Emissions and risks associated with oxyfuel combustion: State of the science and critical data gaps

Oxyfuel combustion is a promising technology that may greatly facilitate carbon capture and sequestration by increasing the relative CO₂ content of the combustion emission stream. However, the potential effect of enhanced oxygen combustion conditions on emissions of criteria and hazardous air pollutants (e.g., acid gases, particulates, metals and organics) is not well studied. It is possible that combustion under oxyfuel conditions could produce emissions posing different risks than those currently being managed by the power industry (e.g., by changing the valence state of metals). The data available for addressing these concerns are quite limited and are typically derived from laboratory-scale or pilot-scale tests. A review of the available data does suggest that oxyfuel combustion may decrease the air emissions of some pollutants (e.g., SO₂, NOx, particulates) whereas data for other pollutants are too limited to draw any conclusions. The oxy-combustion systems that have been proposed to date do not have a conventional “stack” and combustion flue gas is treated in such a way that solid or liquid waste streams are the major outputs. Use of this technology will therefore shift emissions from air to solid or liquid waste streams, but the risk management implications of this potential change have yet to be assessed. Truly useful studies of the potential effects of oxyfuel combustion on power plant emissions will require construction of integrated systems containing a combustion system coupled to a CO₂ processing unit. Sampling and analysis to assess potential emission effects should be an essential part of integrated system tests.

Implications: Oxyfuel combustion may facilitate carbon capture and sequestration by increasing the relative CO₂ content of the combustion emission stream. However, the potential effect of enhanced oxygen combustion conditions on emissions of criteria and hazardous air pollutants has not been well studied. Combustion under oxyfuel conditions could produce emissions posing different risks than those currently being managed by the power industry. Therefore, before moving further with oxyfuel combustion as a new technology, it is appropriate to summarize the current understanding of potential emissions risk and to identify data gaps as priorities for future research.     

家禽养殖场废弃物处理技术的研究进展

家禽养殖场的废弃物长期以来对环境构成了极大的污染并威胁着畜禽和人类的健康 ,因而对家禽废弃物进行资源化处理势在必行。综述了近 10年来的 3种主要的可供选择的家禽垃圾处理的技术路线的研究进展。介绍了最优化堆肥、厌氧发酵和直接焚烧的试验研究结果     

A Life-Cycle Inventory Model of Municipal Solid Waste Combustion

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of alternate strategies for municipal solid waste (MSW) management requires models to calculate environmental emissions as a function of both waste quantity and composition. A methodology to calculate waste component-specific emissions associated with MSW combustion is presented here. The methodology considers emissions at a combustion facility as well as those avoided at an electrical energy facility because of energy recovered from waste combustion. Emission factors, in units of kg pollutant per metric ton MSW entering the combustion facility, are calculated for CO₂-biomass, CO₂-fossil, SO_x , HCl, NO_x , dioxins/furans, PM, CO, and 11 metals. Water emissions associated with electrical energy offsets are also considered. Reductions in environmental emissions for a 500-metric-ton-per-day combustion facility that recovers energy are calculated.     

Emission inventory and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere at a suburban area in Taiwan

The application of a chemical mass balance air pollution model to ambient measurements of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is presented. Sixteen air samples were collected at seven sites in a suburban area in Taiwan and analyzed for the concentration of 21 compounds between July 2001 and September 2001. Each ambient sample was evaluated for the PAH contribution from six sources (heavy oil combustion, natural gas combustion, coal combustion, diesel combustion, vehicles and municipal solid waste incinerator). Average predictions agree well with the emission inventory. By this method, the average contributions are 49%, 14%, 22%, 12%, and 2% from vehicles, heavy oil combustion, natural gas combustion, coal combustion and diesel combustion at these seven receptors. By far, vehicles are the major PAH emission sources and municipal solid waste incinerator is a minor contributor. The calculated result of particulate PAHs is compared with that of total (gaseous and particulate) PAHs. The estimate based on total PAHs is better than the estimate based on particulate PAHs only. Contributions of eight low reactive PAHs for the same emission sources and receptors were calculated. Atmospheric reactivity seems not a problem for source apportionment in this study.     

