Negotiating for assistance and cost control: Effectively interacting with environmental regulatory agencies

Regulatory agencies are involved in analysis of plans for, and results of, virtually every environmental site investigation and remediation project. Controlling the cost of such projects is largely dependent on arriving at a reasonable scope of work. Regulatory approval is heavily influenced by the approach, cooperation, level of expertise, communication skills, preparation, and diplomacy of those who interact directly with agency personnel. Agencies also can be sources of assistance in obtaining the cooperation of other responsible parties. This article discusses a practical approach to maximize assistance, cooperation, and collaboration from regulatory agencies.     

Nanoparticles: Their potential toxicity,waste and environmental management

This literature review discusses specific issues related to handling of waste containing nanomaterials. The aims are (1) to highlight problems related to uncontrolled release of nanoparticles to the environment through waste disposal, and (2) to introduce the topics of nanowaste and nanotoxicology to the waste management community. Many nanoparticles used by industry contain heavy metals, thus toxicity and bioaccumulation of heavy metals contained in nanoparticles may become important environmental issues. Although bioavailability of heavy metals contained in nanoparticles can be lower than those present in soluble form, the toxicity resulting from their intrinsic nature (e.g. their size, shape or density) may be significant. An approach to the treatment of nanowaste requires understanding of all its properties – not only chemical, but also physical and biological. Progress in nanowaste management also requires studies of the environmental impact of the new materials. The authors believe Amara’s law is applicable to the impact of nanotechnologies, and society might overestimate the short-term effects of these technologies, while underestimating the long-term effects. It is necessary to have basic information from companies about the level and nature of nanomaterials produced or emitted and about the expectation of the life cycle time of nanoproducts as a basis to estimate the level of nanowaste in the future. Without knowing how companies plan to use and store recycled and nonrecycled nanomaterials, development of regulations is difficult. Tagging of nanoproducts is proposed as a means to facilitate separation and recovery of nanomaterials.     

Liability and Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage: Some Current Threats to the International Convention System

The carriage of oil is indispensable to the industrialized nations. In this respect, the carriage of oil is undertaken as a service to society as a whole with its individual members deriving benefits from its carriage to varying degrees. Consequently, after examining the four Conventions in the international system of compensation for oil pollution from ships, it is argued that the general citizenship of those nations pay, in exceptional cases, for a small share of the risk, which is created in part by the citizens, as users of oil. The paper proposes the creation of a fund of last resort that could be conceived either at a regional level or a national level and financed through (indirect) taxation on the population as a whole. This type of fund could have a wider use in the field of marine pollution and protection of marine resources.     

Home composting as an alternative treatment option for organic household waste in Denmark: An environmental assessment using life cycle assessment-modelling

An environmental assessment of the management of organic household waste (OHW) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the waste-life cycle assessment (LCA) model EASEWASTE. The focus was on home composting of OHW in Denmark and six different home composting units (with different input and different mixing frequencies) were modelled. In addition, incineration and landfilling was modelled as alternatives to home composting. The most important processes contributing to the environmental impact of home composting were identified as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (load) and the avoided emissions in relation to the substitution of fertiliser and peat when compost was used in hobby gardening (saving). The replacement of fertiliser and peat was also identified as one of the most sensible parameters, which could potentially have a significant environmental benefit. Many of the impact categories (especially human toxicity via water (HTw) and soil (HTs)) were affected by the heavy metal contents of the incoming OHW. The concentrations of heavy metals in the compost were below the threshold values for compost used on land and were thus not considered to constitute a problem. The GHG emissions were, on the other hand, dependent on the management of the composting units. The frequently mixed composting units had the highest GHG emissions. The environmental profiles of the home composting scenarios were in the order of −2 to 16 milli person equivalents (mPE) Mg⁻¹ wet waste (ww) for the non-toxic categories and −0.9 to 28 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the toxic categories. Home composting performed better than or as good as incineration and landfilling in several of the potential impact categories. One exception was the global warming (GW) category, in which incineration performed better due to the substitution of heat and electricity based on fossil fuels.     

Surrogate study for dioxins from municipal waste incinerator in startup condition: applicability as a dioxin control indicator and an organohalogen emission warning

Dioxins and their surrogates were continuously monitored during the startup of two municipal waste in cinerators (MWIs). The surrogates studied included low-volatility organohalogen compounds (LVOH) sampled by online systems, as well as chlorobenzenes (CBs) and chlorophenols (CPs). The changes in levels of LVOH, CBs, and CPs corresponded well with the trend of the toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ). The correlation of LVOH with TEQ was fairly good, whereas that of CBs and CPs with TEQ was not consistent. The correlation of LVOH with TEQ involved a memory effect related to the delayed emission of less volatile compounds. The isomer analysis of the dioxins present under startup conditions showed evidence of the memory effect, i.e., highly chlorinated isomers were emitted slowly, whereas low-chlorinated isomers and LVOH decreased rapidly as the temperature rose. LVOH cannot act as a perfect dioxin surrogate, but it can give a versatile, quick, and comprehensive warning of the presence of organohalogen compounds because it is free from the memory effect and covers many kinds of organohalogen compounds, including dioxins.     

