Analysis of waste management issues arising from a field study evaluating decontamination of a biological agent from a building

The Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) Project was a cross-government effort designed to operationally test and evaluate a response to a biological incident (release of Bacillus anthracis [Ba] spores, the causative agent for anthrax) from initial public health and law enforcement response through environmental remediation. The BOTE Project was designed to address site remediation after the release of a Ba simulant, Bacillus atrophaeus spp. globigii (Bg), within a facility, drawing upon recent advances in the biological sampling and decontamination areas. A key component of response to a biological contamination incident is the proper management of wastes and residues, which is woven throughout all response activities. Waste is generated throughout the response and includes items like sampling media packaging materials, discarded personal protective equipment, items removed from the facility either prior to or following decontamination, aqueous waste streams, and materials generated through the application of decontamination technologies. The amount of residual contaminating agent will impact the available disposal pathways and waste management costs. Waste management is an integral part of the decontamination process and should be included through “Pre-Incident” response planning. Overall, the pH-adjusted bleach decontamination process generated the most waste from the decontamination efforts, and fumigation with chlorine dioxide generated the least waste. A majority of the solid waste generated during pH-adjusted bleach decontamination was the nonporous surfaces that were removed, bagged, decontaminated ex situ, and treated as waste. The waste during the two fumigation rounds of the BOTE Project was associated mainly with sampling activities. Waste management activities may represent a significant contribution to the overall cost of the response/recovery operation. This paper addresses the waste management activities for the BOTE field test.Implications: Management of waste is a critical element of activities dealing with remediation of buildings and outdoor areas following a biological contamination incident. Waste management must be integrated into the overall remediation process, along with sampling, decontamination, resource management, and other important response elements, rather than being a stand-alone activity. The results presented in this paper will provide decision makers and emergency planners at the federal/state/tribal/local level information that can be used to integrate waste management into an overall systems approach to planning and response activities.     

A context-intensive approach to imputation of missing values in data sets from networks of environmental monitors

Although networks of environmental monitors are constantly improving through advances in technology and management, instances of missing data still occur. Many methods of imputing values for missing data are available, but they are often difficult to use or produce unsatisfactory results. I-Bot (short for “Imputation Robot”) is a context-intensive approach to the imputation of missing data in data sets from networks of environmental monitors. I-Bot is easy to use and routinely produces imputed values that are highly reliable. I-Bot is described and demonstrated using more than 10 years of California data for daily maximum 8-hr ozone, 24-hr PM_2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm), mid-day average surface temperature, and mid-day average wind speed. I-Bot performance is evaluated by imputing values for observed data as if they were missing, and then comparing the imputed values with the observed values. In many cases, I-Bot is able to impute values for long periods with missing data, such as a week, a month, a year, or even longer. Qualitative visual methods and standard quantitative metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of the I-Bot methodology.Implications: Many resources are expended every year to analyze and interpret data sets from networks of environmental monitors. A large fraction of those resources is used to cope with difficulties due to the presence of missing data. The I-Bot method of imputing values for such missing data may help convert incomplete data sets into virtually complete data sets that facilitate the analysis and reliable interpretation of vital environmental data.     

Economic and environmental value stream map (E2VSM) simulation for multi-product manufacturing systems

Value stream mapping (VSM) is a well-accepted tool within lean manufacturing concept which is often used for analysing and designing the flow of materials and information required to manufacture a product. However, the analysis is static and single product oriented, which fails to cope with either the variation of production plan or a multi-product environment. In addition, the environmental impact of a manufacturing system is highly associated with the dynamic consumption of energy and resources. Despite the recent integration of VSM with simulation or environmental studies (in the domain of energy efficiency), still neglected is the dynamic assessment of all the resources involved in a multi-product production environment. This paper presents a methodology for modelling multi-product manufacturing systems with dynamic material, energy and information flows with the aim to generate economic and environmental value stream maps (E²VSM). The proposed methodology is validated with an industrial case.     

