Environmental monitoring of heavy metals and arsenic from Ag-Pb-Zn mining: a case study over two millennia

2000 years of mining activity at Wiesloch, Germanyleft behind a legacy of mining wastes, some of which haveextremely high contents of toxic elements like As, Cd, Tl,Sb, Pb and Zn. To evaluate their long-term impact ondifferent environmental compartments, the detailedenvironmental monitoring presented here focused on themineralogical and chemical characterization of thedifferent waste materials, consisting of dumpings with orefragments, flotation tailings and medieval metallurgicalslags. Leaching experiments with these materials, usingeluents of different compositions and pHs were carried outto assess the conditions governing the mobilization and re-fixation of these species. It was shown, that the carbonatehost rock of the mineralization, the loess blanket coveringthe area and the organically rich municipal sewage sludgesdeposited on top of the tailings, represent potentialbarriers to the dispersion of toxic elements over a muchlarger area. Moreover, particulate emissions from thesteep, unvegetated escarpments of the tailing heapsrepresent a continuous thread to the environment.     

Air pollutant emission potentials of cotton textile manufacturing industry

Cotton textile manufacturing operations cause air pollution. Air pollutants are generated by fossil fuel fired combustors due to their flues and/or a variety of chemicals in use for production. Excessive use of chemicals can be stopped or minimized by replacing them or by optimizing the production processes. Energy and water conservation are important goals in textile workplaces as well. There is substantial research and development to minimize pollution potentials of textile operations. In this paper air polluting potentials of cotton textile manufacturing operations are discussed and some quantitative examples are given for evaluating the risks to the environment. Studied impacts to environment cover direct discharges into the ambient air as well as the workplace atmosphere. Further studies are recommended for minimizing the impacts to the local and global air quality due to cotton textile production facilities.     

Fish Disease Monitoring in the Dutch Part of the North Sea in Relation to the Dumping of Waste From Titanium Dioxide Production

Gross pathologies were recorded in a total of 5942 individual common dab (Limanda limanda L.) at 5 sites in and around Dutch coastal waters, in spring, from 1986 to 1988. Two of these sites (an offshore dumping ground and an inshore site influenced by direct river discharge) received large quantities of diluted acids of titanium dioxide waste (TDW); the other three were selected as reference sites for comparison.

The main diseases recorded were epidermal hyperplasia/papilloma, lymphocystis, liver nodules (pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions), and infections caused by the protozoan Glugea sp. Frequencies of disease were analysed using a logit model. There was a consistently high prevalence of epidermal hyperplasia/papilloma in dab from the two sites that received TDW when compared to the other sites. However, no dear relationships were found between the prevalence of epidermal hyperplasia/papilloma and dumping-associated heavy metals or other relevant environmental and biological factors. No significant spatial trend was revealed for liver nodules, although there was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of epidermal hyperplasia/papilloma or of lymphocystis and that of liver nodules in individual fish. Prevalences of lymphocystis were usually higher at offshore sites than in inshore areas, while prevalences of Glugea showed the opposite trend.

Although at first sight the pattern of disease prevalence would appear to furnish a strong case for a cause-and-effect relationship between TDW and epidermal hyperplasia/papilloma, interpretation of the data is complicated by interference from riverine inputs, long-distance dispersion of discharged wastes, local hydrographic conditions, and possible local migration of dab. On the basis of present results, therefore, the possibility that discharges of TDW contributed to the occurrence of this disease cannot be proven or discounted.     