The potential environmental gains from recycling waste plastics: Simulation of transferring recycling and recovery technologies to Shenyang, China

With the increasing attention on developing a low-carbon economy, it is necessary to seek appropriate ways on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through innovative municipal solid waste management (MSWM), such as urban symbiosis. However, quantitative assessments on the environmental benefits of urban symbiosis, especially in developing countries, are limited because only a limited number of planned synergistic activities have been successful and it is difficult to acquire detailed inventory data from private companies. This paper modifies and applies a two-step simulation system and used it to assess the potential environmental benefits, including the reduction of GHG emissions and saving of fossil fuels, by employing various Japanese plastics recycling/energy-recovery technologies in Shenyang, China. The results showed that among various recycling/energy-recovery technologies, the mechanical waste plastics recycling technology, which produces concrete formwork boards (NF boards), has the greatest potential in terms of reducing GHG emissions (1.66 kg CO₂e/kg plastics), whereas the technology for the production of refuse plastic fuel (RPF) has the greatest potential on saving fossil fuel consumption (0.77 kgce/kg-plastics). Additional benefits can be gained by applying combined technologies that cascade the utilization of waste plastics. Moreover, the development of clean energy in conjunction with the promotion of new waste plastics recycling programs could contribute to additional reductions in GHG emissions and fossil fuel consumption.     

Sunflower stalk, an agricultural waste, as an adsorbent for the removal of lead and cadmium from aqueous solutions

Sunflower residue, an agricultural waste material for the removal of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from aqueous solutions were investigated using a batch method. Adsorbent was prepared by washing sunflower residue with deionized water until the effluent was colorless. Batch mode experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration and contact time. The results indicated that the adsorbent showed good sorption potential and maximum metal removal was observed at pH 5. Within 150 min of operation about 97 and 87 % of Pb and Cd ions were removed from the solutions, respectively. Lead and Cd sorption curves were well fitted to the modified two-site Langmuir model. The adsorption capacities for Pb and Cd at optimum conditions were 182 and 70 mg g^?1, respectively. The kinetics of Pb and Cd adsorption from aqueous solutions were analyzed by fitting the experimental data to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the rate constant was found to be 8.42 × 10^?2 and 8.95 × 10^?2 g mg^?1 min^?1 for Cd and Pb, respectively. The results revealed that sunflower can adsorb considerable amount of Pb and Cd ions and thus could be an economical method for the removal of Pb and Cd from aqueous systems.     

The waste reduction (WAR) algorithm: environmental impacts, energy consumption, and engineering economics

A general theory known as the waste reduction (WAR) algorithm has been developed to describe the flow and the generation of potential environmental impact through a chemical process. The theory defines indexes that characterize the generation and the output of potential environmental impact from a process. The existing theory has been extended to include the potential environmental impact of the energy consumed in a chemical process. Energy will have both an environmental impact as well as an economic impact on process design and analysis. Including energy into the analysis of environmental impact is done by re-writing the system boundaries to include the power plant which supplies the energy being consumed by the process and incorporating the environmental effects of the power plant into the analysis. The effect of this addition on the original potential impact indexes will be discussed. An extensive engineering economic evaluation has been included in the process analysis which inherently contains the cost of the consumed energy as an operating cost. A case study is presented which includes a base process design and two modifications to the base design. Each design is analyzed from an economic perspective and an environmental impact perspective. The environmental impact analysis is partitioned into the impacts of the non-product streams and the impacts of the energy generation/consumption process. The comparisons of these analysis procedures illustrate the consequences for decision making in the design of environmentally friendly processes.     

Economical and environmental implications of solid waste compost applications to agricultural fields in Punjab,Pakistan

