Volatile Organic Compounds Selection for Incorporation in Photochemical Mechanisms and the Development of Secondary Pollution Reduction Strategies

In the present work a method for the evaluation of the importance of the VOCs species is presented, aiming to provide criteria for the incorporation of these species into atmospheric photochemical mechanisms and for the successful application of secondary pollution reduction strategies. According to the method presented here, the species can be divided into more important and less important ones, taking into account their mixing ratios and emission values in combination with their reactivity. For this classification three quantitative and one qualitative criteria were introduced. Overall, it is concluded that alkenes with more than a few carbon atoms in their chain appear to be more important in urban and suburban areas, while in background conditions the alkanes, having the smaller chain (ethane, propane), become more important. In the case of alkenes there is no clear species classification, except for the biogenically emitted compounds, isoprene and limonene. In general, more important alkenes appear to be those with the smaller chain (ethene, propene, butene). Most abundant aromatics are benzene, toluene, and xylene. In background conditions higher aromatics are also important, especially 1,2,3-, 1,3,5-, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. The most important carbonylic compounds are formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone. Finally, taking into account the results mentioned above, a new photochemical mechanism was developed. The species and species groups used in the proposed mechanism are: ethane, higher alkanes, ethene, propene, 2- butene, 1-alkenes, 2-alkenes, higher alkenes, benzene, toluene, m-, o-, p-xylene, 1,3,5-, 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, higher aromatics, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, higher aldehydes, isoprene, limonene, and other biogenic VOCs.     

Chemical properties of heavy metals in typical hospital waste incinerator ashes in China

Incineration has become the main mechanism for hospital waste (HW) disposal in China after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003. However, little information is available on the chemical properties of the resulting ashes. In the present study, 22HW ash samples, including 14 samples of bottom ash and eight samples of fly ash, were collected from four typical HW incineration plants located across China. Chemical analysis indicated that the HW ashes contained large amounts of metal salts of Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na with a concentration range of 1.8-315gkg(-1). Furthermore, the ashes contained high concentrations of heavy metals such as Ag, As, Ba, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, Sb, Sn, Sr, Zn with a vast range of 1.1-121,411mgkg(-1), with higher concentrations found in the fly ash samples. Sequential extraction results showed that Ba, Cr, Ni and Sn are present in the residual fraction, while Cd existed in the exchangeable and carbonate fractions. As, Mn, Zn existed in the Fe-Mn oxide fraction, Pb was present in the Fe-Mn oxide and residual fractions, and Cu was present in the organic matter fraction. Furthermore, toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) results indicated that leached amounts of Cd, Cu and Pb from almost all fly ash samples exceeded the USEPA regulated levels. A comparison between the HW ashes and municipal solid waste (MSW) ash showed that both HW bottom ash and fly ash contained higher concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ti, and Zn. This research provides critical information for appropriate HW incineration ash management plans.     

Evaluating impact level of different factors in environmental impact assessment for incinerator plants using GM (1, N) model

In this study, the impact levels in environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports of 10 incinerator plants were quantified and discussed. The relationship between the quantified impact levels and the plant scale factors of BeiTou, LiZe, BaLi, LuTsao, RenWu, PingTung, SiJhou and HsinChu were constructed, and the impact levels of the GangShan (GS) and YongKong (YK) plants were predicted using grey model GM (1, N). Finally, the effects of plant scale factors on impact levels were evaluated using grey model GM (1, N) too. According to the predicted results of GM, the relative errors of topography/geology/soil, air quality, hydrology/water quality, solid waste, noise, terrestrial fauna/flora, aquatic fauna/flora and traffic in the GS plant were 17%, 14%, 15%, 17%, 75%, 16%, 13%, and 37%, respectively. The relative errors of the same environmental items in the YK plant were 1%, 18%, 10%, 40%, 37%, 3%, 25% and 33%, respectively. According to GM (1, N), design capacity (DC) and heat value (HV) were the plant scale factors that affected the impact levels significantly in each environmental item, and thus were the most significant plant scale factors. GM (1, N) was effective in predicting the environmental impact and analyzing the reasonableness of the impact. If there is an EIA for a new incinerator plant to be reviewed in the future, the official committee of the Taiwan EPA could review the reasonableness of impact levels in EIA reports quickly.     

