about transport and transformation processes, so only rough estimates can be made. Photodegradation has been found to be the primary process for 2,3,7,8‐Cl4DD breakdown. A half‐life of 3–4 days has been estimated for photochemical degradation under oxidative conditions. Field studies on the fate of 2,3,7,8‐Cl4DD in soil gave a half‐life of 9.1 (Seveso) and 12 years (under special conditions: sand, erosion), respectively. Biodegradation seems to be negligible. Transfer factors soil‐plants for PCDD/PCDF have been determined—with a high degree of uncertainty—to be less than 0.1.

Human exposure primarily occurs via ingestion whereas inhalation is a minor pathway. Dermal absorption can be neglected although skin contact to polluted surfaces may occur. Due to the lipophilicity of PCDD/PCDF and their potential for accumulation, foods such as meat and especially dairy products contribute most to the dioxin body burden of humans.

Both national agencies and international organizations have recognized the significance of this problem and as a result have initiated regulations, recommendations and research programmes (1) to understand where and how PCDD/PCDF are formed, (2) to reduce their impact on the environment and to humans, and (3) to start remedial action on contaminated areas.     

Occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in struvite recovery from swine wastewater by using a fluidized bed

Antibiotics in wastewater pose pharmacological threats to phosphorous recovery. Recovered struvite particles possessed significantly antibiotic residues. Smaller granules contained much more antibiotics than the larger ones. Organic matters and struvite granulation process exerted significant impacts. Recovering phosphorus from livestock wastewater has gained extensive attention. The residue of veterinary antibiotics in the wastewater may be present in the recovered products, thereby posing pharmacological threats to the agricultural planting and human health. This study investigated antibiotic occurrence in the struvite particles recovered from swine wastewater by using a fluidized bed. Results revealed that tetracyclines possessed significant residues in the struvite granules, with the values ranging from 195.2 mg·kg⁻¹ to 1995.0 mg·kg⁻¹. As for fluoroquinolones, their concentrations varied from 0.4 mg·kg⁻¹ to 1104.0 mg·kg⁻¹. Struvite particles were of various sizes and shapes and displayed different antibiotic adsorption capacities. The data also showed that the smaller granules contained much more antibiotics than the larger ones, indicating that the fluidized granulation process of struvite crystals plays an important role on the accumulation of antibiotics. For tetracyclines, organic matters and struvite adsorption exerted significant impacts on tetracyclines migration. The outcomes underscore the need to consider the residues of antibiotics in resource recovery from wastewater because they exert pharmacological impacts on the utilization of recovered products.     

Possible solutions for sludge dewatering in China

In China, over 1.43×10⁷ tons of dewatered sewage sludge, with 80% water content, were generated from wastewater treatment plants in 2007. About 60% of the COD removed during the wastewater treatment process becomes concentrated as sludge. Traditional disposal methods used by municipal solid waste treatment facilities, such as landfills, composting, or incineration, are unsuitable for sludge disposal because of its high water content. Disposal of sludge has therefore become a major focus of current environmental protection policies. The present status of sludge treatment and disposal methodology is introduced in this paper. Decreasing the energy consumption of sludge dewatering from 80% to 50% has been a key issue for safe and economic sludge disposal. In an analysis of sludge water distribution, thermal drying and hydrothermal conditioning processes are compared. Although thermal drying could result in an almost dry sludge, the energy consumption needed for this process is extremely high. In comparison, hydrothermal technology could achieve dewatered sewage sludge with a 50%–60% water content, which is suitable for composting, incineration, or landfill. The energy consumption of hydrothermal technology is lower than that required for thermal drying.     

Abfallwirtschaftskonzept im Rahmen eines Integrierten Umweltmanagementsystems

Economic regulations on recycling and respective waste disposal legislation will increasingly demand the realization of new waste management concepts. They do not stem from a ministerial goal in itself, but instead offen the enterprizes a chance to develop their own waste disposal strategies with a goal toward the future. In the course of an Intra-company analysis, this waste disposal concept must take the operative organization, the relevant processes and manufacturing techniques, the accumulation of waste in the cost centers as well as the waste disposal and utilization into consideration. Fundamental principles include the environmental regulations applicable to the enterprize in the form of both federal decress and injunctions. An environmental examination report demonstrates the methodical possiblities for stock-taking and makes it possible to identify the measures necessary for improving the operational waste disposal situation. The mandatory data acquisition and a feasible waste monitoring network can be used in the course of environmental management system for making an expert opinion by an independent, reputable environmental verifier.     