A life-cycle inventory model of municipal solid waste combustion

Evaluation of alternate strategies for municipal solid waste (MSW) management requires models to calculate environmental emissions as a function of both waste quantity and composition. A methodology to calculate waste component-specific emissions associated with MSW combustion is presented here. The methodology considers emissions at a combustion facility as well as those avoided at an electrical energy facility because of energy recovered from waste combustion. Emission factors, in units of kg pollutant per metric ton MSW entering the combustion facility, are calculated for CO2-biomass, CO2-fossil, SOx, HCl, NOx, dioxins/furans, PM, CO, and 11 metals. Water emissions associated with electrical energy offsets are also considered. Reductions in environmental emissions for a 500-metric-ton-per-day combustion facility that recovers energy are calculated.     

Atmospheric pollutants in alpine peat bogs record a detailed chronology of industrial and agricultural development on the Australian continent

Two peat bogs from remote alpine sites in Australia were found to contain detailed and coherent histories of atmospheric metal pollution for Pb, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ag, As, Cd, Sb, Zn, In, Cr, Ni, Tl and V. Dramatic increases in metal deposition in the post-1850 AD portion of the cores coincide with the onset of mining in Australia. Using both Pb isotopes and metals, pollutants were ascribed to the main atmospheric pollution emitting sources in Australia, namely mining and smelting, coal combustion and agriculture. Results imply mining and metal production are the major source of atmospheric metal pollution, although coal combustion may account for up to 30% of metal pollutants. A novel finding of this study is the increase in the otherwise near-constant Y/Ho ratio after 1900 AD. We link this change to widespread and increased application of marine phosphate fertiliser in Australia's main agricultural area (the Murray Darling Basin).     

The state of indoor air quality in Pakistan—a review

Background and purpose  

In Pakistan, almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas. Ninety-four percent of households in rural areas and 58% in urban areas depend on biomass fuels (wood, dung, and agricultural waste). These solid fuels have poor combustion efficiency. Due to incomplete combustion of the biomass fuels, the resulting smoke contains a range of health-deteriorating substances that, at varying concentrations, can pose a serious threat to human health. Indoor air pollution accounts for 28,000 deaths a year and 40 million cases of acute respiratory illness. It places a significant economic burden on Pakistan with an annual cost of 1% of GDP. Despite the mounting evidence of an association between indoor air pollution and ill health, policy makers have paid little attention to it. This review analyzes the existing information on levels of indoor air pollution in Pakistan and suggests suitable intervention methods.     

Life cycle and economic assessment of source-separated MSW collection with regard to greenhouse gas emissions: a case study in China

In China, the continuously increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has resulted in an urgent need for changing the current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system based on mixed collection. A pilot program focusing on source-separated MSW collection was thus launched (2010) in Hangzhou, China, to lessen the related environmental loads. And greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Kyoto Protocol) are singled out in particular. This paper uses life cycle assessment modeling to evaluate the potential environmental improvement with regard to GHG emissions. The pre-existing MSWM system is assessed as baseline, while the source separation scenario is compared internally. Results show that 23 % GHG emissions can be decreased by source-separated collection compared with the base scenario. In addition, the use of composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) is suggested for further optimizing the management of food waste. 260.79, 82.21, and ?86.21 thousand tonnes of GHG emissions are emitted from food waste landfill, composting, and AD, respectively, proving the emission reduction potential brought by advanced food waste treatment technologies. Realizing the fact, a modified MSWM system is proposed by taking AD as food waste substitution option, with additional 44 % GHG emissions saved than current source separation scenario. Moreover, a preliminary economic assessment is implemented. It is demonstrated that both source separation scenarios have a good cost reduction potential than mixed collection, with the proposed new system the most cost-effective one.     