An overview of recovery of metals from slags

Various slags are produced as by-products in metallurgical processes or as residues in incineration processes. According to the origins and the characteristics, the main slags can be classified into three categories, namely ferrous slag, non-ferrous slag and incineration slag. This paper analysed and summarised the generation, characteristics and application of various slags, and discussed the potential effects of the slags on the environment. On this basis, a review of a number of methods for recovery of metals from the slags was made. It can be seen that a large amount of slags is produced each year. They usually contain a quantity of valuable metals except for blast furnace slag and they are actually a secondary resource of metals. By applying mineral processing technologies, such as crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, eddy current separation, flotation and so on, leaching or roasting, it is possible to recover metals such as Fe, Cr, Cu, Al, Pb, Zn, Co, Ni, Nb, Ta, Au, and Ag etc. from the slags. Recovery of metals from the slags and utilisation of the slags are important not only for saving metal resources, but also for protecting the environment.     

A review on the adsorption of diuron,carbaryl, and alachlor using natural and activated clays

Pesticides are considered predominant organic pollutants because they are widespread in many ecosystems. Pesticide residues can degrade chemically, physically, and biochemically in nature, but, because of their high stability and, in some cases, water solubility, they continue to persist in the environment. Pesticides have been eliminated from contaminated waters using a variety of methods that fall under the categories of biological, chemical, physical, and physicochemical remediation processes from various types of matrices, including water and soil. Due to their excellent qualities as adsorbents and pesticide transporters, the use of natural soil components such as clays, iron oxides, or humic acid has recently attracted growing interest. Clays have several advantages over other adsorbents, including large specific surface areas due to their small particle size, low cost, and widespread availability. Clay minerals have a great capacity for adsorption due to Coulombic forces and, attributable to their large surface area, van der Waals forces. This review describes historical, current, and emerging techniques and materials to remove the pesticides diuron, carbaryl, and alachlor using clays as adsorbents.     

Status and trends in bioremediation treatment technology

This article is a critical analysis of the treatment potential of bioremediation technology to degrade eight major environmental pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, pentachlorophenols, creosote, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene, chlorobenzoates, and chlorophenols. The discussion includes information on transformation mechanisms, identification of intermediate metabolites, elucidation of partial or complete pathways, effects of environmental parameters, as well as current and future industrial application. Results indicate that bioremediation used in conjunction with other physical and chemical treatment methodologies can effectively transform most prevalent nonchlorinated organic contaminants and some chlorinated contaminants, such as creosote and pentachlorophenol, into innocuous materials. Successful biodegradation of several other chlorinated organic compounds, notably polychlorinated biphenyls and trichloroethylene, is currently possible only under controlled laboratory conditions. Future successful field applications, however, appear promising.     

铅冶炼烟尘的物性分析及浸出性研究

采用XRF、XRD、激光粒度分析、DTA-TG、FTIR以及SEM-EDS等技术,对某铅冶炼厂烟尘（简称烟尘）进行了物性分析,并采用稀硫酸对烟尘进行了浸出性研究。分析结果表明：烟尘所含主要元素为Pb,Zn,Cd,Cl,S,As;烟尘是氧化物、硫酸盐、硅酸盐、硫化物和砷化物等物质的混合物,主要物相为ZnO,PbO,PbSO₄,CdO,CdS;烟尘颗粒大小不一,形状各异,多呈相互黏结或包裹状。实验结果表明：在ρ（硫酸）=120 g/L、浸出时间30 min、液固比（稀硫酸体积（mL）与烟尘质量（g）之比）20∶1、浸出温度60 ℃的条件下,Pb,Zn,Cd,As,Cl的浸出率分别达到0.16%,98.95%,49.36%,89.12%,99.31%。     

无机稳定剂处理重金属污染土壤

以重金属污染土壤为研究对象,比较了铁屑、蒙脱石、碳酸钙和羟基磷灰石4种稳定剂对土壤中Pb,Zn,Cd,Cu 4种重金属的稳定效果。实验结果表明,4种稳定剂稳定效率的大小顺序为：羟基磷灰石﹥碳酸钙﹥蒙脱石﹥铁屑。当稳定剂质量分数为10%时,羟基磷灰石、碳酸钙、蒙脱石和铁屑对Pb,Zn,Cd,Cu 4种重金属的平均稳定效率分别为99.63%,98.53%,97.15%,86.95 %。未加稳定剂时,土壤中的Pb以残渣态为主,Zn以残渣态和可交换态为主,Cd以残渣态为主,Cu以残渣态和可交换态为主;加入稳定剂后,土壤中4种金属可交换态的所占比例（简称占比）均显著降低,还原态的占比明显增大,残渣态的占比略有增大,氧化态的占比基本保持不变。     

