Air pollution assessment of toxic emissions from hazardous waste lagoons and landfills

The air quality impacts of hazardous waste disposal sites can be assessed on the basis of their contribution to each of the toxic contaminants. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the available methods of air quality assessment and their drawbacks. The need of air quality assessment is to assure that ambient concentrations of specific contaminants resulting from emissions will not exceed the acceptable levels for protection of public health and the ecosystem. Ambient concentrations of toxic contaminants are generally obtained by field measurements or air monitoring. However, field measurements and air monitoring of low-level toxic contaminants are costly and time consuming. As a result, most hazardous waste land disposal sites have not been adequately assessed. This paper describes current regulatory requirements in the United States for air quality assessment of hazardous waste land disposal sites. Emphasis is directed toward air quality assessment methodology. The paper also discusses emission predicting models based on the waste quantity and composition, scientific analysis of the waste conversion process together with meteorological conditions. The emission models are especially useful where emission cannot be reliably monitored or where a new disposal site is proposed.     

Current Status of Manufacturing Hazardous Waste in Shanghai

It is difficult to manage the manufacturing hazardous waste （MHW） which is generated from a huge amount of complicated sources and causes very serious pollution. Therefore more and more attention has been paid to MHW pollution. Shanghai, as an industrial and economic center and an international metropolis in China, has a vast industrial system spanning a multitude of sectors, which generates MHW not only in a huge magnitude but also in a large variety of types from complicated sources, resulting in severe pollution. In 2003, the production of MHW in Shanghai is about 3.96 × 10^5 ton, involving 33 indices. Most of MHW in Shanghai is treated and disposed of, but a significant portion is not handled properly and effectively. This paper carries out infield investigation on the current status of MHW production and treatment in Shanghai, and puts forward scientific proposals that Shanghai should facilitate cleaner production and minimize haz- ardous waste; strictly enforce hazardous waste registration system, strengthen monitoring the certified enterprises; strengthen intent disposal center construction and realize hazardous waste reclamation; accelerate establishing the technical criteria and the management policy, promote the research and development on the treatment and disposal technology, and strengthen information management, thus realizing integrated management on MHW pollution.     

Current Status of Manufacturing Hazardous Waste in Shanghai

Abstract

It is difficult to manage the manufacturing hazardous waste (MHW) which is generated from a huge amount of complicated sources and causes very serious pollution. Therefore more and more attention has been paid to MHW pollution. Shanghai, as an industrial and economic center and an international metropolis in China, has a vast industrial system spanning a multitude of sectors, which generates MHW not only in a huge magnitude but also in a large variety of types from complicated sources, resulting in severe pollution. In 2003, the production of MHW in Shanghai is about 3.96 × 10⁵ ton, involving 33 indices. Most of MHW in Shanghai is treated and disposed of, but a significant portion is not handled properly and effectively. This paper carries out in-field investigation on the current status of MHW production and treatment in Shanghai, and puts forward scientific proposals that Shanghai should facilitate cleaner production and minimize hazardous waste; strictly enforce hazardous waste registration system, strengthen monitoring the certified enterprises; strengthen intent disposal center construction and realize hazardous waste reclamation; accelerate establishing the technical criteria and the management policy, promote the research and development on the treatment and disposal technology, and strengthen information management, thus realizing integrated management on MHW pollution.     

Waste disposal and the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection – Challenges for radioecology and environmental radiation protection

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) represent a change from a process-based to an exposure-based approach, where exposure situations are categorised as planned, emergency, and existing exposure situations. Although the new Recommendations contain further changes based on, inter alia, scientific developments since the publication of the 1990 Recommendations, they overall represent more continuity than change – a notable exception being the direct consideration of environmental protection. The implications of the new Recommendations for radioactive waste management are fairly marginal, as earlier recommendations in this area are still considered valid. This communication provides a brief overview of the current ICRP system for radiological protection as applied to radioactive waste management, as well as an outlook including the possibility of using the developing ICRP system for management of environmental effects as an ‘alternative way of reasoning’ when building the safety case for a specific waste disposal concept.     

