Soil contamination by brominated flame retardants in open waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries

In Asian developing countries, large amounts of municipal wastes are dumped into open dumping sites each day without adequate management. This practice may cause several adverse environmental consequences and increase health risks to local communities. These dumping sites are contaminated with many chemicals including brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs).BFRs may be released into the environment through production processes and through the disposal of plastics and electronic wastes that contain them.The purpose of this study was to elucidate the status of BFR pollution in municipal waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries. Soil samples were collected from six open waste dumping sites and five reference sites in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam from 1999 to 2007. The results suggest that PBDEs are the dominant contaminants in the dumping sites in Asian developing countries, whereas HBCD contamination remains low. Concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDs ranged from ND to 180 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 1.4 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the reference sites and from 0.20 to 430 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 2.5 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the dumping sites. Contamination levels of PBDEs in Asian municipal dumping sites were comparable with those reported from electronic waste dismantling areas in Pearl River delta, China.     

Toxicity identification evaluation of leachates from municipal solid waste landfills: a multispecies approach

The toxicity of leachates from two municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in Southern Italy was characterized using a toxicity identification evaluation procedure. The chemical and physical fractionation techniques were: pH adjustment, pH adjustment/filtration, pH adjustment/C(18) solid phase extraction, graduated pH and EDTA chelation. All the samples exhibited acute toxicity towards the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the freshwater crustaceans Thamnocephalus platyurus and Daphnia magna. Statistical techniques were used to determine the discriminatory power and the toxicity detection capacity of the different assays and to choose a minimal battery of tests for the toxicity identification of leachates. Toxicity was closely associated with pH, generally increasing at higher pH levels and decliming at lower ones. Furthermore, results showed that toxicants could be characterized as cations, basic chemicals, suspended solids and apolar compounds.     

实际生活垃圾填埋场渗滤液中多环芳烃的污染特征

分析了某生活垃圾填埋场渗滤液中16种优先控制多环芳烃(PAHs)的浓度水平和季节分布特征,考察了基于膜生物反应器联合纳滤(MBR/NF)的渗滤液处理工艺对PAHs的去除效果,同时探讨了该填埋场对周围水体环境的影响.结果表明,PAHs在填埋场渗滤液中的总质量浓度为13.0～45.8μg/L;MBR/NF处理工艺对渗滤液中...     

生活垃圾堆肥浸提液组成及其演化规律

堆肥浸提液与渗滤液组成相似,研究生活垃圾堆肥浸提液组成与演化特征可以为堆肥过程污染控制和堆肥质量改善提供科学依据。通过基本理化指标和三维荧光光谱分析,研究了生活垃圾堆肥浸提液的组成和转化特性。结果显示,在堆肥一次和二次发酵过程中,浸提液pH由5.43上升至9.24,无机阴离子无显著变化,电导率(EC)稳定在7.50 mS/cm上下波动,ORP为正值,总氮从611.08 mg/L下降至177.43 mg/L,NH4+-N和NO3--N浓度变化不明显,NO2--N从未检出到后期达10.28 mg/L,有机氮从246.64 mg/L下降至172.52 mg/L。溶解性有有机物含量(DOC)从7 419.00 mg/L降至5 569.00 mg/L,其中的有机物发生降解和转化,生成胡敏酸和富里酸等物质。浸提液中重金属Fe、Cd、Cu、Zn、Cr、Mn、Ni和 As浓度升高。通过研究发现,在堆肥中添加木屑等填料可以降低浸提液中NH4+-N的浓度,具有除臭作用,同时对pH值、EC和ORP均有调节作用,能提高堆肥的土地可利用性。     

Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in municipal solid waste landfill leachates from western China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Landfill leachate has been documented as a significant source of trace organic pollutants, comprising an expansive family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl...     