Study on HCl removal for medical waste pyrolysis and combustion using a TG-FTIR analyzer

Under both pyrolysis and combustion condition, HCl removal efficiency for medical waste with Ca-based additives was semi-quantitatively studied by means of TG-FTIR. Additionally, the difference of HCl removal efficiency for PVC and medical waste was compared. Experimental results showed that: 1) Thermal degradation of medical waste mainly took place in two steps under both pyrolysis and combustion condition; 2) HCl emitted at both two steps and HCl concentration increased with the increased of Cl ratio in the medical waste; 3) for the same additive, HCl concentration decreased with the increased of additives amount, that is to say, HCl removal efficiency of medical waste increased as the increased of Ca/Cl molar ratio. Fourth, when Ca(OH)₂ was used as additive, HCl removal efficiency for medical waste combustion was a little higher than that for medical waste pyrolysis, but either CaCO₃ or CaO was used as additive, it was just opposite, more specifically, when CaCO₃ was used as additive with Ca/Cl=1.3, HCl removal efficiency was 5.49% under pyrolysis condition, but that was only 4.24% under combustion condition. Fifth, under the same Ca/Cl molar ratio, HCl removal efficiency for PVC was higher than that for medical waste under both pyrolysis and combustion condition, more specifically, when Ca(OH)₂ was used as additive with Ca/Cl=1, HCl removal efficiency was 64.51% for PVC, but that was only 27.66% for medical waste pyrolysis with 4% Cl under pyrolysis condition.     

焚烧源二噁英的排放对周边土壤和植被污染的研究进展

经济的飞速发展和城市化进程的加快,带来了严重的生活垃圾负荷问题。垃圾焚烧技术因其具有减容化、无害化和资源化的优点,成为当今国际社会生活垃圾处理的主要技术之一。然而由于人们对于垃圾焚烧源可能产生的二噁英污染问题缺乏一个全面的认识,使得垃圾焚烧厂的建立遭到了民众的强烈反对,成为影响社会和谐稳定的因素;因此,需要对垃圾焚烧源二噁英的排放对周边土壤和植被的污染状况进行综述,对于解决老百姓对于垃圾焚烧二噁英污染的争议有巨大的现实意义。对近年来国内外学者在相关方面的研究进行了详细地综述,结果发现：国内已开展的研究仅限于二噁英对焚烧厂周边土壤的污染调查,而对于焚烧源二噁英对植被及农作物的污染的研究数据非常匮乏;而国外学者已开展的垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤和植被中二噁英污染的调查研究只是停留在二噁英在土壤和植被中总浓度的研究基础上,而对于不同二噁英同族物在焚烧厂附近土壤和植被中的分布特征和蓄积规律方面的研究比较缺乏,尤其是在其他污染源如废弃物的露天燃烧、交通等协同作用下,垃圾焚烧对二噁英污染贡献率的研究比较少,对于垃圾焚烧厂二噁英污染的控制没有起到直观的指导作用。本文指出今后的研究应加强对二噁英在焚烧厂周边土壤和植被中分布特征和蓄积规律研究,这对于焚烧源二噁英的污染防治以及对已被二噁英污染的土壤和植被的生态修复具有重要的意义。     

Research on low emission MSW gasification and melting system

In order to eliminate secondary pollution caused by municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration, a MSW gasification and melting process is proposed. The process is expected to reduce the emission of pollutants, especially heavy-metals and dioxins. In this paper, the combustible components of MSW and simulated MSW were gasified in a lab-scale fluidized bed at 400°C–700°C when the excess air ratio (ER) was between 0.2 and 0.8. The experimental results indicated that the MSW could be gasified effectively in a fluidized bed at approximately 600°C–700°C when excess air ratio was 0.2–0.4. The melting characteristics of two typical fly ash samples from MSW incinerators were investigated. The results indicated that fly ash of pure MSW incineration could be melted at approximately 1,300°C and that of MSW and coal co-combustion could be melted at approximately 1,400°C. When temperature was over 1,100°C, more than 99.9% of the dioxins could be decomposed and most of the heavy-metals could be solidified in the slag. Based on the above experiments, two feasible MSW gasification and melting processes were proposed for low calorific value MSW: (1) sieved MSW gasification and melting system, which was based on an idea of multi-recycle; (2) gasification and melting scheme of MSW adding coal as assistant fuel.     