Municipal solid waste management, source-separated waste and stakeholder’s attitude: a Contingent Valuation Study

Recognition of the social costs associated with traditional practices of urban waste management in India led to the formulation of Municipal Waste Management and Handling rules (2000). However, compliance with the proposed collection and disposal involves higher commitment in terms of both time and money on the part of the residents, local bodies as well as the state and central government. In this context, information about the value of the environmental improvements conferred upon the city dwellers would be important from the planner’s perspective. Given the non-market characteristic of waste disposal services, we infer about beneficiaries’ perceived demand for the proposed service by means of Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation Survey conducted in the Bally Municipality in the district of Howrah, West Bengal. We estimate the average WTP by controlling for anchoring bias and use the annualized value of cost to examine the feasibility of the proposed system.     

Radiological risk assessment and biosphere modelling for radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland

Long-term safety assessments for geological disposal of radioactive waste in Switzerland involve the demonstration that the annual radiation dose to humans due to the potential release of radionuclides from the waste repository into the biosphere will not exceed the regulatory limit of 0.1 mSv. Here, we describe the simple but robust approach used by Nagra (Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) to quantify the dose to humans as a result to time-dependent release of radionuclides from the geosphere into the biosphere. The model calculates the concentrations of radionuclides in different terrestrial and aquatic compartments of the surface environment. The fluxes of water and solids within the environment are the drivers for the exchange of radionuclides between these compartments. The calculated radionuclide concentrations in the biosphere are then used to estimate the radiation doses to humans due to various exposure paths (e.g. ingestion of radionuclides via drinking water and food, inhalation of radionuclides, external irradiation from radionuclides in soils). In this paper we also discuss recent new achievements and planned future work.     

三峡库区危险工业废物的现状及清理处置分析

目前，三峡库区沿江堆存有大量的危险废物，这对蓄水在即的长江三峡水利枢纽工程极具威胁，对库区生态环境，水资源及人群的身心健康有潜在的危害性，必须进行全部清理处置。库区堆存的危险废物近1．5万t，种类多，成分复杂，毒性大，清理处置困难。分析了典型危险废物的危害性，同时根据三峡库区库底废物清库要求和规范，结合库区实际情况，提出库区库底堆存危险废物的清理处置方案：危险废物中约578t可进行化学中和稳定化处理，焚烧处理，综合利用等无害化处理，其余不能进行无害化处理的危险废物，在坝前177m水位以上选择合理的地点进行安全，可靠的临时贮存处置，待库区危险废物处理处置中心建成后再进行最终的处理处置。     

Background and anthropogenic radionuclide derived dose rates to freshwater ecosystem: nuclear power plant cooling pond: reference organisms

The radiological assessment of non-human biota to demonstrate protection is now accepted by a number of international and national bodies. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a scientific basis to assess and evaluate exposure of biota to ionizing radiation. Radionuclides from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (Lithuania) were discharged into Lake Druksiai cooling pond. Additional radionuclide migration and recharge to this lake from a hypothetical near-surface, low-level radioactive waste disposal, to be situated 1.5 km from the lake, had been simulated using RESRAD-OFFSITE code. This paper uses ERICA Integrated Approach with associated tools and databases to compare the radiological dose to freshwater reference organisms. Based on these data, it can be concluded that background dose rates to non-human biota in Lake Druksiai far exceed those attributable to anthropogenic radionuclides. With respect the fishery and corresponding annual committed effective human dose as a result of this fish consumption Lake Druksiai continues to be a high-productivity water body with intensive angling and possible commercial fishing.     

Movement of a tritium plume in shallow groundwater at a legacy low-level radioactive waste disposal site in eastern Australia

Between 1960 and 1968 low-level radioactive waste was buried in a series of shallow trenches near the Lucas Heights facility, south of Sydney, Australia. Groundwater monitoring carried out since the mid 1970s indicates that with the exception of tritium, no radioactivity above typical background levels has been detected outside the immediate vicinity of the trenches. The maximum tritium level detected in groundwater was 390 kBq/L and the median value was 5400 Bq/L, decay corrected to the time of disposal. Since 1968, a plume of tritiated water has migrated from the disposal trenches and extends at least 100 m from the source area. Tritium in rainfall is negligible, however leachate from an adjacent landfill represents a significant additional tritium source. Study data indicate variation in concentration levels and plume distribution in response to wet and dry climatic periods and have been used to determine pathways for tritium migration through the subsurface.     

