Pyrolysis technologies for municipal solid waste: A review

Pyrolysis has been examined as an attractive alternative to incineration for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal that allows energy and resource recovery; however, it has seldom been applied independently with the output of pyrolysis products as end products. This review addresses the state-of-the-art of MSW pyrolysis in regards to its technologies and reactors, products and environmental impacts. In this review, first, the influence of important operating parameters such as final temperature, heating rate (HR) and residence time in the reaction zone on the pyrolysis behaviours and products is reviewed; then the pyrolysis technologies and reactors adopted in literatures and scale-up plants are evaluated. Third, the yields and main properties of the pyrolytic products from individual MSW components, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) made from MSW, and MSW are summarised. In the fourth section, in addition to emissions from pyrolysis processes, such as HCl, SO₂ and NH₃, contaminants in the products, including PCDD/F and heavy metals, are also reviewed, and available measures for improving the environmental impacts of pyrolysis are surveyed. It can be concluded that the single pyrolysis process is an effective waste-to-energy convertor but is not a guaranteed clean solution for MSW disposal. Based on this information, the prospects of applying pyrolysis technologies to dealing with MSW are evaluated and suggested.     

Stabilization of heavy metals in MSWI fly ash using silica fume

The objective of this work was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of silica fume on stabilizing heavy metals in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash. In addition to compressive strength measurements, hydrated pastes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal-analyses (DTA/TG), and MAS NMR (²⁷Al and ²⁹Si) techniques. It was found that silica fume additions could effectively reduce the leaching of toxic heavy metals. At the addition of 20% silica fume, leaching concentrations for Cu, Pb and Zn of the hydrated paste cured for 7 days decreased from 0.32 mg/L to 0.05 mg/L, 40.99 mg/L to 4.40 mg/L, and 6.96 mg/L to 0.21 mg/L compared with the MSWI fly ash. After curing for 135 days, Cd and Pb in the leachates were not detected, while Cu and Zn concentrations decreased to 0.02 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L. The speciation of Pb and Cd by the modified version of the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) extractions showed that these metals converted into more stable state in hydrated pastes of MSWI fly ash in the presence of silica fume. Although exchangeable and weak-acid soluble fractions of Cu and Zn increased with hydration time, silica fume addition of 10% can satisfy the requirement of detoxification for heavy metals investigated in terms of the identification standard of hazardous waste of China.     

生物滴滤塔处理模拟甲硫醚废气

在常温条件下,采用生物滴滤塔处理模拟甲硫醚废气,考察了气体空床停留时间(EBRT)、容积负荷、喷淋密度及营养液pH对生物滴滤塔性能的影响。实验结果表明:当EBRT为90 s、进气甲硫醚质量浓度为150 mg/m~3、喷淋密度为0.65 m~3/(m~2·h),营养液pH为6.8时,甲硫醚去除率为90%;容积负荷高于15 g/(m~3·h)时,对生物滴滤塔的性能产生抑制作用;EBRT为90 s及60 s时,最佳喷淋密度分别为0.56~0.65 m~3/(m~2·h)及0.65~0.75 m~3/(m~2·h);降解甲硫醚的微生物对pH的变化较敏感,最适营养液pH为6~7。     

离子液体对废旧印刷线路板中铜、锌、铅的浸出规律

以离子液体1-丁基磺酸-3-甲基咪唑三氟甲烷磺酸盐([BSO_3HMIm]OTf)为浸出剂,初步研究了WPCBs浸铜过程中锌和铅浸出率的影响因素。实验结果表明:铜、锌的浸出率随着WPCBs粒径的减小、H_2O_2溶液加入量的增大而增大,铜的浸出率随浸出温度的升高先增大后减小,锌的浸出率受浸出温度影响不大;铅的浸出率受5种因素影响不大,且总体处于较低水平。在WPCBs粒径为0.100~0.250 mm、离子液体加入量为60.0%(φ)、H_2O_2溶液加入量为7.5%(φ)、固液比为1∶15、浸出温度为50℃的条件下,铜、锌、铅的浸出率分别为99.84%,93.25%,22.46%。     