抗生素菌渣处理技术研究进展

抗生素菌渣是制药企业在生产抗生素类药物时,由微生物发酵产生的固体废弃物.作为国家规定的危险废物,其产量大、含水率高、含氮、硫量高、残留抗生素的特点,使其具有巨大的环境危害性.抗生素菌渣的科学、无害处理是医药固废领域的热点难题.本文系统阐述了抗生素菌渣的类型、性质和危害,详细综述了目前主流的各类热化学处理技术和非热化学处理技术,重点对包括焚烧技术、水热技术和热解气化技术等在内的热化学处理技术进行了系统归纳,汇总分析其技术特点、环境影响、应用瓶颈及研究进展.同时,对抗生素菌渣处理的未来发展提出若干建议和展望,提出烘焙技术消除其生物危险性的处理理念,建立健全相关安全标准与法律规范,以更好地降低抗生素菌渣潜在的环境风险并实现资源利用,解决抗生素类药物生产工艺的后顾之忧,促进我国制药行业持续健康发展.     

Levels and patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls in residues from incineration of established source-classified MSW in China

Municipal solid waste (MSW) source-classified collection represents an advancement in resource cycling and secondary pollution control in China. Comparative experiments were performed to assess the levels and patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls in bottom ash, fly ash from boiler, and fly ash from bag filter from an MSW incineration plant with source-classified collection of MSW. Polychlorinated biphenyls were concentrated in the bag filter fly ash and in the bottom ash. The total amount of polychlorinated biphenyls was much lower than in fly ashes and bottom ash from traditional mixed waste incineration. Total concentration of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls and toxic equivalent quantities were also reduced. Due to variations of feed waste, complete combustion, including continuously high incineration temperature, low CO concentrations and high air excess ratio were observed. Incineration temperature showed a negative correlation, while CO concentration showed a positive correlation with total and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls, indicating that the latter can be reduced by controlling combustion conditions related to properties of feed waste.     

废弃塑料包装物的管理及资源、环境评价

由于塑料包装材料具有明显的资源优势,而获得广泛应用。但塑料材料的原料——石油,目前面临枯竭窘境。同时,塑料包装废弃物的处理存在巨大的环境压力。焚烧包括塑料包装废弃物在内的生活垃圾,用于发电,是日本曾经采取的方法。近年来,因存在难以逾越的生态环境问题,而逐渐废止。工业生态学的材料流的循环利用模式,是解决资源耗尽、废物充斥的理想方法。源头分离是城市固体废弃物资源化的前提条件。按塑料品种分类回收,以材料形式重复利用,保留了塑料的材料价值,还需要解决,再加工过程造成材料力学性能下降的问题。将单一品种塑料转化成单体,不同塑料品种的单体转化率有很大差距,缩合聚合物较高,而PP、PE等则不然。混合塑料的热裂解可获得化工原料和燃料,又达到减少垃圾总量和石油资源循环利用的效果,具有开发潜力。填埋方式占用土地又人为阻碍了有机垃圾回归生物圈。控制性堆肥对避免大量使用化肥、农药造成的生态环境灾难,再建农业生产的可持续性模式,发挥重要作用。生物降解塑料袋对堆肥的实施,具有特殊价值。PET和E-CO在食品包装某些应用领域有优势,而PVC食品包装物的使用和废弃后再利用都存在问题。     

Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs) in surface and tap water around Lake Taihu in China

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are ubiquitously distributed in the environment mainly as perfluoro-carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs). In this paper, six PFCAs and two PFASs were quantified in surface and tap water samples from 12 sites around Lake Taihu near Shanghai City in East China. Predominant PFCs were perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), of which the concentration ranges were 6.8–206 and 1.2–45 ng·L⁻¹, the geometric means were 35.3 and 9.4 ng·L⁻¹, and the median (quartile range) values were 31.4 (34.4) and 10.4 (10.7) ng·L⁻¹, respectively. Other PFCs were also detected but in much lower concentrations than PFOA. The sources of the PFCs were expected to be direct industrial discharges in the Lake Taihu area, and this area was also a possible source of PFCs contaminations in Shanghai district in the downstream. PFCs distributions were found different in the upstream, downstream and north part of Lake Taihu. Occurrences of PFCs in the tap water in Lake Taihu area indicated their exposure to the local people. A brief estimation of the environmental risks by PFCs implied no acute or immediate risks from PFCs to local human health, but chronic risks from PFOA in the tap water should be considered in the downstream regions.     