鄱阳湖流域农村生活区面源污染特征及其影响

农村生活区水环境是流域水环境的重要组成部分。鄱阳湖流域是我国的重要农业生产区，农村人口众多，未经过处理的生活污水、生活垃圾和固体废弃物、分散畜禽养殖污染由于无序排放导致了鄱阳湖流域河湖水质下降，湖泊富营养化指数升高。通过采用污染物当量算法对鄱阳湖流域农村生活区面源污染估算，分析了1991~2011年农村生活污染现状及其趋势，并分析了鄱阳湖河湖水质变化趋势及其在农村生活区面源污染中的影响因子。研究结果表明：（1）1991～2011年，鄱阳湖流域农村人口、生活污染、生活垃圾和固体废弃物污染、分散畜禽养殖污染不断增加，其中农村生活污水污染物排放量、TN、TP和COD排放量增长了1268%，年平均增长量分别为036、002、1681和021万t；固体废弃物排放量、TN和TP排放量增加了1268%，年增长量分别为362、076和080万t；分散畜禽养殖污染TN、TP和COD的含量分别增长了9913%、6384%和7227%，年均增长量分别为022、003和009万t；（2）2000年以来，鄱阳湖流域河湖水质呈下降趋势，其中鄱阳湖湖泊的水质和富营养化指数下降趋势分别在001和005水平上具有显著性；（3）鄱阳湖流域农村生活区面源污染对流域水环境具有一定的影响，其中分散畜禽养殖污染的影响相对较大     

Temporal variation of Cs and Pu in the sea of Japan

Concentrations of the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs and ^239,240Pu in surface water of the Sea of Japan were in the ranges of 2·7–3·8 mBq l^-1 and 1·3–8·0 μBq l^-1, respectively, in 1993–1994, which are in the same order of magnitude as those in the North Pacific. The time-series data indicated a marked increase of surface ¹³⁷Cs in 1986 and 1987 after the major radioactive dumping and the Chernobyl fallout in 1986 and then rapidly decreased thereafter. The apparent half-residence time of ¹³⁷Cs in the surface water was estimated to be about 3 years for excess ¹³⁷Cs and 16 years for a rather long time-scale transport, respectively. For ^239,240Pu in the surface water, no systematic temporal variation was observed over the past two decades, which may reflect rapid recycling of deeper Pu. The results revealed that most of the recent radioactivity in water columns of the Sea of Japan was of global fallout origin from atmospheric nuclear testing and partly the Chernobyl fallout. No clear signal about the effect of radioactivity from Russian dumping was observed.     

Tracking chemicals in products around the world: introduction of a dynamic substance flow analysis model and application to PCBs

Dynamically tracking flows and stocks of problematic chemicals in products (CiPs) in the global anthroposphere is essential to understanding their environmental fates and risks. The complex behavior of CiPs during production, use and waste disposal makes this a challenging task. Here we introduce and describe a dynamic substance flow model, named Chemicals in Products - Comprehensive Anthropospheric Fate Estimation (CiP-CAFE), which facilitates the quantification of time-variant flows and stocks of CiPs within and between seven interconnected world regions and the generation of global scale emission estimates. We applied CiP-CAFE to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), first to evaluate its ability to reproduce previously reported global-scale atmospheric emission inventories and second to illustrate its potential applications and merits. CiP-CAFE quantifies the pathways of PCBs during production, use and waste disposal stages, thereby deducing the temporal evolution of in-use and waste stocks and identifying their long-term final sinks. Time-variant estimates of PCB emissions into air, water and soil can be attributed to different processes and be fed directly into a global fate and transport model. By capturing the international movement of PCBs as technical chemicals, and in products and waste, CiP-CAFE reveals that the extent of global dispersal caused by humans is larger than that occurring in the natural environment. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the model output is most sensitive to the PCB production volume and the lifetime of PCB-containing products, suggesting that a shortening of that lifetime is key to reducing future PCB emissions.     

Detection of tritium sorption on four soil materials

In order to measure groundwater age and design nuclear waste disposal sites, it is important to understand the sorption behavior of tritium on soils. In this study, batch tests were carried out using four soils from China: silty clays from An County and Jiangyou County in Sichuan Province, both of which could be considered candidate sites for Very Low Level Waste disposal; silty sand from Beijing; and loess from Yuci County in Shanxi Province, a typical Chinese loess region. The experimental results indicated that in these soil media, the distribution coefficient of tritium is slightly influenced by adsorption time, water/solid ratio, initial tritium specific activity, pH, and the content of humic and fulvic acids. The average distribution coefficient from all of these influencing factors was about 0.1-0.2 mL/g for the four types of soil samples. This relatively modest sorption of tritium in soils needs to be considered in fate and transport studies of tritium in the environment.     