采用支持向量机算法优化电化学处理油田污水的工艺参数

采用支持向量机(SVM)算法,将Box-Behnken设计法与支持向量回归算法(SVR)实验参数优化软件相结合,优化电化学去除油田污水COD的工艺参数。通过量子粒子群算法对SVM算法参数进行优化,从建立的回归模型中找到工艺参数的全局最佳点:电解时间60 min,电解电流3 A,三维电极填充料中石英砂质量695 g。模型得到的COD理论最优去除率为92.48%,验证实验得到的COD去除率为91.43%。     

海上含聚污水电化学处理装置的优化

为解决传统电化学方法在含聚污水处理时电极板消耗严重、絮渣量大的问题,通过改进电极板材料、组合数及结构等,研究适度降解-除油一体化电化学技术,在降低渣泥量的同时保证处理效果。实验结果表明:最佳电极板组合为"网状惰性金属复合物极板(阳)-网状铝极板(阴)-网状铝极板(阴)-网状惰性金属复合物极板(阳)";在电解电流为4.0 A、极板间距为8.0 cm、面体比(电极板面积与处理污水量的比值)为2/17 cm~2/mL、电解时间为30 min的最佳处理条件下,几乎无絮渣产出,含聚污水的浊度去除率为93.3%、聚合物降解率为92.0%、除油率为95.0%,展现了优良的处理效果。     

Triboelectrostatic separation for PP and ABS plastics in end of life passenger vehicles

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The recovery and utilization of automotive plastics are global concerns because of the increasing number of end-of-life vehicles. Passenger...     

Comparative on Causes and Accumulation of Selenium in the Tree-rings Ambient High-selenium Coal Combustion Area from Yutangba, Hubei, China

Toxic trace elements emitted during coal combustion are the main sources of air pollution. They are released into the atmosphere mainly in the forms of fine ash, smoke and flue, and thus adversely affect plant, animal and human health. Selenium is one of toxic and the most volatile in coal. Large amount of atmospheric emission of selenium, as well as selenium present and scrubber stockpiles in ash may create serious environmental problems. In the paper, on the basis of investigating the abundance and distribution of selenium in plant-rings during recent 20 years, the bioaccumulation of selenium is explained that selenium in plant, which were collected from the village of selenium-rich coal combustion, is much higher than that in plants collected away from the village of selenium-rich coal combustion. The main origins of selenium are selenium-rich coal combustion and high-selenium rock weathered. The selenium recycle by food chain and selenium will accumulate and redistribute in environments.     

Comparison of China’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Law with the European Union (EU) EIA Directive

In this paper, we first review the development of China’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system in the past 30 years. Then we compare the framework and operational procedures of China’s new EIA law with those of the EU EIA Directive. We also compare public participation, as well as sanctions and control in the two EIA systems. In addition, we identify where the processes in both EIA systems are similar or different from one another. By comparison, we noted that there are at least three obvious weaknesses in China’s EIA system: (1) the application of new models for EIA legislation; (2) the improvement of EIA guidance and education; and (3) the enhancement of public participation in EIA process. Our study indicates that these three major shortcomings should be overcome and improved in China’s EIA system, when compared with the EU EIA system.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Dalian soils: distribution and toxicity assessment

Concentrations of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surface soils collected from Dalian, China, for examination of distributions and composition profiles and their potential toxicity. The sum of 15 PAHs (SigmaPAHs) ranged from 190 to 8595 ng g(-1) dry weight, and showed an apparent urban-suburban-rural gradient in both SigmaPAHs and composition profiles. Using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the sampling sites were grouped into four clusters corresponding to traffic area, park/residential area, suburban and rural areas. The ratios of naphthalene (Nap) and fluorene (Fl) versus fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr) and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (InP) in the four clusters provided evidence of local distillation. The diagnostic ratios indicated the prevalent PAH sources were petroleum combustion and coal combustion in Dalian, and a cross plot of diagnostic ratios distinguished the urban samples from suburban and rural ones. Toxic potency assessment of soil PAHs presented a good relationship with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) levels, toxic equivalent concentrations based on BaP (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxin-like toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ(TCDD)). The study highlights that BaP is a good indicator for assessing the potential toxicity of PAHs, and presents a promising toxicity assessment method for soil PAHs.