铝塑包装废物热解过程能量平衡分析

热解是实现铝塑包装废物中有机物和金属铝分离的有效方法。利用外热式固定床反应系统对其进行热解实验,研究热解时物质与能量流向的变化趋势。结果表明:(1)铝塑包装废物最佳热解温度为723～773 K;(2)热解产生的可回收能量远大于反应所需能量,可以实现热解系统的自供热;(3)铝塑包装废物热解的净能源回收效率为62%～63%。     

Formation of cyanoarenes by combustion of nitrogen containing polymers

The formation of cyano group-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (cyanoarenes) and nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds (azaarenes) during combustion processes is described. The experiments were carried out by combustion of nitrogen containing polymers (nylon 6, polyacrylonitrile and polyamide) in a combustion chamber ,to simulate combustion processes of waste incineration plants. The result from experiments, in which only one nitrogen containing polymer was burnt, showed the formation of several cyanoarenes. We conclude that during combustion processes in which hydrogen cyanide is formed, air pollution by cyanoarenes and azaarenes (in ppb or ppm concentrations) may occur.     

Fiscal decentralization,government innovation preference,and haze pollution

Local governments are the dominant players in haze pollution control; furthermore, financial power reconstruction affects the effectiveness of haze control. Government innovation preference achieves win-win results for environmental protection and economic development by increasing innovation support. Therefore, a moderating variable for government innovation preference was added to the fiscal decentralization effect on haze pollution, and their interactive effect on haze pollution was studied. This study was conducted in 30 provincial regions. Thus, the severity of regional haze pollution differs because of temporal heterogeneity and asynchronous development. Furthermore, we analyzed the impact on haze pollution from the perspectives of the temporal and spatial differences in different regions of China. The results indicate that (1) fiscal decentralization increases haze pollution, while government innovation preferences control it. (2) In a local evaluation model with a diversified background, fiscal decentralization restrains haze pollution, and pollution source complexity reduces government innovation preference’s control pollution function. The interaction term revealed that government innovation preferences had a significant moderating effect. (3) Fiscal decentralization and government innovation preferences control the heterogeneity of haze pollution in different regions.

     

Exposure to toxic waste containing high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide illegally dumped in Abidjan, C?te d’Ivoire

Introduction

On August 2006, a cargo ship illegally dumped 500?t of toxic waste containing high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in numerous sites across Abidjan. Thousands of people became ill. Seventeen deaths were associated with toxic waste exposure.

Materials and methods

This study reports on environmental and health problems associated with the incident. A cross-sectional transect study was conducted in five waste dumping site areas.

Results

Of the households, 62.1% (n?=?502) were exposed to the effects of the pollutants and 51.1% of the interviewed people (n?=?2,368) in these households showed signs of poisoning. Most important symptoms were cough (37.1%), asthenia (33.1%), pruritus (29.9%) and nausea (29.1%).

Discussion

The health effects showed different frequencies in the five waste impact sites. Among the poisoned persons, 21.1% (n?=?532) presented symptoms on the survey day (i.e., 4?months after incident). Transect sampling allowed to determine a radius of vulnerability to exposure of up to 3?km from the point of toxic waste disposal.

Conclusion

The area of higher vulnerability is influenced by various environmental factors, such as size and severity of pollution site, duration of toxic waste pollution on the impact site and locally climatic conditions. The surveillance of effects on environment and human health is warranted to monitor the development.     

Atmospheric mercury emissions from waste combustions measured by continuous monitoring devices

Atmospheric mercury emissions have attracted great attention owing to adverse impact of mercury on human health and the ecosystem. Although waste combustion is one of major anthropogenic sources, estimated emission might have large uncertainty due to great heterogeneity of wastes. This study investigated atmospheric emissions of speciated mercury from the combustions of municipal solid wastes (MSW), sewage treatment sludge (STS), STS with waste plastics, industrial waste mixtures (IWM), waste plastics from construction demolition, and woody wastes using continuous monitoring devices. Reactive gaseous mercury was the major form at the inlet side of air pollution control devices in all combustion cases. Its concentration was 2.0–70.6 times larger than elemental mercury concentration. In particular, MSW, STS, and IWM combustions emitted higher concentration of reactive gaseous mercury. Concentrations of both gaseous mercury species varied greatly for all waste combustions excluding woody waste. Variation coefficients of measured data were nearly equal to or more than 1.0. Emission factors of gaseous elemental mercury, reactive gaseous mercury, and total mercury were calculated using continuous monitoring data. Total mercury emission factors are 0.30 g-Hg/Mg for MSW combustion, 0.21 g-Hg/Mg for STS combustion, 0.077 g-Hg/Mg for STS with waste plastics, 0.724 g-Hg/Mg for industrial waste mixtures, 0.028 g-Hg/Mg for waste plastic combustion, and 0.0026 g-Hg/Mg for woody waste combustion. All emission factors evaluated in this study were comparable or lower than other reported data. Emission inventory using old emission factors likely causes an overestimation.