Size distribution and leaching characteristics of poly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the bottom ashes of municipal solid waste incinerators

The particle size distributions and leaching characteristics of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the bottom ashes of two Taiwanese municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs A and B) were investigated to evaluate PBDE leaching into the environment through reutilization of bottom ashes. The PBDE contents in the bottom ashes of the MSWIs (29.0–243 ng/g) could be two orders higher than those in rural and urban soils. The PBDE fraction of the bottom ashes was more distributed in larger particles (> 0.25 mm). Similar trends were found for the PBDE contents in the bottom ashes and their PBDE leaching concentrations, revealing that the elevated PBDE contents in the bottom ashes may lead to a higher PBDE leaching mass. The leaching of PBDEs is attributed to diffusion driven by the concentration gradient and effective surface area. The normalized leaching ratios (NLRs) of PBDEs for the bottom ashes of the MSWIs are about four orders greater than those of PBDE-related raw materials and products, and this may be due to their porous structures having much greater effective surface area. The elevated NLRs of PBDEs thus deserve more attention when bottom ashes are recycled and reutilized as construction materials.     

Emissions of unintentional persistent organic pollutants from open burning of municipal solid waste from developing countries

Open burning of waste is the most significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in many national inventories prepared pursuant to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. This is particularly true for developing countries. Emission factors for POPs such as PCDD/PCDF, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB) and penta- and hexachlorobenzenes (PeCBz/HCB) from open burning of municipal solid waste in China and Mexico are reported herein. Six different waste sources were studied varying from urban-industrial to semi-urban to rural. For PCDD/PCDF, the emission factors to air ranged from 3.0 to 650 ng TEQ kg⁻¹ waste and for dl-PCB from 0.092 to 54 ng TEQ kg⁻¹ waste. Emission factors for PeCBz (17-1200 ng kg⁻¹ waste) and HCB (24-1300 ng kg⁻¹ waste) spanned a wide but similar range. Within the datasets there is no indication of significant waste composition effect on emission factor with the exception of significantly higher Mexico rural samples.     

Influence of real and synthetic municipal solid waste leachates on consolidation and shear strength behaviour of bentonites

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - For safe disposal of wastes in landfills, compacted bentonite is recommended as bottom liners due to their significant cation exchange (CEC) and...     

Greenhouse gas emission potential of the municipal solid waste disposal sites in Thailand

Open dumping and landfilling are the prevalent solid waste disposal practices in Thailand. Surveys on the disposal sites revealed the presence of 95 landfills and 330 open dumps. Methane emission potential at these sites was estimated by three methods. Results of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method, Landfill Gas Emission model (LandGEM), and closed flux chamber technique were compared. The methane emission potential of 366 Gg/yr using the IPCC method was higher than the estimations of the LandGEM and closed flux chamber method of 115 Gg/yr and 103 Gg/yr, respectively. An understanding of the methane emission potential initiated the analysis of upgrading the open dumps into landfills, adding landfills to meet the future needs and utilization of landfill gases. Upgrading the open dumps to landfills increased the methane emission rates and their utilization potential. Approximately 20 additional landfills may be required to meet future demands. Landfill gas (LFG) utilization appears to be feasible in the large-scale landfills.     

Persistent organochlorine residues in soils from tropical and sub-tropical Asian countries

Soil samples from paddy fields, uplands, and urban areas (gardens and roadsides) collected from Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan were analysed to determine the residual levels of persistent organochlorine compounds such as DDTs, HCHs, and PCBs. DDT concentration in soil samples from Vietnam were found to be highest, with a mean value of 110 ng g(-1), and were followed by those in Taiwanese soils with a mean value of 20 ng g(-1). HCH concentrations were highest in soil samples from Vietnam (a mean value of 4.8 ng g(-1)) and were followed by those from Taiwan (a mean value of 1.4 ng g(-1)). Concentrations of PCBs were found to be highest in Taiwanese soil samples, with a mean of 95 ng g(-1). Interestingly, relatively high concentrations of PCBs in rural cultivated-soil samples from Vietnam were recorded with a mean value of 25 ng g(-1), probably suggesting PCB release from different kinds of weapons used during the Second Indochina war. The lowest concentrations of DDTs, HCHs, and PCBs were obtained in soil samples from Thailand, with mean values of 8.3 ng g(-1), 0.4 ng g(-1), and 2.7 ng g(-1), respectively.     