Medical waste management in Ibadan, Nigeria: obstacles and prospects

Quantification and characterization of medical waste generated in healthcare facilities (HCFs) in a developing African nation has been conducted to provide insights into existing waste collection and disposal approaches, so as to provide sustainable avenues for institutional policy improvement. The study, in Ibadan city, Nigeria, entailed a representative classification of nearly 400 healthcare facilities, from 11 local government areas (LGA) of Ibadan, into tertiary, secondary, primary, and diagnostic HCFs, of which, 52 HCFs were strategically selected. Primary data sources included field measurements, waste sampling and analysis and a questionnaire, while secondary information sources included public and private records from hospitals and government ministries. Results indicate secondary HCFs generate the greatest amounts of medical waste (mean of 10,238 kg/day per facility) followed by tertiary, primary and diagnostic HCFs, respectively. Characterised waste revealed that only approximately 3% was deemed infectious and highlights opportunities for composting, reuse and recycling. Furthermore, the management practices in most facilities expose patients, staff, waste handlers and the populace to unnecessary health risks. This study proffers recommendations to include (i) a need for sustained cooperation among all key actors (government, hospitals and waste managers) in implementing a safe and reliable medical waste management strategy, not only in legislation and policy formation but also particularly in its monitoring and enforcement and (ii) an obligation for each HCF to ensure a safe and hygienic system of medical waste handling, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal, with minimal risk to handlers, public health and the environment.     

An Ecological Multidisciplinary Approach to Protecting Society,Human Health,and the Environment at Nuclear Facilities

As the United States and other countries move toward a greater reliance on nuclear energy, it becomes increasingly important to characterize the environment around such facilities to protect society, human health, and the environment. This article presents an ecological, multidisciplinary approach to gathering the information needed to establish baselines, site new nuclear facilities, protect existing nuclear facilities and nuclear wastes, improve the basis for emergency planning, devise suitable monitoring schemes to ensure continued protection, provide data to track local and regional response changes, and provide for mitigation, remediation, and decommissioning planning. We suggest that there are five categories of information or data needs: (1) geophysical, sources, fate and transport; (2) biological systems; (3) human health; (4) stakeholder and environmental justice; and (5) societal, economic, and political. All of these categories are influenced by temporal and spatial patterns, vulnerabilities, and global changes. These informational needs are more expansive than the traditional site characterization but encompass a suite of physical, biological, and societal needs to protect all aspects of human health and the environment, not just physical health. We suggest that technical teams be established for each of the major informational categories, with appropriate representation among teams and with a broad involvement of a range of governmental personnel, natural and social scientists, Native Americans, environmental justice communities, and other stakeholders. Although designed for nuclear facilities, the templates and information teams can be adapted for other hazardous facilities. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Long-Term Observation of Asian Dust in Changchun and Kagoshima

Monitoring of Asian dust at two stations in Changchun, Jilin Province in northeast China, and Kagoshima, southwest Japan, is discussed. In Changchun, interval records were made with digital and video cameras from 18 March 2003. In Kagoshima, a web camera system to monitor volcanic clouds has been working since December 2000, which also provides data for studies of dust. A heavy dust episode on 11 November 2002, affecting both stations, was detected using 11 and 12 μm channels of NOAA/AVHRR. We observed dust in Changchun on 26 March, 7, 14–16 April, 1–2, 8, 10, 19 May, 8, 23 June, and 12 July in 2003. The observed images corresponded well to NOAA/AVHRR imagery and with 8.6, 11 and 12 μm Terra/MODIS results, although conditions were too cloudy for satellite verification in some cases.     

Green algae of the genus Spirogyra: A potential absorbent for heavy metal from coal mine water

