LCA of local strategies for energy recovery from waste in England, applied to a large municipal flow

An intense waste management (WM) planning activity is currently undergoing in England to build the infrastructure necessary to treat residual wastes, increase recycling levels and the recovery of energy from waste. From the analyses of local WM strategic and planning documents we have identified the emerging of three different energy recovery strategies: established combustion of residual waste; pre-treatment of residual waste and energy recovery from Solid Recovered Fuel in a dedicated plant, usually assumed to be a gasifier; pre-treatment of residual waste and reliance on the market to accept the ‘fuel from waste’ so produced. Each energy recovery strategy will result in a different solution in terms of the technology selected; moreover, on the basis of the favoured solution, the total number, scale and location of thermal treatment plants built in England will dramatically change. To support the evaluation and comparison of these three WM strategy in terms of global environmental impacts, energy recovery possibilities and performance with respect to changing ‘fuel from waste’ market conditions, the LCA comparison of eight alternative WM scenarios for a real case study dealing with a large flow of municipal wastes was performed with the modelling tool WRATE. The large flow of waste modelled allowed to formulate and assess realistic alternative WM scenarios and to design infrastructural systems which are likely to correspond to those submitted for approval to the local authorities. The results show that all alternative scenarios contribute to saving abiotic resources and reducing global warming potential. Particularly relevant to the current English debate, the performance of a scenario was shown to depend not from the thermal treatment technology but from a combination of parameters, among which most relevant are the efficiency of energy recovery processes (both electricity and heat) and the calorific value of residual waste and pre-treated material. The contribution and relative importance of recycling and treatment/recovery processes change with the impact category. The lack of reprocessing plants in the area of the case study has shown the relevance of transport distances for recyclate material in reducing the efficiency of a WM system. Highly relevant to the current English WM infrastructural debate, these results for the first time highlight the risk of a significant reduction in the energy that could be recovered by local WM strategies relying only on the market to dispose of the ‘fuel from waste’ in a non dedicated plant in the case that the SRF had to be sent to landfill for lack of treatment capacity.     

Degradation of para-hydroxybenzoic acid by means of mixed microbial cultures

Olive mill wastewater contains some phenolic compounds that cause antibacterial activity of a kind that prevents biological treatment without previous dilution. Among these phenolic compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB) is considered to be one of the most representative. This work examines the biodegradation of PHB by aerobic microbial mixed cultures previously acclimatized to glucose, which was used as an easily biodegradable model compound. Microbial growth runs were carried out in a batch reactor in the PHB concentration range of 200-1000 mg/L. In all the runs the PHB proved to be completely degradable. The specific growth rates obtained were in the range of 0.16-0.35 l/h. Experimental runs showed that the functional relationship between the specific growth rate and PHB concentration was that proposed by Monod. The kinetic constants of the Monod equation (mu(max) and K(S)) and biomass yield coefficient (Y) were determined experimentally. With the parameter values thus obtained, a mathematical model that also takes account of the duration of the lag phase was employed to describe both the microbial growth and the consumption of PHB. The concentration values of the model fit well with the data obtained experimentally.     

Persistent organochlorine residues in fish and water birds from the Biobio river,Chile

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites, HCH isomers and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in fish and birds from different locations in the Biobio river basin (central Chile). Samples collected near the mouth of the river contained high concentrations of PCBs, reflecting the massive use of these xenobiotics in the urban and industrial areas of Concepcion and Talcauano. Samples collected in the central part of the basin contained very high concentrations of lindane that coincide with the widespread use of lindane-based pesticides (purified -HCH) in this area. DDT was distributed homogeneously throughout the basin, except at Laguna Icalma, the source of the river in the Andes. Most PCB residues in fish and birds consisted of congeners between penta- and hepta-chlorobiphenyls. In fish, the predominant congeners were the pentachlorobiphenyl 23445 (IUPAC number 118) and the hexachlorobiphenyl 2234455 (PCB-153); in birds 224455 (PCB-180) prevailed.     