Volatile organic compound emissions from municipal solid waste disposal sites: A case study of Mumbai,India

Improper solid waste management leads to aesthetic and environmental problems. Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the problems from uncontrolled dumpsite. VOCs are well known to be hazardous to human health and many of them are known or potential carcinogens. They also contribute to ozone formation at ground level and climate change as well. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of VOCs emitting from two municipal waste (MSW) disposal sites in Mumbai, India, namely Deonar and Malad, are presented in this paper. Air at dumpsites was sampled and analyzed on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) TO-17 compendium method for analysis of toxic compounds. As many as 64 VOCs were qualitatively identified, among which 13 are listed under Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). Study of environmental distribution of a few major VOCs indicates that although air is the principal compartment of residence, they also get considerably partitioned in soil and vegetation. The CO₂ equivalent of target VOCs from the landfills in Malad and Deonar shows that the total yearly emissions are 7.89E+03 and 8.08E+02 kg, respectively. The total per hour ozone production from major VOCs was found to be 5.34E-01 ppb in Deonar and 9.55E-02 ppb in Malad. The total carcinogenic risk for the workers in the dumpsite considering all target HAPs are calculated to be 275 persons in 1 million in Deonar and 139 persons in 1 million in Malad.

Implications: This paper describes the hazards of VOC emission from open dumpsites, a common practice, in an Indian metro city. The subsequent partitioning of the emitted VOCs in other environmental compartment from air is presented. The global warming potential and the health hazards to the dumpsite workers from the emitted VOCs have also been estimated.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste management in Indian mega-cities: a case study of Chennai landfill sites

Municipal solid waste generation rate is over-riding the population growth rate in all mega-cities in India. Greenhouse gas emission inventory from landfills of Chennai has been generated by measuring the site specific emission factors in conjunction with relevant activity data as well as using the IPCC methodologies for CH4 inventory preparation. In Chennai, emission flux ranged from 1.0 to 23.5mg CH4m(-2)h(-1), 6 to 460microg N2Om(-2)h(-1) and 39 to 906mg CO2m(2)h(-1) at Kodungaiyur and 0.9 to 433mg CH4m(-2)h(-1), 2.7 to 1200microg N2Om(-2)h(-1) and 12.3 to 964.4mg CO2m(-2)h(-1) at Perungudi. CH4 emission estimates were found to be about 0.12Gg in Chennai from municipal solid waste management for the year 2000 which is lower than the value computed using IPCC, 1996 [IPCC, 1996. Report of the 12th session of the intergovernmental panel of climate change, Mexico City, 1996] methodologies.     

Volatile organic compound emissions from municipal solid waste disposal sites: a case study of Mumbai, India

Improper solid waste management leads to aesthetic and environmental problems. Emission ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the problems from uncontrolled dumpsite. VOCs are well known to be hazardous to human health and many of them are known or potential carcinogens. They also contribute to ozone formation at ground level and climate change as well. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of VOCs emitting from two municipal waste (MSW) disposal sites in Mumbai, India, namely Deonar and Malad, are presented in this paper. Air at dumpsites was sampled and analyzed on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) TO-17 compendium method for analysis of toxic compounds. As many as 64 VOCs were qualitatively identified, among which 13 are listed under hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Study of environmental distribution of a few major VOCs indicates that although air is the principal compartment of residence, they also get considerably partitioned in soil and vegetation. The CO2 equivalent of target VOCs from the landfills in Malad and Deonar shows that the total yearly emissions are 7.89E+03 and 8.08E+02 kg, respectively. The total per hour ozone production from major VOCs was found to be 5.34E-01 ppb in Deonar and 9.55E-02 ppb in Malad. The total carcinogenic risk for the workers in the dumpsite considering all target HAPs are calculated to be 275 persons in 1 million in Deonar and 139 persons in 1 million in Malad.     

