Effect of temperature and particle size on the thermal desorption of PCBs from contaminated soil

Thermal desorption is widely used for remediation of soil contaminated with volatiles, such as solvents and distillates. In this study, a soil contaminated with semivolatile polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was sampled at an interim storage point for waste PCB transformers and heated to temperatures from 300 to 600 °C in a flow of nitrogen to investigate the effect of temperature and particle size on thermal desorption. Two size fractions were tested: coarse soil of 420–841 μm and fine soil with particles <250 μm. A PCB removal efficiency of 98.0 % was attained after 1 h of thermal treatment at 600 °C. The residual amount of PCBs in this soil decreased with rising thermal treatment temperature while the amount transferred to the gas phase increased up to 550 °C; at 600 °C, destruction of PCBs became more obvious. At low temperature, the thermally treated soil still had a similar PCB homologue distribution as raw soil, indicating thermal desorption as a main mechanism in removal. Dechlorination and decomposition increasingly occurred at high temperature, since shifts in average chlorination level were observed, from 3.34 in the raw soil to 2.75 in soil treated at 600 °C. Fine soil particles showed higher removal efficiency and destruction efficiency than coarse particles, suggesting that desorption from coarse particles is influenced by mass transfer.     

中国危险废物和医疗废物焚烧处置行业二（口恶）排放水平研究

通过调研全国危险废物和医疗废物焚烧处置设施,对包含二噁英排放水平的设施按处置对象、炉型和处理量分类,并作系统分析和研究.结果表明现有危险废物焚烧设施烟气中二噁英的浓度比医疗废物低,达标率为74.19%;危险废物选用回转窑处置效果较好,达标率为66.67%;而医疗废物选用回转窑或热解炉,要综合考虑处置规模、生产成本和二英排放总量等因素;危险废物介于10~30 t·d-1和医疗废物介于10~20 t·d-1的处置设施要尤其注意二噁英的排放问题;医疗废物焚烧飞灰中二噁英的均值浓度为危险废物6倍以上,仅有16.67%满足填埋要求.二者烟气中二英的浓度分布以1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF、2,3,7,8-TCDF和OCDD为主.     

Some technical issues in managing PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were important industrial chemicals featuring high thermal and chemical stability and low flammability. They were widely used as dielectric and thermal fluid in closed electro-technical applications (transformers, capacitors…) and also in numerous dispersive uses, ranking from auto-copying paper to sealant or coatings. During the 1960s, severe environmental consequences started becoming apparent. The stability of PCBs contributed to their persistence in the environment, their lipophilic character to bio-magnification. Fish-eating species seemed threatened in their existence. In Japan and in Taiwan, thousands of people consumed PCB-contaminated oil. The production of PCBs stopped completely during the 1980s. Usage could continue in closed applications only. In this paper, particular attention is given to two issues: the cleaning of PCB electric transformers and the potential impact of PCB-containing building materials. Other contributions will cover the management and treatment of PCB-contaminated soil, sludge or fly ash. The complete survey is being prepared by request of the Knowledge Center for Engineers and Professionals.     

De novo formation of dioxins from milled model fly ash

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash has been classified as hazardous waste and needs treatment in an environmentally safe manner....     

生活垃圾循环流化床焚烧锅炉飞灰中二噁英热解析特性研究

实际垃圾焚烧系统中飞灰会在尾部烟道堆积并在受热后发生二噁英的再生成、热降解及向烟气解析等协同作用.本文研究了半干法脱硫塔前生活垃圾焚烧飞灰在受热过程中二噁英的质量变化及其气固相分布情况,重点研究了反应温度、含氧量及硫胺基复合阻滞剂的添加等对飞灰中二噁英热解析特性的影响.试验结果表明,250℃时飞灰析出的气相二噁英很少,而450℃时气相二噁英的比例高达99.7%;氧含量对飞灰中二噁英的热解析特性影响较大,当氧含量为6%时,气相二噁英的析出量最大,达到2.87 ng·g-1;350℃时添加硫胺基复合阻滞剂后二噁英总量明显下降,表明阻滞剂能够抑制二噁英再合成,但气相中二噁英的比例从47.69%上升到87.50%.     

秸秆成型燃料锅炉污染物排放规律试验研究

根据锅炉烟尘测试方法(GB 5468-91)及锅炉大气污染物排放标准(GB 13271-2001),在不同风门的工况下,分别对设计的双层炉排秸秆成型燃料锅炉污染物排放规律进行试验.试验表明,在较好工况下,双层炉排锅炉排烟中CO等中间产物及烟尘含量低于单层炉排锅炉,其排烟中CO、NOx、SO2和烟尘浓度等指标远远低于燃煤锅炉,符合国家关于工业锅炉大气污染物排放标准要求,有较好环保效益.     