废旧线路板中贵金属湿法浸出技术研究进展

废旧线路板(WPCB)的数量逐年增长,妥善处理废旧线路板不仅体现其回收利用价值,并且具有可观的环境效益.湿法处理废旧线路板工艺成熟,具有流程短、效率高的优点.本文综述了废旧线路板中贵金属(主要以金为例)浸出方法的研究状况,并从效率、环境影响、成本等方面对不同方法进行了比较.分析表明,硫脲法和碘化法浸出效率高、环境影响小、成本可控,是较优的浸出方法.合理、有效地处置废旧线路板,减少处置过程中的环境污染并高效回收贵金属,需要考虑不同方面的因素,多种浸出与富集回收方法共同使用,以达到最佳贵金属回收效果.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in dated environmental samples,and their connection to known sources

This article investigates available environmental data from measurements of the everywhere present contaminants polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in dated trends in sediment, soil and herbage from locales in Europe and North America. The PCDD/F data are examined in relation to potential major PCDD/F sources based on volume: wood and coal, example of natural combustion; pentachlorophenol (PnCP), example of chlorinated aro‐matics; and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pyrolysis, example of chlorinated aliphatic. Collected PCDD/F data of congener sums and 2, 3, 7, 8‐substituted congener (PCDD/F profiles) have been investigated with multivariate methods: principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares projection to latent structures model (PLS). The results show that PCDD/F data from 12 locales can be separated in one to three independent profiles. Normally one profile is related to the PCDD/F found in PnCP and another to combustion. A subtype of the ‘PnCP’ and ‘combustion’ profiles indicates PCDD/F contributions from PVC‐related combustions. The environmental profiles exhibit some differences from the suggested sources. The relatively unprotected PCDD/F related to PnCP is suggested to have passed photolytic and/or thermal dechlorinations. Lower‐chlorinated congeners in environmental profiles related to combustion appear to have been influenced by environmental distribution processes. PCDD/F data before industrial production of chlorinated organics have only limited similarity to PCDD/F in technical PnCP profiles; an average 4.6% of the PCDD/F is related to PnCP. This suggests that PnCP similarity in recent deposition profiles cannot be a result of environmental transformation. The average proportion of PnCP‐related PCDD/F profile in recent depositions is 35% with North America high (average 57%) and Europe low (average 24%).     

Vanadium and molybdenum concentrations in particulate from Palermo (Italy): analytical methods using voltammetry

The main purpose of this work was to develop a reliable method for the determination of vanadium (V) and molybdenum (Mo) in atmosphere particles or aerosols because they can not be readily measured using conventional techniques. For this research, 30 particulate samples were collected from five different stations located at Palermo, Italy. We used the catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry and differential pulsed voltammetry to measure V and Mo in atmospheric particulate, respectively. The represented method includes advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, simplicity, reproducibility, speed and low costs. The quantification limits for V and Mo are, respectively, 0.57 and 0.80 ng·m⁻³. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD %), was about 2% for both metals. The mean recoveries of added V and Mo were about 99.5% and ranged from 97% to 101%. Vanadium concentrations in particulate samples collected in Palermo area ranged from 0.57 to 7.7 ng·m⁻³, while Mo concentrations were in the range 0.8–51 ng·m⁻³. In many cases the concentrations of two elements in the particulate samples fall below the detection limits. The mean concentrations for V and Mo in particulate samples, collected in Palermo area, were respectively 3.1 and 5.9 ng·m⁻³.     

Thermogravimetric coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis study on thermal treatment of monopotassium phosphate residue

In China, safe disposal of hazardous waste is more and more a necessity, urged by rapid economic development. The pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of a residue from producing monopotassium phosphate (monopotassium phosphate residue), considered as a hazardous waste, were studied using a thermogravimetric, coupled with Fourier transform infrared analyzer (TG-FTIR). Both pyrolysis and combustion runs can be subdivided into three stages: drying, thermal decomposition, and final devolatilization. The average weight loss rate during fast thermal decomposition stage in pyrolysis is higher than combustion. Acetic acid, methane, pentane, (acetyl) cyclopropane, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, CO, and CO₂ were distinguished in the pyrolysis process, while CO₂ was the dominant combustion product.     

