Chemisch-analytische Charakterisierung technischen tierischen Fettes aus einer Tierkörperbeseitigungsanstalt

Aims and Scope

German rendering plants produce 300,000 tons of animal fat per year. Until recently, these raw products have been in wide use as nutritional additive for cattle and other animals fodder but now they have been banned due to their assumed role in BSE infection. Therefore, alternative fields of usage are required. In this context the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) is sponsoring a joint research project which deals with the production and testing of cooling lubricants based on animal fat esters.

Methods

In a first step, characteristics and quality of the animal fat were analyzed and monitored for a whole year in order to identify e.g. seasonal variations. The investigations covered the following fat specific and trace analytical parameters: total contamination, sulfates ash, water content, peroxide number, iodine value, kinematical viscosity, neutralisation number (free fatty acids), fatty acid spectra, elements / heavy metals (Al, B, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mo, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sn, V, W and Zn), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans.

Results

Valuable hints on the design of the technical process of fatty acid methylesters production were gained by regarding the fat specific parameters. For example, filtration and dewatering of the fats proved necessary. Small variations of iodine value, viscosity and fatty acid spectrum pointed at a quite constant composition of the raw material in the course of the year. Clues to the degree of hydrolysis and decay of the fat were given by the share of free fatty acids. The saturated fatty acids, most interesting for the production of the cooling lubricants, were present in the fatty acid spectra in the rage of 36.4% to 54.6%. Trace analytical investigations concerning inorganic and organic pollutants proved a low basic contamination of the technical animal fats.

Outlook

Next step will be to present the pilot plant for the production of the cooling lubricants and further analytical results in context with the production process.     

Bestimmung von Nitrodiphenylaminen und verwandten Verbindungen im Sickerwasser einer Rüstungsaltlast

Goal, Scope and Background

Nitrodiphenylamines can be found at abandoned military sites where the explosive 2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-hexanitrodiphenylamine (hexyl) or diphenylamine as a stabilizer of smokeless powder was handled. Aim of the present study is the development of HPLC methods for the analysis of contaminants which can be expected in particular under aerobic conditions at premises which are contaminated by nitrodiphenyl-amines and related compounds.

Methods

A list of 13 compounds which can be expected at these explosives factories was deduced from literature studies. HPLC methods were developed for the analytes. Water samples from the unsaturated zone of a former hexyl-producing factory were collected by suction cups and the material was analysed according to these procedures to demonstrate the practicability of the new methods and to verify the existence of the postulated compounds in the environment of the former nitration plant.

Results and Conclusion

The new HPLC methods are suitable for the exploration of sites contaminated by nitrodiphenylamines. Beside some hexyl its intermediates 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, 2,4-dinitrodiphenylamine und 2,2′,4,4′-tetranitrodiphenylamine were identified in the leachate water.

Recommendation and Perspective

It is advisable to include at least these 4 compounds in the examination of former hexyl-producing plants. Several unknown peaks were observed in the HPLC-chromatogram. It is recommendable to perform further investigations of the unidentified compounds to compile a final list of analytes for military sites polluted by nitrodiphenylamines.     

Humanpharmakawirkstoffe in der Umwelt: Einträge, Vorkommen und der Versuch einer Bestandsaufnahme

Background

The presence of a large spectrum of pharmaceutical agents has been reported for aquatic environments (surface—and groundwater) and other aquatic media (influents and effluents of sewage treatment plants) in Germany and beyond, including their occurrence in drinking water. Considering the large number of pharmaceuticals produced for human use and released into the environment, various authors (Sattelberger 1999, Hanisch et al. 2004, Castiglioni et al. 2006, IWW 2006, Stockholm County Council 2006) tried to compile ‘priority lists’ focusing on those substances with environmental relevance. The following agents are included in all lists: ciprofloxacine, clarythromycine (antibiotics), carbamazepine (anti-epileptic agent), bezafibrate (lipid reducer), clofibric acid (lipid reducer metabolite), ethinylestradiol (sex hormone) and cylophosfamide (cytostatic agent). The agents erythromycine and sulfamethoxazole (antibiotics), ibuprofen, indometacine, propyphenazone (analgesics), atenolol (beta-blocker) and ifosfamide (cytostatic agent) can be found in three of four priority lists.

Results

Pharmaceuticals mainly enter the aquatic environment via effluent water, coming from wastewater treatment plants (including hospital and household sewerage), untreated discharges (e.g, secondary transfer of active agents into ground- and surface waters via sewage sludge application in agriculture and via landfill leachate) and leakages in the municipal sewer network.