Application of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) to agricultural soils is becoming an increasingly important global practice to enhance and sustain soil organic matter (SOM) and fertility levels. Potential risks associated with heavy metals and phosphorus accumulations in surface soils may be minimized with integrated nutrient management strategies that utilize MSWC together with mineral fertilizers. To explore the economic feasibility of MSWC applications, nutrient management plans were developed for rice–wheat and cotton–wheat cropping systems within the Punjab region of Pakistan. Three-year field trials were conducted to measure yields and to determine the economic benefits using three management strategies and two nutrient doses. Management strategies included the application of mineral fertilizers as the sole nutrient source and application of mineral fertilizers in combination with MSWC with and without pesticide/herbicide treatments. Fertilizer doses were either based on standard N, P and K recommendations or on measured site-specific soil plant available phosphorus (PAP) levels. It was found that combining MSWC and mineral fertilizer applications based on site-specific PAP levels with the use of pesticides and herbicides is an economically and environmentally viable management strategy. Results show that incorporation of MSWC improved soil physical properties such as bulk density and penetration resistance. The PAP levels in the surface layer increased by the end of the trials relative to the initial status. No potential risks of heavy metal (Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) accumulation were observed. Treatments comprised of MSWC and mineral fertilizer adjusted to site-specific PAP levels and with common pest management showed highest cumulative yields. A basic economic analysis revealed a significantly higher cumulative net profit and value-to-cost ratio (VCR) for all site-specific doses.     

Treatment and use of air pollution control residues from MSW incineration: an overview

This work reviews strategies for the management of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) residues, particularly solid particles collected from flue gases. These tiny particles may be retained by different equipment, with or without additives (lime, activated carbon, etc.), and depending on the different possible combinations, their properties may vary. In industrial plants, the most commonly used equipment for heat recovery and the cleaning of gas emissions are: heat recovery devices (boiler, superheater and economiser); dry, semidry or wet scrubbers; electrostatic precipitators; bag filters; fabric filters, and cyclones. In accordance with the stringent regulations in force in developed countries, these residues are considered hazardous, and therefore must be treated before being disposed of in landfills. Nowadays, research is being conducted into specific applications for these residues in order to prevent landfill practices. There are basically two possible ways of handling these residues: landfill after adequate treatment or recycling as a secondary material. The different types of treatment may be grouped into three categories: separation processes, solidification/stabilization, and thermal methods. These residues generally have limited applications, mainly due to the fact that they tend to contain large quantities of soluble salts (NaCl, KCl, calcium compounds), significant amounts of toxic heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd) in forms that may easily leach out, and trace quantities of very toxic organic compounds (dioxin, furans). The most promising materials for recycling this residue are ceramics and glass-ceramic materials. The main purpose of the present paper is to review the published literature in this field. A range of studies have been summarized in a series of tables focusing upon management strategies used in various countries, waste composition, treatment processes and possible applications.     

Co-benefit as an approach to align climate change concerns with national development objectives: solid waste management

Impinging local environmental problems on the one hand and constantly persuasive climate change concerns on the other put developing Asian cities in a dilemma as to which direction they should channel their efforts. While local matters are their immediate mandate, increasing awareness of climate change vulnerabilities adds weight to global problems. In this context, the concepts of co-benefits and ancillary benefits play an important role in aligning climate change concerns into sector-specific developmental goals. This article presents the conceptual aspects of co-benefits and the integration of climate concerns into sustainable development goals. The possible synergies between these two different but very important strategic pathways are examined along with possible ways to align them. The bottlenecks that can occur during such integration are also highlighted.     

Effective and innovative procedures to use phosphogypsum waste in different application domains: review of the environmental,economic challenges and life cycle assessment

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Phosphogypsum (PG) waste is a by-product generated from wet-process phosphoric acid (H3PO4) manufacturing during phosphate rock...     

Technical, economic and environmental analysis of a MSW kerbside separate collection system applied to small communities

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the costs and environmental impacts induced by a fixed model of MSW kerbside separate collection system for communities up to 10,000 inhabitants, in order to evaluate the convenience for the smaller municipalities to unite and form more economically and environmentally sound systems. This topic is important not only due to the large number of small municipalities (e.g. in Italy 72% of the municipalities has less than 5000 inhabitants) but also to the fact that separate collection systems are typically designed to take into account only the technical and economic aspects, which is a practice but not acceptable in the light of the sustainable development paradigm. In economic terms, between 1000 and 4000 inhabitants, the annual per capita cost for vehicles and personnel decreased, with a maximum at approximately 180€/inhabitants/year; while, from 5000 up to 10,000 inhabitants, the annual per capita cost was practically constant and equal to about 80€/inhabitants/year. For the municipalities of less than 5000 inhabitants, from an economic point of view the aggregation is always advantageous. The environmental impacts were calculated by means of the Life Cycle Assessment tool SimaPro 7.1, while the economic-environmental convenience was evaluated by combining in a simple multicriteria analysis, the annual total per capita cost (€/inhabitants/year) and the annual total per capita environmental impact (kEco-indicator point/inhabitants/year), giving the same importance to each criteria. The analysis was performed by means of the Paired Comparison Technique using the Simple Additive Weighting method. The economic and environmental convenience of the aggregation diminishes with the size of the municipalities: for less than 4000 inhabitants, the aggregation was almost always advantageous (91.7%); while, for more than or equal to 5000 inhabitants, the aggregation was convenient only in 33.3% of the cases. On the whole, out of 45 cases examined, for the municipalities from 1000 to 9000 inhabitants, the aggregation was both economically and environmentally convenient in 60.0% of the cases.     