Determination and occurrence of endocrine disrupting compounds,pharmaceuticals and personal care products in fish (Morone saxatilis)

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted much attention due to widespread contamination in aquatic environment. In this study, we determined 13 EDCs and PPCPs in fish blood, bile and muscle by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The limits of quantitation (LOQ) were in the ranges of 0.23–2.54, 0.22–2.36 ng·mL⁻¹, and 0.24–2.57 ng·g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) for fish blood, bile and muscle, respectively. Recoveries of target compounds spiked into sample matrices and passed through the entire analytical procedure ranged from 65% to 95%, from 60% to 92% and from 62% to 91% for blood, bile and muscle, respectively. The methods were applied to the analysis of fish from a lake in California. Target compounds were relatively low in bile, and only bisphenol A (BPA) and diclofenac were measurable near the LOQ. Seven of 13 compounds were detected in blood, with total concentrations up to 39 ng·mL⁻¹. Only BPA was frequently found in muscle, with mean concentration of 7.26 ng·g⁻¹ dw. The estimated daily intake of BPA through fish consumption for U.S. resident was significantly lower than the tolerable daily intake recommended by the European Food Safety Authority. This study showed that the exposure to the bisphenol A from fish diet is unlikely to pose a health risk.     

Existierende dioxininventare weltweit und neue methodik zur erstellung von vergleichbaren und vollständigen emissionsinventaren

Presently, there are less than 20 inventories to estimate releases of dioxins and furans. According to a recent survey, 12,900 g TEQ of these unwanted byproducts are emitted into the atmosphere by 16 countries. Highest emissions are from the densely populated industrialized countries of the Northern hemisphere — Japan and the United States of America. Whereas the metal producing and recycling industry is the sector with the highest dioxin emissions in Europe, waste incineration is considered to be the major source in many other countries. Measures to reduce dioxin emissions have resulted in strong downward trends, as shown e.g. in Germany and Japan; however, potentials for further reduction have been identified. So far, countries have utilized own methods to calculate their dioxin emissions and the majority has addressed releases to air only. The future Stockholm Convention on POPs will require to continuously reduce dioxin emissions. In order to assist countries in inventory making, UNEP has produced the Toolkit, a methodology to establish comparable dioxin inventories that address releases to air, water and land, with products and in residues.     

Polychlorobenzenes and polychlorinated biphenyls in ash and soil from several industrial areas in North Vietnam: residue concentrations,profiles and risk assessment

Polychlorinated benzenes (PCBzs) including penta- and hexachlorobenzene can be unintentionally formed from thermal processes in different industrial activities, and very little information is available on the contamination and emission characteristics of these new persistent organic pollutants from industries in Vietnam. In this study, contamination of PCBzs (including penta- and hexachlorobenzene, named PeCBz and HCB, respectively) and PCBs (including CB-28, 52, 101, 153, 138, 180) in fly ash, bottom ash and soil from combustion processes of waste incineration, metallurgy (steel making and zinc production) and cement production from several provinces in the Northern Vietnam, including Hai Duong, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong and Thai Nguyen, was preliminary investigated. The PCBzs concentrations in fly ash, bottom ash and soil ranged from 2.7 to 100 ng g^?1, from 2.7 to 159 ng g^?1 and from 0.28 to 33.9 ng g^?1, respectively. Relatively high residues of PeCBz in fly ash and bottom ash from municipal waste incinerators in some provinces from the Northern Vietnam were encountered. Total PCBs concentrations ranged from 18.0 to 8260 ng g^?1, from 1.0 to 10600 ng g^?1 and from 14.5 to 130 ng g^?1 for the fly ash, bottom ash and soil, respectively. Daily intakes of PeCBz, HCB and PCBs through soil ingestion and dermal exposure estimated for children ranged 0.33–9.93 (mean 3.14), 0.39–21.1 (mean 4.9) and 6.09–1530 ng/kg bw/day (mean 346), respectively; and these intakes were about 4.7–5.4 times higher than those estimated for adult. The intakes of PeCBz and HCB were relatively low, while those for PCBs exceeded WHO TDI for some samples.     

