Decision factors for e-waste in Northern Mexico: To waste or trade

Currently, around the globe, environmental and social problems derive from the inappropriate recycling of electronic products. Moreover, improper recycling is not the only issue to address in electronic products. Others include: energy intensity in their manufacture, employment generation related to the international trade in used electronics, and access to technology by low-income communities. Nevertheless, policies and controls created to provide socially and environmentally sound management of used electronics do not match the complexity of the system. In order to understand the e-waste system, particularly used computers, as a whole, a field study was done between 2010 and 2011 in ten Mexican cities. Ninety-five diverse stakeholders were interviewed to uncover factors regarding the decision to waste or trade still-usable computers. Structured analysis was used to create Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to describe the critical parts of the system. The results show that perceived value and geographical location determine the rate in which computers are disposed and the opportunities to waste or trade them, including the trade of their materials. Among businesses and other organizations, legislation has a stronger effect. Technological change is another important factor, largely driving the change in materials and new products. Designing policies responding to this diversity may prevent unforeseen problems and stimulate solutions.     

Energy recovery from solid waste fuels using advanced gasification technology

Since the mid-1980s, TPS Termiska Processer AB has been working on the development of an atmospheric-pressure gasification process. A major aim at the start of this work was the generation of fuel gas from indigenous fuels to Sweden (i.e. biomass). As the economic climate changed and awareness of the damage to the environment caused by the use of fossil fuels in power generation equipment increased, the aim of the development work at TPS was changed to applying the process to heat and power generation from feedstocks such as biomass and solid wastes. Compared with modern waste incineration with heat recovery, the gasification process will permit an increase in electricity output of up to 50%. The gasification process being developed is based on an atmospheric-pressure circulating fluidised bed gasifier coupled to a tar-cracking vessel. The gas produced from this process is then cooled and cleaned in conventional equipment. The energy-rich gas produced is clean enough to be fired in a gas boiler (and, in the longer term, in an engine or gas turbine) without requiring extensive flue gas cleaning, as is normally required in conventional waste incineration plants. Producing clean fuel gas in this manner, which facilitates the use of efficient gas-fired boilers, means that overall plant electrical efficiencies of close to 30% can be achieved. TPS has performed a considerable amount of pilot plant testing on waste fuels in their gasification/gas cleaning pilot plant in Sweden. Two gasifiers of TPS design have been in operation in Grève-in-Chianti, Italy since 1992. This plant processes 200 tonnes of RDF (refuse-derived fuel) per day. It is planned that the complete TPS gasification process (including the complete fuel gas cleaning system) be demonstrated in several gas turbine-based biomass-fuelled power generating plants in different parts of the world. It is the aim of TPS to prove, at commercial scale, the technical feasibility and economic advantages of the gasification process when it is applied to solid waste fuels. This aim shall be achieved, in the short-term, by employing the cold clean product gas in a gas boiler and, in the longer-term, by firing the gas in engines and gas turbines. A study for a 90 MWth waste-fuelled co-generation plant in Sweden has shown that, already today, gasification of solid waste can compete economically with conventional incineration technologies.     

Performance and emission characteristic studies on CRDI diesel engine fuelled with plastic pyrolysis oil blended with ethanol and diesel

ABSTRACT

This paper mainly focuses on the utilisation of plastic pyrolysis oil (PPO) and its’ blends with diesel and ethanol in different proportions in a modified diesel engine fitted with common rail direct injection (CRDI) facility. PPO was subsequently blended with diesel and ethanol and characterisation has been done. Experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of injection timing (IT) and injection pressure (IP) on the performance of modified CRDI engine fuelled with PPO and its blends with diesel and ethanol. From the experimental investigations, IT of 10°bTDC and IP of 900 bar were found as best operating parameters to obtain maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE) with lowered emissions for the fuel combinations utilised in the investigations. PPO as substitute to diesel fuel could be viable if its major concern is to finding permanent resources.     

Valuation of externalities of selected waste management alternatives: A comparative review and analysis

Accessible and transparent data on the social costs of externalities is crucial to waste management researchers, decision-makers, and managers, if waste management strategies are to be successfully analyzed and implemented. The primary objective of this study, which is based on a thorough review of existing literature and research, was to assist the abovementioned in their decision-making with reliable recent data, by mapping, gathering, analyzing, and comparing different valuation results of external costs associated with various types of pollution and disamenities related to landfilling and incineration of solid waste.The second objective was to assess the suitability and reliability of various valuation methods and techniques that were implemented in the reviewed valuation studies, as well as the transferability of valuations across sites.The paper focuses on studies conducted since 1990, because in dynamic fields such as the waste sector, externalities, and valuation, it is essential to stay current with the most recent information and valuations.We discuss the issues and the limits of the valuation techniques and analyze the estimates of all the studies, presenting the results in the form of intervals and averages of damage costs. In spite of the inconsistencies evident in the variability in the results we reviewed, the outcome of this first comprehensive critical analysis is significant and the valuations obtained in this study provide estimates of orders of magnitude of external costs that can be used by decision makers in the waste sector to address important policy questions associated with social welfare.     