Evaluation of the strength characteristics of cement-stabilized clay–crumb rubber mixtures for its sustainable use in geotechnical applications

The proper disposal of discarded waste tires is becoming a serious matter of concern worldwide as huge proportion of this waste is being generated which makes the proper disposal virtually infeasible. About 1000 million of waste tires are discarded every year, and by the year 2030, it will turn up to 1200 million per year. If this enormous quantum of waste remains unattended, it would led to serious health and environmental problems. The investigation aims at appraising the compaction and strength characteristics of clayey soil incorporated with waste crumb rubber and cement for its sustainable use in geotechnical application. A series of unconfined compression strength and split tensile strength tests were carried out on clayey soil incorporated with two percentages of cement (3 and 6%) by weight and four percentages of crumb rubber (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0%) by weight. Moreover, scanning electron microscope analysis was also carried out to get better intuition about the behaviour of the composite. Test results suggested that crumb rubber (up to 5%) could be mixed with uncemented/cemented clay soil with the congruent impression. The inclusion of discarded waste tires in cemented clay would be one of the congenial methods for the disposal of this waste as it substantially reduces the deleterious influence of waste tire disposal on human health and ecology.     

基于效果-效率-适应性的养殖废弃物资源化利用管理模式评价框架构建及初步应用

由于产业发展正处于转型阶段,我国畜禽养殖污染治理中的管理问题比技术问题更加突出,选择适宜的组织管理模式尤其重要。融合了效果分析、效率评价和适应性分析,尝试构建一个养殖废弃物资源化利用管理模式综合评价框架,并选择太湖流域4个不同类型的典型案例进行方法例证。研究表明,传统的养殖企业主导型管理模式应用于小型、分散养殖废弃物资源化利用时面临着经济效率低、适应性差难题;农村废弃物处理中心、种植企业和有机肥企业的参与可以改善小型、分散养殖废弃物资源化利用的经济效率;综合考虑效果、效率与适应性,种植企业、有机肥企业主导型模式的适宜推广范围更广。应根据不同地区种植-养殖产业关系、污染治理需求、经济发展水平与政府投入能力等,灵活组合应用不同管理模式。     

Cancer mortality in towns in the vicinity of incinerators and installations for the recovery or disposal of hazardous waste

BackgroundWaste treatment plants release toxic emissions into the environment which affect neighboring towns.ObjectivesTo investigate whether there might be excess cancer mortality in towns situated in the vicinity of Spanish-based incinerators and installations for the recovery or disposal of hazardous waste, according to the different categories of industrial activity.MethodsAn ecologic study was designed to examine municipal mortality due to 33 types of cancer, across the period 1997–2006. Population exposure to pollution was estimated on the basis of distance from town of residence to pollution source. Using Besag–York–Mollié (BYM) regression models with Integrated Nested Laplace approximations for Bayesian inference, and Mixed Poisson regression models, we assessed the risk of dying from cancer in a 5-kilometer zone around installations, analyzed the effect of category of industrial activity, and conducted individual analyses within a 50-kilometer radius of each installation.ResultsExcess cancer mortality (BYM model: relative risk, 95% credible interval) was detected in the total population residing in the vicinity of these installations as a whole (1.06, 1.04–1.09), and, principally, in the vicinity of incinerators (1.09, 1.01–1.18) and scrap metal/end-of-life vehicle handling facilities, in particular (1.04, 1.00–1.09). Special mention should be made of the results for tumors of the pleura (1.71, 1.34–2.14), stomach (1.18, 1.10–1.27), liver (1.18, 1.06–1.30), kidney (1.14, 1.04–1.23), ovary (1.14, 1.05–1.23), lung (1.10, 1.05–1.15), leukemia (1.10, 1.03–1.17), colon–rectum (1.08, 1.03–1.13) and bladder (1.08, 1.01–1.16) in the vicinity of all such installations.ConclusionsOur results support the hypothesis of a statistically significant increase in the risk of dying from cancer in towns near incinerators and installations for the recovery or disposal of hazardous waste.     