Pyrolysis of wastewater sludge and composted organic fines from municipal solid waste: laboratory reactor characterisation and product distribution

Sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants and organic fines from mechanical sorting of municipal solid waste (MSW) are two common widespread waste streams that are becoming increasingly difficult to utilise. Changing perceptions of risk in food production has limited the appeal of sludge use on agricultural land, and outlets via landfilling are diminishing rapidly. These factors have led to interest in thermal conversion technologies whose aim is to recover energy and nutrients from waste while reducing health and environmental risks associated with material re-use. Pyrolysis yields three output products: solid char, liquid oils and gas. Their relative distribution depends on process parameters which can be somewhat optimised depending on the end use of product. The potential of pyrolysis for the conversion of wastewater sludge (SS) and organic fines of MSW (OF) to a combustion gas and a carbon-rich char has been investigated. Pyrolysis of SS and OF was done using a laboratory fixed-bed reactor. Herein, the physical characterisation of the reactor is described, and results on pyrolysis yields are presented. Feedstock and chars have been characterised using standard laboratory methods, and the composition of pyrolysis gases was analysed using micro gas chromatography. Product distribution (char/liquid/gas) from the pyrolysis of sewage sludge and composted MSW fines at 700°C for 10 min were 45/26/29 and 53/14/33%, respectively. The combustible fractions of pyrolysis gases range from 36 to 54% for SS feedstock and 62 to 72% from OF. The corresponding lower heating value range of sampled gases were 11.8–19.1 and 18.2–21.0 MJ m^?3, respectively.     

国内外生活垃圾焚烧烟气排放与监管标准比较分析

我国生活垃圾焚烧发电规模占全球的66.1%,环境风险不容忽视,需要制定适宜的烟气污染物排放限值与监管措施,可参考欧盟、美国、日本等较早应用生活垃圾焚烧处理的国家 (地区) 的有益经验。但是,现有的国内外对比研究仅关注了排放限值的差异,忽略了国内外标准在历史沿革、基准条件、适用对象、执行尺度等方面的差异及原因。本研究基于2017年以来国内生活垃圾焚烧行业专项整治取得的成效,深入分析国内外标准的差异及原因,得出以下结论：1) 烟气排放限值落地执行需要与之配套的监管措施,自动监测手段有利于实现对生活垃圾焚烧烟气常规污染物及炉温的全天候监管,在欧盟、美国已广泛应用,在我国的应用已取得良好成效;2) 与国外相比,我国生活垃圾焚烧烟气排放限值未考虑焚烧炉规模与技术差异化的影响,在排放与监管标准中未兼顾小型焚烧炉,但实际上有必要给予小型焚烧炉适度的、合理的差异化要求,以规范市场并增强环境监管的严肃性;3) 与国外相比,我国生活垃圾焚烧烟气排放限值总体上处于严格行列,监管刚性很强但柔性不足,部分省市制定的地方标准限值严于欧盟,但缺乏类似欧盟标准B类限值的达标评价方式,有必要在探索“正面清单”等更为灵活的监管方式的同时,基于自动监测手段表现出的精准监管能力,进一步优化和拓展更具弹性的排放限值与监管措施。本研究有利于识别我国生活垃圾焚烧行业环境监管政策和模式与发达国家 (地区) 的差异,可为进一步优化固定源环境监管政策和模式提供依据。     

Partition and size distribution of heavy metals in the flue gas from municipal solid waste incinerators in Taiwan

This study investigates the partition of heavy metals in both solid and gas phases in the flue gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators. Six MSW incinerators in Taiwan were examined and heavy metals in the flue gas at the inlets and outlets of air pollution control devices (APCDs) were analyzed. Heavy metals including Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu and Cr were sampled by USEPA Method 29 and further analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Experimental results revealed that the removal efficiencies of the APCDs for the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu and Cr greatly exceeded 90%, but that of Hg did not. Two groups of heavy metals upstream of APCDs were observed. Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu and Cr were present mainly in the solid phase with a solid to gas ratio (S/G) of over 12.3. However, in most cases, mercury appeared mainly in the gas phase with an S/G ratio from 0.15 to 1.04, because it has a low boiling point. Additionally, treatment with the APCDs increased the S/G ratio of mercury because gaseous mercury could be removed by injecting powdered activated carbon (PAC) into the flue gas. Moreover, the distribution of particle sizes in the solid phase was bimodal. Finer particles (d(p)2.5 microm) contained more Cr and Hg.     