Implications Although waste combustion is one of major anthropogenic sources of atmospheric mercury emission, estimated emission might have large uncertainty due to great heterogeneity of wastes. This study investigated speciated mercury emissions from the combustions of municipal solid wastes, sewage treatment sludge with/without waste plastics, industrial waste mixtures, waste plastics from construction demolition, and woody wastes using continuous monitoring devices. Reactive gaseous mercury was the major form in all combustion cases and its concentration in the gas had large fluctuation. All emission factors evaluated in this study were comparable or lower than other reported data. Emission inventory using old emission factors likely causes an overestimation.     

Consultant Guide/1989

The European Economic Community (EEC) has proposed strict limits on emissions of dioxins and furans from hazardous waste incinerators. The proposed limit is 0.1 ng/Nm³, expressed as the 2,3,7,8 TCDD toxic equivalent of 17 specific dioxin and furan congeners. These limits will potentially redefine technology selection and design for combustion, energy recovery, and air pollution control. The EPA has a different approach for controlling emissions of products of incomplete combustion (PICs) and reformation products such as dioxins and furans. Rather than limiting these contaminants individually and quantitatively, EPA proposes controlling them by assuring good combustion as measured by stack emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbons (THC).

Dioxins and furans are combustion by-products and emission control relies mainly on control of the combustion process. These compounds can also be reformed from certain precursor compounds and elements in lower temperature regions of the system downstream of the combustion process. Air pollution control technologies have demonstrated the ability to remove dioxins and furans as contaminants on fine particulate.

This paper will discuss the two regulatory approaches, the mechanisms for the formation and reformation of dioxins and furans, and the technologies available to control emissions.     

Implementing Pollution Prevention: Incentives and Irrationalities

Widespread pollution prevention will turn on creative use of incentives, since prevention means decentralized changes in raw materials, products, production processes and disposal practices—in short, new ways of doing business—that are difficult to achieve through information transfer or regulatory mandates alone. But past experience with incentives and the context in which these approaches are used will shape both regulators’ attitudes and industry willingness to respond. Thus the choice of incentive mechanism (s) may well determine the extent to which “prevention” is implemented—as well as the extent to which implementation yields environmentally-sound rather than perverse results. Approaches now being debated could produce such perverse effects by treating recyclables as pollution and assuming all reductions towards zero are equally desirable, regardless of net risks reduced or costs incurred by waste generators. Another alternative— tradeable permits progressively reducing the amount of waste received by disposal facilities—could help agencies think through such consequences, force needed decisions on how much “prevention” of which “pollution” is appropriate, and encourage investment to reduce commercial as well as municipal waste. This alternative implies that the criteria for “appropriate prevention” are reduction in waste needing disposal and in overall environmental impact; that recycling should be equated with source reduction in waste management hierarchies, not placed on a lower rung; and that Air Toxics provisions of the pending Clean Air Act may require some adjustments if prevention is not to be aborted by the threat that voluntary reduction steps will become national requirements, for existing sources as well as new ones.     

垃圾炉一次风量对炉床燃烧影响的仿真研究

针对垃圾焚烧炉床层内垃圾燃烧过程复杂性及影响垃圾燃烧效率因素多的问题,运用数值仿真方法对某垃圾焚烧炉床层垃圾燃烧进行了模拟,获得了垃圾质量流失速率、水分蒸发速率、挥发分释放速率、焦炭燃烧速率和烟气的温度;并在50~1 000 Nm3/min范围内改变一次风流量,获得了床层质量流失比值、过剩空气系数和烟气中各组分的质量百分比含量。仿真结果显示,一次风流量取值517.47~6`32.09 Nm3/min时燃烧效率较高;炉排两端区域的一次风流量在50~75 Nm3/min时,可以使垃圾床表面平均温度明显提高,而且还可以提高燃烧效率,同时减少供风总量,节约能源与动力资源。本研究对优化设计垃圾焚烧炉,提高床层内垃圾的燃烧效率有一定参考价值。     