Disposal of obsolete pesticides,the case of Ethiopia

Ethiopia has accumulated obsolete pesticide stocks since pesticides were first imported in the 1960s due to prolonged storage of pesticides, inappropriate storage conditions because of poor storage facilities, the lack of trained staff and lack of national legislation for pesticide registration and monitoring system of pesticide use in the country. The first pesticide inventory conducted in 1995 led by FAO in collaboration with the government of Ethiopia had identified about 426 tonnes of obsolete pesticides mainly on state-owned agricultural farms and held by the Ministry of Health. However, these stocks have increased to over 1500 tonnes (including 200 active ingredients) as found in a detailed inventory conducted in 1999. The stocks included organochlorines (258.3 tonnes), organophosphates (155.4 tonnes), carbamates (58.5 tonnes), coumarines (14.9 tonnes), inorganics (30.2 tonnes), others (257.2 tonnes), mixed pesticides (70.4 tonnes) and unknown pesticides (307.1 tonnes) including both liquid and solid state formulations. The obsolete organochlorine pesticides stocks were mostly pesticides such as chlordane, DDT, dieldrin and lindane that are banned or restricted in most countries. The highest amount of a single active ingredient found was the organophosphate insecticide pirimiphos methyl (172.1 tonnes). All these stocks were disposed of in the first phase of disposal in Finland (during 2000–2003) by the hazardous waste management company Ekokem at a cost of about US$ 4.44 million. Another 1000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides have been identified and are currently being eliminated in a second disposal phase at a total cost of US$ 8 135 500. Along with the disposal process, a number of activities are being implemented to prevent future pesticides accumulation. These activities include the development and enforcement of pesticide policy, the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Vector Management (IVM), capacity building in terms of providing professional trainings, creating awareness among stakeholders on the environmental and human health hazard posed by obsolete pesticides as well as other actions to prevent their accumulation and enforcement of national legislations and policies related to pesticides use. However, pesticide use in the country is increasing. For instance, 12 years of pesticides import data (1996–2007) by the Ministry of Agriculture shows that 2973 tonnes of pesticides were imported between 1996–1998, 3670 tonnes between 1999–2001, 5079 tonnes between 2002–2004 and 8302 tonnes between 2005–2007. Moreover, 6 years of insecticide import data (1996/97–2001/02) by the Ministry of Health shows that around 919 tonnes of insecticides were imported between 1996/97–1997/98, 812 tonnes between 1998/99–1999/00 and 970 tonnes between 2000/01–2001/02 for malaria and other vector borne diseases control.     

Introduction of a recycling system for sustainable municipal solid waste management: a case study on the greater Banjul area of the Gambia

This research proposes for the introduction of a recycling system in the Gambia to enhance sustainable municipal solid waste management. Poor infrastructures, coupled with inadequate resources and lack of funding, work against the optimization of a MSW disposal service. In the authors’ view, authorities in charge of waste management need to change not only behaviors, but modernize their processes. Recycling technology is a key part of the solution. A model has been developed which suggest the involvement of stakeholders to achieve meaningful sustainable MSWM. This can be achieved by recognizing the role of the informal sector through community-based organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. The open dump approach is leading to severe environmental consequences as the groundwater and soil within the dump is been contaminated. In this study, an integrated municipal solid waste management approach was developed with a model to help achieve sustainable municipal solid waste management. Resource recovery, not waste disposal, must be the ultimate goal with clearly defined end user markets so that the recovery loop is complete. Mandatory sorting of waste at household level would help greatly in making recycling activity successful.     

Selection of an appropriate waste-to-energy conversion technology for Dhaka City,Bangladesh

Solid waste disposal poses a significant problem, as it leads to land pollution if openly dumped, water pollution if dumped in low lands and air pollution if burnt. Moreover, the scarcity of land and increase in land prices especially in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh create the problems of developing new landfill sites. Realising the existing and future impacts of waste disposal issues, the analytic hierarchy process model was applied to select an appropriate Waste-to-Energy (WTE) conversion technology for household waste of Dhaka-Mirpur Cantonment area. Three alternatives, namely, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and plasma gasification (PG) technologies and nine criteria under three aspects (technological, environmental and financial) were chosen for comparison. The analysis revealed that PG is the most appropriate WTE conversion technology in the study area. The selected PG technology has a relatively small footprint; it can treat unsorted waste and can produce good-quality synthetic gas without generating extremely toxic by-products.