Presenting Triple-Wins? Assessing Projects That Deliver Adaptation,Mitigation and Development Co-benefits in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

The concept of climate compatible development (CCD) is increasingly employed by donors and policy makers seeking ‘triple-wins’ for development, adaptation and mitigation. While CCD rhetoric is becoming more widespread, analyses drawing on empirical cases that present triple-wins are sorely lacking. We address this knowledge gap. Drawing on examples in rural sub-Saharan Africa, we provide the first glimpse into how projects that demonstrate triple-win potential are framed and presented within the scientific literature. We identify that development projects are still commonly evaluated in terms of adaptation or mitigation benefits. Few are framed according to their benefits across all three dimensions. Consequently, where triple-wins are occurring, they are likely to be under-reported. This has important implications, which underestimates the co-benefits that projects can deliver. A more robust academic evidence base for the delivery of triple-wins is necessary to encourage continued donor investment in activities offering the potential to deliver CCD.     

Comprehensive Environmental Investigation at Former Industrial/Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Sites in Long Beach,CA: A Forensic Perspective

Two industrial sites were investigated based on years of available hydrogeologic information and monitoring data for soil and groundwater. Collected data were forensically evaluated using age-dating and fingerprinting methods. The previous business uses of the project sites were as a gas station, laundry/dry-cleaning service, and car wash with petroleum underground storage tanks (USTs). As a result, these sites were exposed to a number of toxic contaminants at relatively high concentrations. Source control was necessary for successful remediation and the ultimate removal of the remaining compounds from these industrial sites. Although contaminated soil around the source was excavated during the remedial action and the high concentrations of contaminants were reduced, typical groundwater contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline (TPH-G), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), and oxygenates including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), diisopropyl ether (DIPE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) were persistently found at the studied sites around the source points. The plume and concentration of contaminants had changed their shapes and strength for all monitoring periods. Thus, additional source control seems to be a requirement for the complete removal of source contamination, which must be ascertained with groundwater and soil monitoring on a regular time base. For the study sites, monitored natural attenuation was relatively feasible for the long-term plan; however, it did not offer a perfect remediation solution for an ultimate goal because of residual toxic compounds that might have affected the surrounding residential areas at higher concentrations than their health limits. Therefore, as a remediation strategy, the combination of clean-up technology and natural attenuation with monitoring activities are more highly recommended than either clean-up or natural attenuation used separately.     

活性污泥的固定化及其性能研究

用改进聚乙烯醇-硼酸法将活性污泥制成固定化颗粒,考察了改进聚乙烯醇-硼酸法的最佳条件及固定化颗粒的性能。实验结果表明：改进聚乙烯醇-硼酸法的最佳条件为聚乙烯醇质量分数6．5％、包泥比（包埋剂与活性污泥质量比）1．2：1、二氧化硅质量分数1．5％、活性炭质量分数0．3％、海藻酸钠质量分数0．6％;用最佳条件下制得的固定化颗粒处理模拟化工废水,连续运行15d后的COD去除率达90％以上,且固定化颗粒耐冲击负荷和pH变化能力强;固定化颗粒对模拟化工废水的COD去除速率随进水COD的变化曲线类似于米氏方程所描述的反应初速度随底物浓度的变化规律。     

从6-APA和7-ADCA生产废液中回收苯乙酸

采用溶剂萃取、水法提取等方法从6-氨基青霉烷酸和7-氨基-3-去乙酰氧基头孢烷酸生产废液（简称废液）中回收苯乙酸（PAA）,考察了各种因素对回收效果的影响。实验结果表明：以甲苯为萃取剂,在萃取温度30℃、萃取时间15m in、500mL废液中萃取剂加入量130mL的最佳条件下,萃取率为96.5%;在提取温度为65℃左右、结晶温度低于10℃的条件下,PAA收率大于89%,纯度大于99%;所得PAA产品质量好,可用于青霉素G等医药产品的生产。     

采用两段SBR工艺处理石化废水

采用两段序批式活性污泥反应器（SBR）工艺处理高浓度石化废水,考察了DO、MLSS、反应温度对废水处理效果的影响。实验结果表明,两段SBR系统中有机物降解存在着不同的作用机理,第一段主要以去除易降解有机物为主,第二段主要以去除难降解有机物为主。在进水COD为4000mg／L、SBR1中DO为4～5mg／L、MLSS为5000mg／L,SBR2中DO为2～4mg／L、MLSS为3000mg／L、反应温度约为20℃的条件下,废水COD去除率达90％以上。