Algae have considerable capability for absorbing heavy metals from wastewaters and are considered an effective treatment technology. Heavy metal absorption from coal mine water from the Bhowra Abandoned mine (open cast mine) and the Sudamdih Shaft mine (underground mine waters), both located in Dhanbad, India, by cells of Spirogyra was studied at different dilutions (100 percent, 80 percent, 60 percent, 40 percent, and 20 percent). In the present study, the following 18 metals were selected for analysis: aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), silver (Ag), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), gallium (Ga), indium (In), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and vanadium (V). Accordingly, Al and K were found to be higher in concentration with respect to selected metals for both mine waters. The biosorption study revealed that higher amounts of Al, Bi, Co, Cs, Fe, Ga, Mn, Ni, and V were absorbed by algal biomass at 100 percent concentration from both mine waters. The maximum uptake of Cu, As, and Cd was measured at 60 percent, 40 percent, and 20 percent, respectively, for the Bhowra Abandoned mine water. The biosorption equilibrium study revealed that Ag, Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Ga, In, K, Mn, Ni, and V were maximally absorbed by algal biomass at 100 percent concentration from Bhowra mine water, while the maximum uptake by the algal biomass measured for the Sudamidh coal mine water was for Al, As, Bi, Cu, Fe, and Mn at 100 percent concentration. The different physicochemical characteristics of mine water and drinking water standards was also studied. Accordingly, total dissolved solid and chemical oxygen demand concentrations exceeded the drinking water standards for water samples collected from both mines.     

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN TEHRAN

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the present status of solid waste management in Tehran, and subsequently, to draw up a policy regarding their generation, collection, on-site handling, storage, processing, recycling, transportation and safe disposal. Through a detailed survey, all functional elements of the present solid waste management system in Tehran were studied. Factors affecting the important management issues in the operation of Tehran's solid waste management system are discussed. Key design data and other useful information selected from a variety of reliable sources are presented. The practical aspects associated with solid waste management systems, such as organizational structure, financing, operations, equipment management, personnel, reporting, cost accounting and budgeting, ordinances and guidelines, and public communications are described.     

Laboratory study on the leaching potential of spent alkaline batteries using a MSW landfill leachate

Two leaching tests were carried out, one with whole batteries and another with cross-cut batteries. In both cases, NEN 7343 (a Nederland’s Standard) procedure was followed using a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachate as extraction solution. Seven fractions were collected corresponding to cumulative liquid/solid (L/S) ratio from 0.1 to 10.0. Those fractions were separately characterized in terms of pH, conductivity, redox potential, density, sulphate, chloride, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn. Results showed that the influence of the alkaline batteries in the landfill leachate composition varies with their physical integrity and with the L/S ratio, and several variations were observed throughout the tests. The leachate pH and redox potential increased as result of the contact with batteries, particularly pH in the test with the cross-cut batteries. The leachate density and conductivity did not change significantly with the whole batteries, in contrast with the test with cross-cut batteries.     

大气粉尘中常见多环芳烃类化合物的提取及含量测定

采用便携式PM2.5采样器和玻璃纤维滤膜对大气粉尘进行采样,以加压液体萃取、超声波辅助提取和微波辅助提取3种方法对多环芳烃类化合物进行提取,以超高效液相色谱和质谱联用方法进行测定。共检测出16种多环芳烃类化合物,分别为:萘、苊、苊烯、芴、菲、蒽、荧蒽、芘、苯并[a]蒽、■、苯并[b]荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽、苯并[a]芘、二苯并[a,h]蒽、茚并[1,2,3-c,d]芘和苯并[g,h,i]苝。3种提取方法均可有效提取大气粉尘中的多环芳烃类化合物,加压液体萃取法的提取效率最高、超声波辅助提取法次之、微波辅助提取法最低。超高效液相色谱和质谱连用方法可有效地分析大气粉尘中的多环芳烃类化合物,线性方程的相关系数不低于0.998 3,测定值的相对标准偏差不超过0.80%,检出限不高于0.27 ng/g。     

An overview of metals recovery from thermal power plant solid wastes

Thermal power plants (TPPs) that burn fossil fuels emit several pollutants linked to the environmental problems of acid rain, urban ozone, and the possibility of global climate change. As coal is burned in a power plant, its noncombustible mineral content is partitioned into bottom ash, which remains in the furnace, and fly ash, which rises with flue gases. Two other by-products of coal combustion air-pollution control technologies are flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastes and fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) wastes. This paper analyzed and summarized the generation, characteristics and application of TPP solid wastes and discussed the potential effects of such solid wastes on the environment. On this basis, a review of a number of methods for recovery of metals from TPP solid wastes was made. They usually contain a quantity of valuable metals and they are actually a secondary resource of metals. By applying mineral processing technologies and hydrometallurgical and biohydrometallurgical processes, it is possible to recover metals such as Al, Ga, Ge, Ca, Cd, Fe, Hg, Mg, Na, Ni, Pb, Ra, Th, V, Zn, etc., from TPP solid wastes. Recovery of metals from such wastes and its utilization are important not only for saving metal resources, but also for protecting the environment.     