平原典型垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤重金属分布特征及污染评价

随着固体废弃物的增加,垃圾焚烧逐步成为城市垃圾处理应用一个较为理想可行的选择。垃圾焚烧不仅可以回收能源,且相对其他处理方式其减量效果显著。垃圾焚烧厂排出的尾气中的某些特定重金属可以通过大气干湿沉降进入土壤。采用XRF 荧光光谱仪、岛津原子吸收分光光度计和测汞仪测定了杭嘉湖平原的嘉兴垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤重金属的含量,利用地统计学方法分析了该区域74个土壤样品中Cr、Mn、Cu、Pb、Fe五种重金属元素浓度的空间分布,并采用单因子指数法和内梅罗综合指数法对该地区土壤进行污染评价。结果表明：该垃圾焚烧厂周边表层土壤上述5种重金属平均含量依次为174.05、707.76、47.68、41.95、39057.89 mg·kg-1。表层富集因子分析表明表层土壤中Cu和Pb的含量受到人为影响。因子分析将5种重金属分成3类,并揭示了3类金属在该区域具有不同的空间分布特征,Cr、Mn、Fe以土壤地球化学作用（37.88%方差贡献）为主导影响因素,Cu、Pb分别以农药施用作用为主（22.06%）、垃圾焚烧源尾气排放（22.74%）为主导影响因素。污染评价结果表明该区域土壤重金属复合污染程度为轻度污染,最大污染贡献来自于Pb（单因子污染指数高达2.16）,厂区周边土壤中重金属存在累积效应,不容忽视。     

Ökonomisch-organisatorische Betrachtung der Klärschlammverwertung: Kosten — Nutzen — Ausstiegsszenarien

Goal and Scope

The controversial issue of disposing municipal sewage sludge on arable farmland and growing demand on derived fuels could result in a total or partial abandoning of sludge recycling as fertiliser. Alternative disposal strategies like incineration will cause complex changes. A material flow management framework is used to determine the economic-organisational consequences for public authorities, farmers, rural contractors, disposal firms, and population in Schleswig-Holstein.

Methods and Focus

The study is based upon network analysis, analysis of agricultural and wastewater statistics and interviews. After structuring the disposal process, transaction are used to derive costs of different disposal strategies. The purification technique of sewage plant and application of metal salts for precipitation affect the fertilising quality of sludge. Therefore, all plants are classified into 4 different technical groups with decreasing fertilising effect. Now, the amount of sludge and corresponding fertilising benefit is calculated both state wide and for typical farms. Finally costs of different disposal strategies are derived.

Results

Referring to sewage plants sludge disposal in Schleswig-Holstein is characterised by a local structure since less than 10% of all 841 sewage plants produce almost the entire sludge where as many small plants especially in rural areas produce only little amounts. Usually enriched with lime, dewatered sludge fulfilling legal limits is used as organic fertilizer. The number of transactions indicates the costs.

Discussion

To reduce transaction costs, disposal firms try to offer high quantities of sludge to a limited number of farmers. Due to purification technique, the fertilising effect of half the amount of total sludge is reduced. Compared to the total demand on phosphorous, sludge can only substitute up to 4% of phosphorous. Farmers can substitute up to 50% of mineral fertiliser and increase marginal income per hektare. Although changing disposal strategy to incineration would double economic costs, fee for wastewater would remain almost constant.

Conclusions

Small wastewater plants, farmers and rural contractors would be particularly affected by ceasing sludge disposal. Small wastewater plants would have to invest in dewatering equipment, rural contractors would lose an important market segment and farmers (only a small percentage of all farmers uses sludge) would lose additional income. Changing waste management from sludge disposal with many involved parties to e.g. incineration would considerably reduce transaction costs for authorities. In case of partly changing waste management strategy, whereas sludge of small plants could be recycled, the authorities would still have to plan and control the disposal process even for small quantities of sludge. Transaction costs do not decrease proportionally to the decreasing amount of sewage sludge.

Perspectives

Quality management systems initiated by disposal firms should increase the acceptance and prevent a ban of sludge recycling. Nevertheless, the waste market develops from material to energetic use of waste. Significant resources will be lost without a phosphorous recovering from sludge as well as from other organic waste.