Trophic importance of subtidal metazoan meiofauna: evidence from in situ exclusion experiments on soft and rocky substrates

In coastal marine ecosystems, predation might affect spatial distribution and population dynamics of benthic assemblages. Here, by means of experimental exclusion of potential predators, we compared the effects of epibenthic predation on metazoan meiofaunal assemblages on soft and rocky substrates. Different patterns of abundance were observed in uncaged versus caged plots, across habitats. In caged soft substrates, the abundance of Nematodes, Copepods and Polychaetes increased by 56, 45, 57%, respectively, in the first 3 months. An increase in the number of meiofaunal taxa was also observed. The exclusion of predators from rocky substrates showed less clear patterns. It did not affect the number of taxa while a decrease in meiofaunal abundance was observed. Our results suggest that the exclusion of epibenthic predators had clear effect on total metazoan meiofaunal abundance and on the number of taxa, only in soft bottoms. The different impact of predation across habitats can be potentially explained by differences in terms of spatial variability and substrate complexity. We estimated that, coarsely, more than 75% of total metazoan meiofaunal production can be channeled to higher trophic levels through predation on soft-bottoms. Among meiofaunal taxa, Polychaetes and Nematodes provided the major contribution to benthic energy transfers. These results suggest the trophic relevance of metazoan meiofauna in coastal food webs and claim for the refinement of further experiments for the quantification of its role in different ecological systems.     

Evaluation of toxicity and sex-related variation of PCB levels in Mediterranean striped dolphins affected by an epizootic

Individual PCB congener concentrations, including non-ortho chloro substituted, were determined in 30 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) affected by the 1990–1992 Mediterranean epizootic to investigate their toxic potential. PCB congener concentrations in these dolphins were among the highest ever found in comparable studies on marine mammals. Concentrations in males and females were significantly different because of pollutant transfer to offspring by females. Thus, PCB concentrations and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalents (TEO) in males were approximately double those in females. Non-ortho, mono-ortho and di-ortho coplanar congeners accounted for approximately one third of the overall toxicity assessed through toxic equivalent factors (TEFs), as defined by Ahlborg et al. (1994). Di-ortho congener 170 and non- ortho congener 126 were the major contributors to TEQ (33% and 30% respectively).     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers,polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins,-furans,and-biphenyls in three species of antarctic penguins

Background, Aims and Scope Fish-eating seabirds are recognized to be at risk of accumulating toxic contaminants due to their high position in the trophic web and to their low ability to metabolize xenobiotic compounds. Penguins are widely distributed in Antarctica and represent an important fraction of the Antarctic biomass. They feed mainly on krill and, depending on krill availability, also on fish. It has been reported that predators may be a sink for volatile and toxic chemicals and this may pose a serious environmental problem. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs),-furans (PCDFs), and-biphenyls (PCBs), including non-ortho congeners, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p′-DDE, were quantified in three species of Antarctic Pygoscelids in order to evaluate their accumulation patterns. The potential toxicity of twenty-two dioxin-like congeners was assessed and expressed as 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD equivalents (TEQs). Differences between males and females were investigated. Methods Blood samples of the Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae, Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica and Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua were collected at Admiralty Bay, King George Is (62°10′39″ S, 58°26′46″ W) in February 2004. Halogenated hydrocarbons were identified and quantified using gas chromatography coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses. Results are expressed on a wet weight basis. Results and Discussion HCB, p,p′-DDE and ΣPCBs were higher in Adélie penguins (6.7±6.1, 8.2±3.3 and 9.8±3.8 ng/g, respectively) than in Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, both of which showed values in the same order of magnitude, but approximately 40% lower than Adélie penguins. Hexa-CBs ranged 35–45% of the residue. Low-chlorinated PCBs (nos. 70+76+95+56+60+101) accounted for 40–60% in the three species. PCB101 made up 15% of the residue in Adélie penguins. PBDEs were 291±477, 107±104 and 116±108 pg/g in Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, respectively; the most abundant congeners were BDE47 in Adélie and Chinstrap penguins and BDE17 in Gentoo penguins. PCDDs were 22±32, 6.5±7.4 and 18±23 pg/g in Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, respectively. PCDFs were higher in Adélie penguins and lower in Chinstrap penguins. PCDDs/Fs and PBDEs were higher in males than in females of Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins; differences in concentrations were likely related to the partial detoxification that occurs in females during egg formation. Of the four non-ortho PCBs measured, PCB126 occurred at the highest concentrations and contributed the majority of the non-ortho PCB-TEQ in Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. The highest TEQs were found in the Gentoo penguin and due mainly to PCDDs and non-ortho PCBs. Conclusions POP concentrations in penguins were lower than those found in seabird species from other areas of the world. Different chemical accumulation patterns were observed in relation to species and sex; the Adélie penguin showed the highest POP levels. Dissimilar ecological or metabolic features may be involved; the diverse timing of reproduction steps can be responsible for those differences; moreover, Adélie penguins feed on krill (a fatty resource) more abundantly than the other two species during the rearing period. Recommendation and Outlook The South Shetland Islands might be subjected to a higher chemical impact with respect to the rest of Antarctica, due to their being near South America. Because penguins are fish-eating birds showing low detoxifying capacities and key-species in Antarctic ecosystems, further studies on their xenobiotic metabolism should be carried out.     