Managing environmental problems during transitions: The department of energy as a case study

Many federal, state, and private agencies deal with long‐term environmental problems within a transition framework where political administrations, funds, regulators, regulatory requirements, environmental conditions, and tribal and stakeholder concerns change. In this article, we examine the types of transitions, as well as important stabilities, that agencies face, the interactions with stakeholders that are vulnerable to disruption or failure, and some of the problems that develop as a result of these conditions, using the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) as a case study. Transitions, or instabilities, include changes in administrations at the federal, state, and local level; public perceptions and concerns; political climate; available funds; environmental conditions (e.g., global climate change, global contaminant transport, local and regional contamination); international and national business conditions; and site conditions (physical, chemical, biological). Governmental agencies operate under several different kinds of uncertainties, including scientific, fiscal‐year economic, technological, and societal. Not all information can be known, and the outcomes from scientific issues or technologies cannot always be predicted. The authors believe that transitions from one set of conditions to another can be more effectively integrated with the long‐term stability of environmental laws and regulations, and with the stability of the treaty rights and concerns of tribal nations, as well as the shorter‐term stability of career personnel and established programs. A sense of stability for government agencies allowing maintenance of ongoing environmental management programs can also be achieved through processes and programs, such as establishing long‐term contracts (for remediation or restoration work), schedule and scope documents, future land‐use documents, National Environmental Research Parks (which obligate lands to study and conservation), and other programs that set the direction of work and activities for many years. Further, two other factors are essential for success within any agency facing transitions: (1) expectations should be both forward‐looking and realistic, and (2) there must be flexibility in both programs and processes. The authors conclude that several features are essential to addressing some of the problems created by transitions, including information, integration, iteration, interaction, and inclusion. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Characteristics of wastes from electric and electronic equipment in Greece: results of a field survey.

The lifespan of electric and electronic equipment is becoming shorter and the amount of related waste is increasing. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about qualitative and quantitative characteristics of such wastes in Greece. Specifically, results are presented from a field survey, which took place in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, during the year 2002. The survey was conducted with suitable questionnaires in department stores and in households of various municipalities. Household appliances were grouped as follows: (A) large (refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, clothes dryer, electric cooker, microwave oven, electric heater), (B) small (vacuum cleaner, electric iron, hair dryer), (C) information technology and telecommunication equipment (PC, laptop, printer, phone) and (D) consumer equipment (radio, TV, video, DVD, console). The analysis indicated that the lifespan of all new goods is gradually reducing (apart from refrigerators, for which the lifespan was surprisingly found to be increasing) and provided linearized functions for predicting the lifespan, according to the year of manufacture, for certain large appliances.     

Heavy metals in domestic refuse and their distribution in incinerator residues

The principal heavy metal loads to municipal solid waste incinerators are determined from analyses of bottom ash, fly ash and gaseous effluents. Upper values in g per Mg refuse are: Cl, 8000; F, 200; S, 5000; Zn, 2000; Pb, 1200; Cu, 600; Cr, 250; Ni, 80; Cd, 15; Hg, 5; As, 4. More than half of the Cl, Cd, Hg and As pass into the flue gas and are either captured in the fly ash or emitted in the stack gas.     

Aerosol Composition Change due to Dust Storm: Measurements between 1992 and 1999 at Gosan,Korea

Aerosol composition change between dust storm and non duststorm periods is studied using the TSP (Total SuspendedParticulate) data measured at Gosan, Korea between 1992 and1999. The concentrations of elements measured between 1993and 1996 and those of ions between 1992 and 1999 duringdust storms are compared with those during non-dust stormperiods in spring (March, April, and May). Among theanalyzed ions, the concentrations of crustal species(potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride) andanthropogenic species (nitrate and non-sea salt (nss)-sulfate) increased when dust storm occurs while those ofammonium and sodium did not increase. Among the analyzedelements, the concentrations of crustal species (Fe, Al,Ca, Ti, and Zn) increased when dust storm occurs whilethose of anthropogenic species (Mn, V, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Cr)did not increase. The only anthropogenic element of whichconcentration increased during dust storm periods was Pb.It was found that the concentrations of nitrate and nss-sulfatewere highest during spring. Also, the ratio of theyearly average concentrations of nitrate to nss-sulfateincreases, probably due to the emission trend change innortheast Asia, especially, in China.