Assessment of popular techniques for co-processing municipal solid waste in Chinese cement kilns

• Municipal solid waste (MSW) was fermented, screened, gasified, then co-processed. • Co-processing MSW in cement kilns could cause excessive pollutant emissions. • Bypass flue gas can be disposed of through the main flue system. • Popular MSW co-processing methods do not affect cement quality. Cement kiln co-processing techniques have been developed in the past 20 years in China, and more than 60 factories now use fermentation, screening, and gasification pre-treatment techniques to co-process municipal solid waste (MSW). There three complete MSW pre-treatment techniques, co-processing procedures, and environmental risk assessments have been described in few publications. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of each technique. The results suggested that the pollutant content released by each pre-treatment technology was lower than the emission standard. To reveal the mechanisms of pollutant migration and enrichment, the substances in the kiln and kiln products are investigated. The input of co-processing materials (Co-M) produced by fermentation caused formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran (PCDD/Fs) in the bypass flue gas (By-gas) in excess of the regulatory standard. The Co-M input produced by the screening and gasifier technologies caused the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration to exceed the standard. In addition, the NO_x, TOC, and PCDD/Fs in the By-gas exceeded the regulatory standard. Raw meal was the primary chlorine and heavy metals input stream, and clinker (CK) and cement kiln dust (CKD) accounted for>90% of the total chlorine output stream. Flue gas and CKD were the primary volatile heavy metal (Hg) output streams. Greater than 70% of the semi-volatile heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Tl and Se) distributed in hot raw meal and bypass cement kiln dust. The low-volatility heavy metals were concentrated in the CK. These results indicated that co-processing techniques used in China still require improvement.     

化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点研究

借鉴环境风险源目标管理的理念,按照“分区、分类、分级”监测的原则,建立了化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点方法体系,并以某化工园区为示例展开应用研究。结果显示,该方法能对化工园区不同区域、不同类型、不同级别的地下水污染源构建差异化监测网络,解决化工园区地下水污染多元化监测布点问题,可为化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点方案的拟定或优化调整提供工作参考。     

关于工业园区突发环境事件应急管理体系的思考

工业园区内企业集聚,导致环境风险隐患增加,加强对工业园区突发环境事件的应急管理尤为重要。在综合分析国内外环境应急管理体系现状的基础上,结合实际工作中发现的问题,从工业园区内风险物质的识别、环境应急资源共享、环境应急监测、环境应急管理体系的闭环管理模式、环境应急联动系统建设等5个方面,提出了一些关于建立和完善工业园区突发环境事件应急管理体系的建议。     

苏州储备地块土壤污染防治项目监理模式的实践与探讨

阐述了我国土壤污染防治项目监理现状,以苏州储备地块为例,分析了其土壤污染防治项目以环境监理为主,以工程监理为辅,由环境检测单位提供独立监测服务的监理模式的实践特点,以及环境监理、工程监理和环境监测各环节的实施要点。在此基础上,提出了在土壤污染防治项目实施过程中落实监理全覆盖,夯实监理的安全监管责任,以及将环境监理与工程监理有机结合,形成一套有针对性的行业监理规范等建议。     

扬尘污染精细化管控思路探讨

通过分析传统扬尘污染防治模式的弊端,提出了一种“精准监测、排量切入、总量考核、职责共担”的新模式。该模式在技术手段上使用以扬尘在线监测数据为基准的扬尘排放量计算模式,以及基于机器学习的扬尘源排放量计算方法,实现了扬尘排放量的自动、实时、在线计算;在管理手段上将传统的扬尘浓度点控制转变为易扬尘单位扬尘排量控制,通过总量控制、指标分解,增强了政府与企业对于环境效益的职责分工,有助于将扬尘防控责任有效落实,实现对扬尘污染的精细化、常态化管控。     

高效液相色谱串联质谱法直接测定环境水样中8种有机磷农药

建立了一种高效液相色谱-串联质谱法（LC-MS/MS）同时测定环境水样中8种有机磷农药的分析方法。以地表水、地下水、污水和废水样品作为代表性水样基底,前处理方法仅采用简单的滤膜过滤,在C₁₈柱分离后,在多反应监测模式下进行分析检测。结果表明,敌百虫、毒死蜱等有机磷农药在样品保存过程中迅速发生降解,分析须在样本采集后1 d内完成;该方法的检出限为0.10~0.20 μg/L,线性拟合相关系数（r）均>0.995;不同基底、不同浓度的加标回收实验表明,8种有机磷农药在环境基底中的回收率为74.5%~118%,相对标准偏差为0.4%~8.6%。该方法操作简便、灵敏度高、准确性好,在未来环境监测工作中具有较好的应用前景。     

Is a voluntary approach an effective environmental policy instrument?: A case for environmental management systems

Using Japanese facility-level data from an OECD survey, we estimate the effects of implementation of ISO14001 and publication of environmental reports on the facilities’ environmental performance. While most previous studies focused on an index of emissions toxicity, this study examines three areas of impacts, none of which have been explored in the literature: natural resource use, solid waste generation, and wastewater effluent. The study is also unique in that the effectiveness of ISO14001 is considered in relation to environmental regulations. Our findings are summarized as follows. First, both ISO14001 and report publication help reduce all three impacts; the former appears more effective in all areas except wastewater. Second, environmental regulations do not weaken the effect of ISO14001. Third, assistance programs offered by local governments—a voluntary approach—promote facilities’ adoption of ISO14001. These findings suggest that governments can use command-and-control and voluntary approaches concurrently.     

Confidence limits on one-stage model parameters in benchmark risk assessment

In modern environmental risk analysis, inferences are often desired on those low dose levels at which a fixed benchmark risk is achieved. In this paper, we study the use of confidence limits on parameters from a simple one-stage model of risk historically popular in benchmark analysis with quantal data. Based on these confidence bounds, we present methods for deriving upper confidence limits on extra risk and lower bounds on the benchmark dose. The methods are seen to extend automatically to the case where simultaneous inferences are desired at multiple doses. Monte Carlo evaluations explore characteristics of the parameter estimates and the confidence limits under this setting.

On reducing the windfall profits in environmental subsidy programs

Investment subsidies are widely used to induce adoption of new technologies that can lower the (marginal) cost of reducing emissions. To economize on these subsidies, governments would like to distinguish between firms that need to receive a subsidy to adopt a new technology, and firms that would adopt that technology even without subsidies. We show that policies consisting of a menu of emission taxes and investment subsidies can potentially induce firms to self-select.     

Medical geochemistry research in Spišsko-Gemerské rudohorie Mts., Slovakia

This study presents an assessment of the potential impact of geological contamination of the environment on the health of the population in Spišsko-Gemerské rudohorie Mts. (SGR Mts.). The concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (mainly As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Zn) were determined in soils, groundwater, surface water, and stream sediments as well as in the food chain (locally grown vegetables). A medical study included some 30 health indicators for all 98 municipalities of the study area. The As and Sb contents in human fluids and tissues were analyzed in one municipality identified to be at the highest risk. Based on element content, environmental and health risks were calculated for respective municipalities. Out of 98 municipalities 14 were characterized with extremely high environmental risk and 10 were characterized with very high carcinogenic risk from arsenic (groundwater). Extensive statistical analysis of geochemical data (element contents in soils, groundwater, surface water, and stream sediments) and health indicators was performed. Significant correlations between element contents in the geological environment and health indicators, mainly cancer and cardiovascular diseases, were identified. Biological monitoring has confirmed the transfer of elements from the geological environment to human fluids and tissues as well as to the local food chain.