Discussion

Potential activities towards a reduced release of pharmaceuticals into the environment should consider primarily the origin of the exposure to allow a separation of drug containing flows already at the source. Following the latter it would be possible to minimize the contamination of spring-, ground- and surface waters which serve as raw water resources for drinking water supply. However, considering the actual water pollution with pharmaceuticals and other substances, ‘end-of pipe’ techniques in the sewage and drinking water treatment are absolutely essential.

Conclusions

Sustainability criteria (e.g. protection of drinking water resources, habitats and biocoenoses, recycling and economizing use of resources) and economic aspects of modern sewage disposal concepts require a useful choice and combination of technical measures as components of centralized and decentralized sewage and drinking water treatment methods. It is though not realistic to cover and eliminate all pharmaceutical agents of environmental relevance equally effective even if a catalogue of potential technical treatment methods is elaborated thoroughly. Therefore, a concentration of efforts on selected drug agents, at least following initially some of the priority lists, is recommended.

Recommendations and Perspectives

The contamination of the water cycle with pharmaceuticals is nevertheless not exclusively to be solved via the application of technical methods. The BMBF (Federal Ministry for Education and Research) funded project start (Management Strategies for Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water, www.start-project.de) therefore tries by implementation of a transdisciplinary approach to integrate technical-, behavioral-, and agent-orientated management strategies towards a more comprehensive and sustainable problem solution.     

Ablagerung toxischer Chemieabfälle im August 2006 in Abidjan, Republik Côte d’Ivoire: Versuch einer Rekonstruktion

Background

Globally, every year several hundred million tons of problematic, e.g. chemical, wastes are generated stemming to more than 90% from the 25 OECD countries. Due to their partly considerable toxicity special and often expensive measures are required for their disposal. According to the Secretary of the ‘Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and Their Disposal’ annually at least 8.5 million tons of wastes are transboundarily traded. Although the ‘Basel Convention’ has set up rules how to handle international waste streams, certain waste amounts are illegally transported from the OECD countries to developing countries — basically for reasons of expenses. Often an environmental safe treatment of toxic waste is not ensured or even not possible in the receiving countries. As set forth in a report of the European Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) published in 2006, the illegal trade with toxic waste has steadily increased. 3000 shipping documents of 17 European seaports were examined and 258 cargo holds were inspected showing that 68 of 140 waste shippings were illegal. Preventing illegal transports of waste meets with various obstacles. Controlling measures require considerable personal, technical, and logistic resources that are not sufficiently available in each country concerned. Missing or ineffective administrative structures hamper fast actions to stop illegal waste disposal. Partly, the political will to take the necessary steps is lacking. An additional problem is the fact that waste that is obtained from the regular shipping business is not subject to the Basel Convention but to the ‘International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships’. The implementing statures are summarized in the document MARPOL 73/78; the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is responsible. Identifying the origin of waste and thus defining the responsibility occasionally raises difficulties. This background provides a basis to try to reconstruct the course of events concerning the disposal of chemical waste in Abidjan.

Methods

Several information sources were utilized to reconstruct the course of events at Abidjan in August 2006; e.g. public press, declarations of international governmental organizations, especially of the UN and of its subsidiary organizations, communiqués of the Secretary of the Basel Convention, and statements of several NGOs. Nevertheless a complete reconstruction of the incident is impossible, since a detailed and reliable historical report is not available. Furthermore the responsible politicians have not undertaken significant efforts to shed light upon the incident. Additionally relevant documents of the participating companies are not available to the public.

Conclusions

The analyzed incident makes obvious that the control mechanisms of the Basel Convention can be circumvented. It remains unclear who has to take the political responsibility for the death of 10 people and for the health defects of thousands of humans. Possible civil and criminal consequences are not foreseeable for the actors and company owners involved in the illegal waste dumping. The people of Abidijan are confronted with unresolved questions regarding the occurrence of chronic diseases and possible long-term effects of remaining waste portions.

Recommendations and Perspectives

The incident demonstrates that the control of the transboundary transport and disposal of hazardous waste needs to be enforced and legal grey areas should be eliminated. It should be a task of the OECD countries and of all other economically and technically developed countries and organizations to support the developing countries’ efforts to build up the personal, technical, and infrastructural capacities for an efficient control of waste imports.