Occurrence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their enantiomeric signatures, and concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Adélie penguin food web, Antarctica

Concentrations and enantiomeric signatures of organochlorine pesticides were determined in Antarctic krill, emerald rockcod and Adélie penguin from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. HCB and DDTs were prevalent contaminants in penguin eggs. The highest concentrations of SigmaHCHs (1.35 +/- 0.72 ng/g) were found in the rockcod muscle, where gamma-HCH (1.23 +/- 0.67 ng/g) was the principal isomer. The ratio gamma-HCH/alpha-HCH was evaluated. Enantioselective gas chromatography was used for the evaluation of enantiomeric fractions (EFs) for alpha-HCH and oxychlordane. An increase of 14% in the (+)alpha-HCH enantiomer was found from krill through penguin, suggesting the enantioselective biotransformation increased proportionately with trophic level. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured and their concentrations were 5.6 +/- 1.12, 5.81 +/- 2.32, 4.57 +/- 0.17 and 3.06 +/- 3.27 ng/g lipids in krill, rockcod muscle, rockcod homogenate and penguin eggs, respectively. The detection of BDE28, BDE47, BDE99 and BDE100 in Antarctic organisms confirmed their global transport and distribution; the detection of lower brominated congeners suggested a potential long-range transport.     

Assessment of microbiological and parasitological quality of composted wastes: health implications and hygienic measures.

Feedstock and compost samples were collected from twenty composting plants and analysed from the microbiological point of view. Faecal indicator organisms were determined in order to evaluate the efficacy of processes for the removal of pathogenic micro-organisms with similar survival characteristics and to verify their suitability as appropriate markers of microbial quality of composted products. In addition to the classical bacterial indicators, selected organisms, such as Salmonella, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Clostridium spores and helminth ova, were investigated. Statistically significant differences in the removal of the different micro-organisms were observed with regard to both the different composting plants (P < 0.05) and feedstock composition (P < 0.05). In fact, compost obtained by feedstock containing sewage sludge was shown to have a better hygienic quality in comparison with compost containing green discards and municipal solid waste as raw matter. Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and helminth ova were not effective indicators of hygienic quality of compost, whereas Clostridium perfringens spores, because of their high resistance to treatments, could be considered as an additional model for assessing the composting process, especially with regard to more resistant pathogen reduction.     

意大利的金枪鱼、箭鱼、鸬鹚以及家燕等体内的多氯萘、多氯联苯、多氯二苯-p-二恶英、多氯二苯并呋喃以及p,p''''-DDE

我们曾对从意大利收集的金枪鱼、箭鱼、普通鸬鹚以及家燕体内的p,p'-DDE、多氯联苯同类物(PCBs)、多氯二苯-p-二恶英(PCDDs)、多氯二苯并呋喃(PCDFs)以及多氯萘(PCNs)浓度进行过测量.