Options for management of municipal solid waste in New York City: a preliminary comparison of health risks and policy implications

Landfill disposal and waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration remain the two principal options for managing municipal solid waste (MSW). One critical determinant of the acceptability of these options is the different health risks associated with each. In this analysis relying on published data and exposure modeling, we have performed health risk assessments for landfill disposal versus WTE treatment options for the management of New York City's MSW. These are based on the realistic scenario of using a waste transfer station (WTS) in Brooklyn and then transporting the untreated MSW by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania or using a WTE facility in Brooklyn and then transporting the resultant ash by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania. The overall results indicate that the individual cancer risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, although the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment; the individual non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally unacceptable, although once again the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment. If one considers only the population in Brooklyn that would be directly affected by the siting of either a WTS or a WTE facility in their immediate neighborhood, individual cancer and non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, but risks for the former remain considerably higher than for the latter. These results should be considered preliminary due to several limitations of this study such as: consideration of risks only from inhalation exposures; assumption that only volume and not composition of the waste stream is altered by WTE treatment; reliance on data from the literature rather than actual measurements of the sites considered, assuming comparability of the sites. However, the results of studies such as this, in conjunction with ecological, socioeconomic and equity considerations, should prove useful to environmental managers, regulators, policy makers, community representatives and other stakeholders in making sound and acceptable decisions regarding the optimal handling of MSW.     

不同填埋结构渗滤液回流对填埋场渗滤液水质的影响

通过分析不同填埋结构下渗滤液回灌对填埋垃圾产生的渗滤液水质的影响,进一步验证"生物反应器"的原理,为今后垃圾填埋场合理选择填埋方式及渗滤液回灌的开展提供相应参数。     

生活垃圾填埋场渗滤液性质随时间变化关系研究

通过对上海老港填埋场不同年份渗滤液样品的分析,测定了以下参数:电导率、ORP、CODCr、NPOC、NH4 -N、TN、正磷酸盐与总磷、pH、阴离子(F-、Cl-、Br-、SO42-),并建立了各参数与时间的关系.发现不同的渗滤液指标随填埋时间延长,其变化趋势略有差异,其中NPOC、COD、N、P、pH、电导率等指标值随时间的延长,总体表现为降低趋势;而ORP则逐渐升高;阴离子等变化趋势不明显,呈现波动趋势.对于相同变化趋势的指标,其降解过程也并不一致,对于含C物质--NPOC和COD,经4a降解后分别达到＜500 mg·L-1和＜2000 mg·L-1;对于含N物质,则可分为3个阶段,前4a为快速降解阶段,随后3a为中速降解,最后进入慢速降解阶段稳定在500 mg·L-1以内;TP含量随填埋时间在开始的9a内降解迅速,从35 mg·L-1降到3.4 mg·L-1,此后基本维持稳定值;pH值则在开始的7a内下降较快,随后变化不大;电导率在填埋开始的7年内下降较快;而ORP则在开始的9a内上升较多.同时发现,随着填埋时间的延长,NPOC/TOC、NH4 -N/TN、正磷酸盐/TP比例总体表现为降低,SO42-/Cl-比例稍微有升高,最终保持在0.2左右.     

Use of the Contingent Valuation Method in the assessment of a landfill mining project

A comprehensive approach for the evaluation of the economic feasibility of landfill mining (LFM) should take into account not only the direct costs and revenues for the private investor, but also the social benefits or costs (generally called externalities), in such a way that projects generating major social benefits (and no significant private revenues) are not overlooked.With a view to contributing to the development of a common framework for the evaluation of LFM projects, this paper presents the results of a case study where the issue of the assessment of social benefits from a LFM project is addressed. In particular, the Contingent Valuation Method is applied for the monetary assessment of the community-perceived benefits from the remediation of an old uncontrolled waste deposit by means of LFM and the conversion of the area into a park.Based on the results of a survey carried out on a random sample of people living near the old landfill, the economic values of the individual willingness to pay (WTP) for LFM and the subsequent creation of a public park were calculated and the correlations with the relevant variables (distance from the landfill site, age, income, sex, education level) assessed. The results were then suitably extended and the monetary value of the welfare increase of the whole population resident in the area and potentially affected both by LFM and the creation of the park was calculated.     

Treating landfill gas hydrogen sulphide with mineral wool waste (MWW) and rod mill waste (RMW)

Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) gas is a major odorant at municipal landfills. The gas can be generated from different waste fractions, for example demolition waste containing gypsum based plaster board. The removal of H₂S from landfill gas was investigated by filtering it through mineral wool waste products. The flow of gas varied from 0.3 l/min to 3.0 l/min. The gas was typical for landfill gas with a mean H₂S concentration of ca. 4500 ppm. The results show that the sulphide gas can effectively be removed by mineral wool waste products. The ratios of the estimated potential for sulphide precipitation were 19:1 for rod mill waste (RMW) and mineral wool waste (MWW). A filter consisting of a mixture of MWW and RMW, with a vertical perforated gas tube through the center of filter material and with a downward gas flow, removed 98% of the sulfide gas over a period of 80 days. A downward gas flow was more efficient in contacting the filter materials. Mineral wool waste products are effective in removing hydrogen sulphide from landfill gas given an adequate contact time and water content in the filter material. Based on the estimated sulphide removal potential of mineral wool and rod mill waste of 14 g/kg and 261 g/kg, and assuming an average sulphide gas concentration of 4500 ppm, the removal capacity in the filter materials has been estimated to last between 11 and 308 days. At the studied location the experimental gas flow was 100 times less than the actual gas flow. We believe that the system described here can be upscaled in order to treat this gas flow.     

Hydraulic performance of Compacted Clay Liners (CCLs) under combined temperature and leachate exposures

Experimental investigations were carried out to investigate the effect of thermo-chemical exposures on the hydraulic performance of Compacted Clay Liners (CCLs) in landfills. Hydraulic conductivity of most CCL specimens was increased by two to three times their initial values when exposed to 55 °C for 75 days. CCL specimens also experienced increases in their hydraulic conductivities when exposed to leachate at room temperature. This behaviour could be due to the decrease in viscosity when the permeant was changed from tap water to leachate. However, as the leachate exposure time exceeded the first 15 days, hydraulic conductivity readings decreased to as much as one order of magnitude after 75 days of leachate permeation at room temperature. The gradual decrease in the CCLs hydraulic conductivities was most likely due to chemical precipitation and clogging of pore voids within the soils which seemed to reduce the effective pore volume. The rate of hydraulic conductivity reduction due to leachate permeation was slower at higher temperatures, which was attributed to the lower permeant viscosity and lower clogging occurrence. The observed hydraulic behaviours were correlated to the physical, mineral, and chemical properties of the CCLs and described below.     

垃圾填埋场的灾害隐患及其对策

卫生填埋法作为一种垃圾处置方式已被国内外广泛使用.本文分析了垃圾填埋场的潜在危害与安全隐患,并结合我国国情提出了相应的对策与建议.     

垃圾填埋场渗滤液回灌综述

渗滤液回灌分为表面灌溉，竖式井，水平井，喷灌和针注四种方法，概括了渗滤液回灌的依据，工艺流程，主要技术参数和每种方法的操作方式及其优缺点，阐述了渗滤液回灌对填埋场的影响。     

城市垃圾管理国家行动方案

在分析我国城市垃圾资源和处理管理现状的基础上，提出我国城市垃圾处理技术选择，垃圾管理体制改革，垃圾管理政策以及国际援助方向等方面的建议。