硫氨基循环抑制烟气二英生成的试验研究

新型硫氨基物质对二英低温从头合成具有良好的抑制效果,但尚未在实际焚烧炉中应用.本文借助烟气循环抑制和飞灰低温热处置联用控制二英排放中试系统(500 Nm³·h^-1),开展了硫氨基循环抑制实际焚烧炉烟气二英排放的研究.试验结果表明,硫氨基抑制气氛能在该系统中循环累积,该系统对二英阻滞率达95%以上,烟气二英排放浓度低于最新国家环保标准0.1 ng·Nm^-3(以I-TEQ计).该新型硫氨基循环抑制技术对实际废物焚烧炉二英的减排控制具有重要指导价值.     

两种改性剂对多氯联苯污染土壤协同热脱附影响研究

采用热脱附技术处理多氯联苯污染土壤已经成为了一种主要的场地修复方式。为提高热脱附效率,降低能耗,以典型电力电容器污染土壤为对象,采用2种改性剂(零价纳米铁和氢氧化钠)研究协同热脱附下多氯联苯的去除效率、分布特性及毒性当量。结果表明纳米铁和NaOH存在的条件下,有效提高了多氯联苯和毒性当量的去除效率,在较低温度下尤其显著,因此添加改性剂能够有效地促进热脱附过程。纳米铁的协同热脱附机理为显著强化了热脱附过程的传质传热,同时伴有一定的脱氯降解。NaOH的添加在较低温度下实现了较强的脱氯降解作用,加氢脱氯机理可用来解释协同热脱附过程中多氯联苯的脱氯反应过程。上述研究结果为多氯联苯污染土壤的场地修复提供理论基础。     

Combustion and inorganic bromine emission of waste printed circuit boards in a high temperature furnace

High temperature combustion experiments of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) were conducted using a lab-scale system featuring a continuously-fed drop tube furnace. Combustion efficiency and the occurrence of inorganic bromine (HBr and Br₂) were systematically studied by monitoring the main combustion products continuously. The influence of furnace temperature (T) was studied from 800 to 1400 °C, the excess air factor (EAF) was varied from 1.2 to 1.9 and the residence time in the high temperature zone (RT_HT) was set at 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 s.Combustion efficiency depends on temperature, EAF and RT_HT; temperature has the most significant effect. Conversion of organic bromine from flame retardants into HBr and Br₂ depends on temperature and EAF. Temperature has crucial influence over the ratio of HBr to Br₂, whereas oxygen partial pressure plays a minor role. The two forms of inorganic bromine seem substantially to reach thermodynamic equilibrium within 0.25 s. High temperature is required to improve the combustion performance: at 1200 °C or higher, an EAF of 1.3 or more, and a RT_HT exceeding 0.75 s, combustion is quite complete, the CO concentration in flue gas and remained carbon in ash are sufficiently low, and organobrominated compounds are successfully decomposed (more than 99.9%).According to these results, incineration of waste PCBs without preliminary separation and without additives would perform very well under certain conditions; the potential precursors for brominated dioxins formation could be destroyed efficiently. Increasing temperature could decrease the volume percentage ratio of Br₂/HBr in flue gas greatly.     

Pilot-scale experiment on anaerobic bioreactor landfills in China

Developing countries have begun to investigate bioreactor landfills for municipal solid waste management. This paper describes the impacts of leachate recirculation and recirculation loadings on waste stabilization, landfill gas (LFG) generation and leachate characteristics. Four simulated anaerobic columns, R1-R4, were each filled with about 30 tons of waste and recirculated weekly with 1.6, 0.8 and 0.2m(3) leachate and 0.1m(3) tap water. The results indicated that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) half-time of leachate from R1 was about 180 days, which was 8-14 weeks shorter than that of R2-R4. A large amount of LFG was first produced in R1, and its generation rate was positively correlated to the COD or volatile fatty acid concentrations of influent leachates after the 30th week. By the 50th week of recirculation, the waste in R1 was more stabilized, with 931.2 kg COD or 175.6 kg total organic carbon released and with the highest landfill gas production. However, this contributed mainly to washout by leachate, which also resulted in the reduction of LFG generation potential and accumulation of ammonia and/or phosphorus in the early stage. Therefore, the regimes of leachate recirculation should be adjusted to the phases of waste stabilization to enhance efficiency of energy recovery. Integrated with the strategy of in situ leachate management, extra pre-treatment or post-treatment methods to remove the nutrients are recommended.