Technology selection for infectious medical waste treatment using the analytic hierarchy process

The overall objective of this paper was to evaluate five different technologies used for infectious medical waste treatment and select the optimum one by means of multicriteria analysis. Steam disinfection was selected as the optimum treatment technology, among others using incineration, microwave disinfection, chemical disinfection with sodium hypochlorite, and reverse polymerization with microwaves. The evaluation was based on four groups of criteria, specifically, environmental, economic, technical, and social criteria, using the analytic hierarchy process. Selection among four commercial systems using steam disinfection was not possible, because it required additional site-specific criteria, e.g., loading capacity and requirements of local regulations.

Implications: The paper can help health care facilities to select the system for infectious waste treatment that best fits their needs. It was concluded that steam disinfection was the optimum technology, using environmental, economic, technical, and social criteria.     

Comprehensive evaluation of municipal garbage disposal in Changchun City by the strategic environmental assessment

Purpose

The environmental issues caused by the municipal solid waste disposal are becoming a worldwide concern.

Methods

We studied the situations both domestically and abroad by the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) approach and also conducted comprehensive evaluations of garbage disposal in Changchun City.

Results

On the basis of this study, we found that SEA is of great importance in the municipal solid waste disposal. Moreover, with the rapid socioeconomic development of Changchun City, municipal solid waste production increases on an annual basis, and thus, good waste management planning is of great significance.

Conclusions

Considering the situation of the economic development of Changchun City, garbage disposal was handled mainly in the major sanitary landfills with appropriate use of incineration technology. This plan is environmentally friendly at a relatively high degree and has met the requirements of minimum investment. It also takes into account the requirements of the development of incineration technology. Regarding environmental pollution in terms of groundwater pollution and atmospheric pollution, this plan is a feasible one by meeting various requirements with low environmental impact among the three plans discussed in this study.     

城市生活垃圾压缩站环境污染研究

通过对垃圾压缩站内生活垃圾进行采样分析、压实试验和环境污染检测，得出了城市生活垃圾压实密度和施加压力的关系曲线，确定了对垃圾压实的合适压力范围为0．1～0．2MPa；垃圾压缩站环境污染严重，垃圾压缩污水量为10-50kg／t，其中BOD5和COD平均分别超标111倍和486倍；环境噪音只有50m以外才能达到居民区环境质量二级标准（60dB（A））的噪音要求；产生的臭气在较低风速下一般扩散25m时污染达到最大，NH3、H2S分别可以达到0．011、0．0046mg／m^3，这个值占容许浓度的55％和46％。     

Atmospheric mercury emissions from waste combustions measured by continuous monitoring devices

Atmospheric mercury emissions have attracted great attention owing to adverse impact of mercury on human health and the ecosystem. Although waste combustion is one of major anthropogenic sources, estimated emission might have large uncertainty due to great heterogeneity of wastes. This study investigated atmospheric emissions of speciated mercury from the combustions of municipal solid wastes (MSW), sewage treatment sludge (STS), STS with waste plastics, industrial waste mixtures (IWM), waste plastics from construction demolition, and woody wastes using continuous monitoring devices. Reactive gaseous mercury was the major form at the inlet side of air pollution control devices in all combustion cases. Its concentration was 2.0-70.6 times larger than elemental mercury concentration. In particular, MSW, STS, and IWM combustions emitted higher concentration of reactive gaseous mercury. Concentrations of both gaseous mercury species varied greatly for all waste combustions excluding woody waste. Variation coefficients of measured data were nearly equal to or more than 1.0. Emission factors of gaseous elemental mercury, reactive gaseous mercury, and total mercury were calculated using continuous monitoring data. Total mercury emission factors are 0.30 g-Hg/Mg for MSW combustion, 0.21 g-Hg/Mg for STS combustion, 0.077 g-Hg/Mg for STS with waste plastics, 0.724 g-Hg/Mg for industrial waste mixtures, 0.028 g-Hg/Mg for waste plastic combustion, and 0.0026 g-Hg/Mg for woody waste combustion. All emission factors evaluated in this study were comparable or lower than other reported data. Emission inventory using old emission factors likely causes an overestimation.