Control of mercury emissions from a municipal solid waste incinerator in Japan

The control of Hg emissions from a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) is very important, because more than 78% of municipal solid waste (MSW) is incinerated. The Hg content of coal used in utility boilers is relatively low in Japan. In this study, recent trends in the Hg content of MSW in Japan and activated carbon (AC) injection as a control technology of Hg emission from an MSWI are discussed. The effect of AC injection on Hg removal from flue gas in an MSWI was investigated by pilot-scale experiments using a bag filter (BF). The injection of AC increases the Hg reduction ratio by 20-30% compared with cases without AC injection. The Hg reduction ratio increases as the flue gas temperature decreases. The Hg reduction ratio is closely related to the inlet Hg concentration and was expressed with a Langmuir-type adsorption isotherm.     

N2O emissions at municipal solid waste landfill sites: Effects of CH4 emissions and cover soil

Municipal solid waste landfills are the significant anthropogenic sources of N₂O due to the cooxidation of ammonia by methane-oxidizing bacteria in cover soils. Such bacteria could be developed through CH₄ fumigation, as evidenced by both laboratory incubation and field measurement. During a 10-day incubation with leachate addition, the average N₂O fluxes in the soil samples, collected from the three selected landfill covers, were multiplied by 1.75 (p < 0.01), 3.56 (p < 0.01), and 2.12 (p < 0.01) from the soil samples preincubated with 5% CH₄ for three months when compared with the control, respectively. Among the three selected landfill sites, N₂O fluxes in two landfill sites were significantly correlated with the variations of the CH₄ emissions without landfill gas recovery (p < 0.001). N₂O fluxes were also elevated by the increase of the CH₄ emissions with landfill gas recovery in another landfill site (p > 0.05). The annual average N₂O flux was 176 ± 566 μg N₂O–N m^?2 h^?1 (p < 0.01) from sandy soil–covered landfill site, which was 72% (p < 0.05) and 173% (p < 0.01) lower than the other two clay soil covered landfill sites, respectively. The magnitude order of N₂O emissions in three landfill sites was also coincident by the results of laboratory incubation, suggesting the sandy soil cover could mitigate landfill N₂O emissions.     

城市垃圾厌氧干发酵非甲烷菌群分布变化研究

为研究非甲烷菌的菌群分布随时间、空间变化对厌氧干发酵的影响,以城市垃圾为原料进行分析,同时测定pH值.结果表明,启动阶段好氧及兼性厌氧细菌属优势菌,其中产酸菌增殖速率高于氨化细菌,7 d达最大值2.95×109 MPN/mL,是启动阶段降解有机质的主要菌群,而氨化菌在15 d达最大值1.93×108 MPN/mL.随后厌氧细菌快速增殖并保持稳定,且仍是产酸菌占优势,15 d达最大值1.55×1010 MPN/mL.厌氧纤维素降解菌增殖较慢,发酵30 d不足105 MPN/mL,说明原料中纤维素降解在厌氧发酵后期.空间方面,好氧及兼性厌氧产酸菌在顶部中心最活跃,最大值是底部中心的1.4倍;厌氧产酸菌集中在底部,最大值是顶部的1.2倍.好氧氨化菌在中部中心增殖最多,厌氧氨化菌在中部边缘达最大值1.95×108 MPN/mL.纤维素降解菌在底部开始增殖.研究为提高干发酵反应效率和合理设计干发酵反应器提供有效参考数据.