Abstract
Production of a large volume of industrial and hazardous waste with various compositions makes the need for comprehensive management and consequently the concept of waste rating more tangible. Despite numerous waste rating systems presented so far, analyzing the makeup of such systems play a significant role in meeting human health. In this study, the structure of 34 rating systems of industrial and hazardous waste have been analyzed based on both quantitative and qualitative standpoints and the results are presented as a formational-conceptual framework. Results showed that every rating system is formed of two parts of formational fundamentals and functional indices, which the first part has a longitudinal relation with the second. While lowly considered, this study is focusing on the formational fundamental part in the rating systems of industrial and hazardous waste, as intellectual prerequisites in suggesting a new system. Some of the factors in the first level are: dependence of the organization which determines the policy and general goals of a rating system, time of presenting the method during which remarkable changes take place in computing methods of the rating systems, infrastructures and facilities which are efficient in the accuracy and scope of the system and finally references and standards causing variations in definitions and final results of the rating system. Furthermore, factors such as: aspects of the study and style of use are identified in second level of formational fundamentals. Finally, the fundamentals are presented in a formational-conceptual framework for better perceiving and more effective use.
Highlights
In recent years, industrial developments and technology revolutions associated to human needs have made up negative footprints in environment such as serious damages to ecosystem, production of large amounts of waste, environmental pollutions, destruction of certain species and even more important and jeopardizing human health and increase of death [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The definition of hazardous waste, at first stated by US environment protection agency and there is no unique and internationally accepted definition for it, identifying waste in every country is based on four main factor which are introduced by this organization, followed as: (1) flammability, (2) reactivity, (3) corrosion and (4) toxicity [9]
This study investigates and analyses formational fundamentals of waste rating systems in two levels of 1 and 2 and the total factors that have been identified are presented in a formational conceptual framework (Figure 3.) Some of the effective factors in level 1 are: organizational affiliation, dates of proposing the methods, infrastructures and references and standards causing differences in definitions and outputs of the rating system
Summary
Industrial developments and technology revolutions associated to human needs have made up negative footprints in environment such as serious damages to ecosystem, production of large amounts of waste (low or high hazard), environmental pollutions, destruction of certain species and even more important and jeopardizing human health and increase of death [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The definition of hazardous waste, at first stated by US environment protection agency and there is no unique and internationally accepted definition for it, identifying waste in every country is based on four main factor which are introduced by this organization, followed as: (1) flammability, (2) reactivity, (3) corrosion and (4) toxicity [9]. Various organizations such as World Bank [10], World Health Organization (WHO) [11], US Environment Protection Agency [12], Americans congress in protection and recycling of resources [13], Federal law [14, 15], have presented various definitions and scientific and practical guidelines for management of hazardous waste. In common opinion of all of these organizations, chemical and industrial wastes are a group of hazardous waste, if not managed properly, causes risks at different levels for human and environment and, various characteristics of hazardous waste leads to intensification of waste management troubles [16]
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