Evaluation of the physical stability,groundwater seepage control,and faunal changes associated with an AquaBlok® sediment cap

Active sediment caps are being considered for addressing contaminated sediment areas in surface‐water bodies. A demonstration of an active cap designed to reduce advective transport of contaminants using AquaBlok® (active cap material) was initiated in a small study area of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. The cap remained physically stable, demonstrated the ability to divert groundwater flow, and was recolonized with native organisms after 30 months of monitoring following cap placement. However, the long‐term performance of active caps associated with harsh environmental conditions, hydrogeological settings, and subsurface gas production needs to be further evaluated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Activated carbon from Ceiba pentandra hulls, an agricultural waste, as an adsorbent in the removal of lead and zinc from aqueous solutions

The ability of low-cost activated carbon prepared from Ceiba pentandra hulls, an agricultural waste material, for the removal of lead and zinc from aqueous solutions has been investigated. In the batch tests experimental parameters were studied, including solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial metal ions concentration. The adsorbent exhibited good sorption potential at pH 6.0. Maximum removal of lead (99.5%) and of zinc (99.1%) with 10 g/l of sorbent was observed at 50 mg/L sorbate concentration. Removals of about 60-70% occurred in 10 min, and equilibrium was attained at around 50 min for both metals. The functional groups (CO, SO,-OH) present on the carbon surface were responsible for the adsorption of metal ions. The adsorption parameters were analysed using both the Freundlich and Langmuir models. The data are better fitted by the Freundlich isotherm as compared to Langmuir model, and the adsorption capacities for lead and zinc were 25.5 and 24.1 mg/g, respectively. Kinetics of adsorption obeyed a second order rate equation and the rate constant was found to be 2.71 x 10(-2) and 2.08 x 10(-2) g/mg/min for lead and zinc, respectively. The desorption studies were carried out using dilute HCl, and the effect of HCl concentration on desorption was studied. Maximum desorptions of 85% for lead and 78% for zinc were attained with 0.15 M HCl.     

Public perception of odour and environmental pollution attributed to MSW treatment and disposal facilities: A case study

If residents’ perceptions, concerns and attitudes towards waste management facilities are either not well understood or underestimated, people can produce strong opposition that may include protest demonstrations and violent conflicts such as those experienced in the Campania Region of Italy. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of the closure of solid waste treatment and disposal facilities (two landfills and one RDF production plant) on public perception of odour and environmental pollution. The study took place in four villages in Southern Italy. Identical questionnaires were administered to residents during 2003 and after the closure of the facilities occurred in 2008. The residents’ perception of odour nuisance considerably diminished between 2003 and 2009 for the nearest villages, with odour perception showing an association with distance from the facilities. Post closure, residents had difficulty in identifying the type of smell due to the decrease in odour level. During both surveys, older residents reported most concern about the potentially adverse health impacts of long-term exposure to odours from MSW facilities. However, although awareness of MSW facilities and concern about potentially adverse health impacts varied according to the characteristics of residents in 2003, substantial media coverage produced an equalisation effect and increased knowledge about the type of facilities and how they operated. It is possible that residents of the village nearest to the facilities reported lower awareness of and concern about odour and environmental pollution because the municipality received economic compensation for their presence.     

Valorization of marine sediments in geopolymer mortars: physico-mechanical,microstructural and environmental investigations at laboratory scale

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The high consumption of natural sand and the accumulation of mineral wastes in landfills such as dredged sediments make it necessary to valorize...     

Current pesticide practices and environmental issues in Vietnam: management challenges for sustainable use of pesticides for tropical crops in (South-East) Asia to avoid environmental pollution

Pesticides are widely used in modern agriculture to minimize financial losses and maintain food supplies. In southeast Asia, where agriculture is the principal economic activity, pesticides are considered essential, particularly in tropical regions seeking to enter the global economy by providing off-season fresh fruits and vegetables. The absence of a strong legal framework for pesticides facilitated a significant increase in the use of low-quality pesticides. Farmers ignore the risks, safety instructions, and protective directives when using pesticides. They are only concerned about the effectiveness of the pesticides for killing pests, without paying attention to the effects on their health and the environment. The improper usage of pesticides and the incorrect disposal of pesticide wastes contributed to the pollution of groundwater, surface water, and soil, and induced health problems in local communities. This paper describes the impact of the exposure of pesticides on human health and water resources in connection with the usage of pesticides and their management. Because of availability, the data are mainly taken for Northern Vietnam, and applied to the water quality in the delta; nevertheless, the problem relates to all countries in the delta, and similar situations may be found in other regions, particularly in Asia.