我国固体废物处理利用行业发展分析

本文介绍了我国固体废物处理行业现状以及业内新技术开发、市场发展及骨干企业状况。     

Conversion of leather wastes to useful products

The main objective of the present study is to investigate the production of useful materials from different kinds of leather waste. Three different types of tannery wastes (chromium- and vegetable-tanned shavings, and buffing dust) were pyrolyzed in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures of 450 and 600 °C under N₂ atmosphere. Gas, oil, ammonium carbonate and carboneous residue were obtained by pyrolysis. The effect of temperature and type of leather waste on product distribution of pyrolysis was investigated. Buffing dust gave the highest yield of oil (ca. 23%), while other wastes recorded yields of ca. 9%. Results of elemental analysis and column chromatography showed that pyrolysis oils could be used as fuel or chemical feedstock after re-treatment. The yields of carboneous residue (chars) were between 37.5% and 48.5% and their calorific value was between 4300 and 6000 kcal kg⁻¹, suitable for use as solid fuel. In addition, these chars were activated by CO₂ to obtain the activated carbon. The activated carbon having highest surface area (799.5 m² g⁻¹) was obtained from chromium-tanned shavings. Activated carbons prepared from chromium-tanned leather were presented as an adsorbant for the adsorption of dyes from aqueous solution.     

Thermodynamic Controls on Quality of Water From Underground Coal Mines in Colorado1

ABSTRACT: Water samples collected from 14 underground coal mines in Colorado were analyzed for major dissolved constituents. The data indicate the water quality of 13 of the samples has developed by the interaction of calcite saturated ground water with sodium rich marine shales. Those samples that displayed evidence of being most completely reacted were composed almost entirely of sodium and bicarbonate ions and had a calcium to sodium activity ratio of 0.16, similar to that of seawater. The one sample that was not saturated with respect to calcite was saturated with respect to gypsum. The dissolved solids concentration attainable by dissolution of gypsum is much less than that attainable by the calcite marine shale equilibration, or approximately 2,500 milligrams per liter. By considering the maximum predicted concentrations of dissolved solids in relation to promulgated water quality criteria, it is possible to predict the hazards of reuse of this mine drainage. The primary problems would be damage or destruction of crops if the drainage water was used for irrigation. In addition, some samples contained concentrations of chloride and sulfate in excess of recommended standards for public water supplies.     

AIRPORT WASTES AND WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: Waste waters from various operations at the Miami International Airport are characterized. Servicing, maintenance, overhauling, and washing of aircraft seem to be the most significant waste water producing operations. Pollutional constitutents commonly found in the airport wastes include acids, alkalis, detergents, oil, grease, and oxygen demanding substances. Phenols are of concern when stripping and repainting operations occur. Although most airport wastes may be treatable, a great reduction in influent load can be achieved by proper housekeeping methods.     

沸石作稳定化剂固化/稳定化含汞危险废弃物试验

利用沸石对汞的吸附性,将沸石作为稳定化剂掺入水泥进行含汞危险废弃物固化/稳定化试验研究.同时,探讨了沸石作为稳定化剂的水泥固化技术处理含汞废弃物的影响因素,从而明确这种方法的可行性和最佳操作条件.结果表明,沸石的掺入能够促进汞的稳定,与单独使用水泥相比固化效率显著提高.当沸石用量为0.3g·g-1以上时,固化体浸出汞浓度低于国家标准(GB5085.3-2007),固化效率从单独使用水泥固化时的47%提高到95%以上.氯离子能够影响固化效率,即使在氯离子浓度为10mmo·lL-1时,含汞1000mg·kg-1以下的固体废弃物的固化效率仍能够大于90%.这说明即使存在氯离子干扰的情况下,沸石作稳定化剂固化含汞危险废物仍然是非常经济有效的方法.实验得到沸石作稳定化剂固化含汞危险废弃物的最佳操作条件为pH=6.0～7.0之间,沸石量为0.4g·g-1,水泥量为0.7g·g-1以上.     

广东省工业“三废”的环境库兹涅茨曲线实证分析

通过选取1997年-2007年广东省经济发展主要指标和环境污染物排放量的统计数据,运用SPSS等软件,分析了广东省人均GDP与工业“三废”排放量之间的相关关系,构建了三次非线性环境经济计量模型。研究结果表明：广东省工业“三废”的排放特征较符合传统的环境库兹涅茨曲线;广东省的经济与环境污染仍呈上升趋势,近10年的产业结构调整产生了明显的环境经济效益。