逆燃式医废焚烧炉烟气实测及灰渣分析

概述了我国目前医疗废物焚烧处置中的主要炉型，着重介绍了LFX-20型逆燃式焚烧炉焚烧处置医疗废物的实际运行工况。通过对医疗废物焚烧烟气进行检测，各项常规指标均低于国标限值，同时对医疗废物焚烧后产生烟气中二恶英和灰渣的检测结果进行了分析，并给出分析结论。     

Survey of household waste composition and quantities in Abuja,Nigeria

Inadequate management of household solid waste is a serious problem in many developing cities. The study aimed to evaluate the quantities and composition of household solid waste generation in Abuja within different socioeconomic groups. The wastes from 74 households across different socioeconomic levels in Abuja were collected, weighted and classified on a daily basis for seven days in February 2012. The result showed that the average daily per capita household waste generation is 0.634 kg/capita/day. The characteristic of solid waste in Abuja are typical for the developing cities and dominated by organic waste. Households waste consisted of 63.6% organic waste, 9.7% paper, 8.7% plastics, 3.2% metal, 2.6% glass, 1.6% textile and 10.6% others (unclassified) and the bulk density was 240 kg/m³. The evaluation of relationship between income and daily per capita household waste generation showed a positive relationship. The study revealed a statistically significant difference between household size and daily per capita household waste generation in high-income group; a slight significant difference between household size and daily per capita household waste generation in medium income group and no statistically significant difference between household size and daily per capita household waste generation in low-income group.     

麦芽酚生产中的废渣综合利用

提出了以麦芽酚生产中的废渣－碱式溴化镁为主要原料，生产四溴乙烷，轻质氧化镁和氯化铵的基本原理，工艺过程和主要工艺条件，并估算了成本。     

二噁英催化降解技术在废物焚烧领域的应用

焚烧是常用的废物处置方法,中国每年需要处量理的废物随社会发展和经济增长不断增加,由此产生的二噁英排放问题已引起社会广泛的关注。选择性催化氧化(SCO)技术可降解烟气中二噁英,在国外已有广泛工业应用,是最佳可行技术的重要组成部分,是我国斯德哥尔摩公约履约过程中的关键技术。为落实我国斯德哥尔摩公约履约责任,减少废物焚烧过程中二噁英类污染物的排放,促进行业全面推广应用以选择性催化氧化为代表的最佳可行技术,文章主要从SCO技术的发展、原理和影响因素出发选择合适的催化剂,结合国内工程案例验证分析了SCO技术对二噁英的去除效果,讨论了SCO技术应用的现状和前景,进一步说明在国内的废物焚烧领域推广和普及SCO技术的紧迫性和可行性。     

危险废物无害化管理大数据分析应用研究初探

环境质量改善是我国"十三五"期间环保工作的核心,危险废物管理是影响环境质量的重要因素。近年来,我国危险废物污染防治工作在制度建设和能力建设等方面取得积极进展,但仍存在底数不清、减量不足、利用不畅等问题,频发的危险废物非法倾倒和掩埋已成为突发环境事件的重要诱因,严重威胁环境安全和人体健康。严峻的环境形势迫使我国改进传统的危险废物管理方式。文章从危险废物无害化管理现状分析入手,提出构建危险废物无害化管理大数据应用研究平台的建议,实现依靠数据管理、数据决策和预测性分析的构想。     

Impact of undissociated volatile fatty acids on acidogenesis in a two-phase anaerobic system

This study investigated the degradation and production of volatile fatty acids(VFAs)in the acidogenic phase reactor of a two-phase anaerobic system.20 mmol/L bromoethanesulfonic acid(BESA)was used to inhibit acidogenic methanogens(which were present in the acidogenic phase reactor)from degrading VFAs.The impact of undissociated volatile fatty acids(un VFAs)on"net"VFAs production in the acidogenic phase reactor was then evaluated,with the exclusion of concurrent VFAs degradation."Net"VFAs production from glucose degradation was partially inhibited at high un VFAs concentrations,with 59%,37% and 60% reduction in production rates at 2190 mg chemical oxygen demand(COD)/L undissociated acetic acid(un HAc),2130 mg COD/L undissociated propionic acid(un HPr)and 2280 mg COD/L undissociated n-butyric acid(un HBu),respectively.The profile of VFAs produced further indicated that while an un VFA can primarily affect its own formation,there were also un VFAs that affected the formation of other VFAs.