Dangerous Waste Research Articles

Metal leaching analysis from a core-shell WEEE plastic synthetic aggregate

Plastic wastes from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEEP) contain an important amount of metals and brominated flame retardants. These contaminants are hazardous for human and environment, therefore the WEEE are considered dangerous wastes by the law. In order to revalue this waste, we developed a cement based stabilization strategy for these contaminants. The WEEEP was covered with a mixture of cement and a very fine aggregate. This strategy takes a core-shell concept to obtain a synthetic aggregate with potential use in the construction industry. To evaluate the concentration of metals in the waste, extractions with hot water followed by acid digestion were carried out in samples of WEEEP, and then we compared these values with the leached of metals from the synthetic aggregate. The quantification was made by atomic absorption technique. The most of the studied metals did not leached in hot water, except for the antimony, which leached in hot water from WEEEP but showed an important decrease in its concentration in the leached of the synthetic arid.

Catalyst-free green synthesis of tetrahydro-benzo[b]pyrans in magnetized water: experimental aspects and molecular dynamics simulation

In this work, magnetized water is applied as a green-promoting medium for the catalyst-free, one-pot, practical, efficient, and environmentally benign multi-component synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans. Some tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran derivatives are synthesized by a three-component reaction of an aldehyde, malononitrile, and 1,3-cyclohexanedione or 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione at room temperature. This method offers the advantages of short reaction time, low cost, quantitative yield, simple work-up, and no need for an organic solvent. It is thus enviro-economic with no dangerous wastes produced. The molecular insight on the system shows that magnetized water has a dramatic effect on the strength of the interactions between all organic reagents as well as an increase of a factor of 1.2 in order of the number of hydrogen bonds between water and each organic reagent. In the presence of magnetized water, the reagents are more condensed in the center of the simulation box, showing a more considerable molecular interaction leading to a more viscous system that limits the species movements.

Jarosite wastes reduction through blast furnace sludges for cast iron production

Jarosite is a dangerous waste derived from the hydrometallurgical route of zinc production, and it cannot be safely disposed of due to its acidic pH and the risk of toxic metal leaching. A new process at laboratory scale for the utilization of jarosite sludges is proposed, with the aim to obtain cast iron and an inert slag, using blast furnace sludges as reducing agent. Jarosite-reducing agent mixes were reduced in a muffle furnace at 1500 °C for 15 min. Two reducing agents were used: pure graphite (as control) and blast furnace sludges. Two CaO concentrations (5, 15%wt. on jarosite mass) and four equivalent C concentrations (7.5, 15, 30, 60%wt. on jarosite mass) were analysed. Cast iron was obtained from all of the mixes, but the highest reduction yield was obtained at 15%wt. equivalent C. The slag obtained from the control batch had a fully crystalline structure, while the one related to the sample with BF sludges showed an incipient vitrified structure, that could prevent the leaching of hazardous elements. The best process parameters to profitably obtain cast iron and a glassy slag are 15% of equivalent C, 5% CaO and blast furnace sludges as reducing agent.

A Novel Assessment of Healthcare Waste Disposal Methods: Intuitionistic Hesitant Fuzzy MULTIMOORA Decision Making Approach

Waste produced from medical facilities systems incorporates a blend of dangerous waste which can posture dangers to humans and ecological receptors. Lacking administration of healthcare waste can prompt hazard to medicinal service specialists, patients, public health, communities and the wider environment. Hence, proper management of healthcare waste is imperative to reduce the associated health and environment risk. In this paper, we extend the MULTIMOORA decision making method with intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy set to evaluate the healthcare waste treatment methods. Intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy set is a generalized form of a hesitant fuzzy set. Intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy set considers the uncertainty of data in a single framework and take more information into account. The MULTIMOORA method consists of three parts namely the ratio system, reference point approach and the full multiplicative form. In the optimal ranking methods, the IHF-MULTIMOORA method is uncomplicated it is able to be used practically with high dimension intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy sets. For pathological, pharmaceutical, sharp, solid and chemical wastes, the preferred waste disposal methods are deep burial, incineration, autoclave, deep burial, and chemical disinfection, respectively.

Evaluación de seguridad radiología para el transporte terrestre de fuentes categoría 1 (60Co) en virtud de arreglo especial aplicando el método de matriz de riesgo

El transporte de material radiactivo es una de las prácticas más seguras gracias a la regulación y a las medidas de seguridad y protección radiológica aplicadas. Tal como ocurre en otras prácticas implementadas cuando hay radiaciones ionizantes, también requiere la verificación de los requisitos de seguridad; por eso es determinante una adecuada evaluación de seguridad. En las evaluaciones de seguridad se aplican diferentes metodologías, como, por ejemplo, el método de matriz de riesgo, usado en radioterapia, radiología industrial, medicina nuclear, perfilaje, y por primera vez en el transporte de material radiactivo. En el marco de la consolidación de desechos radiactivos de alta peligrosidad, en Colombia se identificó la necesidad de confinar las fuentes categoría 1 de 60Co, catalogadas como extremadamente peligrosas, usadas en radioterapia, que deben ser reexportadas o trasladadas para su disposición final. Por las características de las fuentes y el tiempo transcurrido para su gestión, y en virtud de un arreglo especial, se requiere transportarlas en bultos con un nivel total de seguridad, un adecuado control operacional y algunas medidas adicionales. Teniendo en cuenta la peligrosidad de las fuentes y las características del transporte, era necesario aplicar el método de matriz de riesgo para evaluar la seguridad del transporte terrestre, prestando especial atención a la defensa en profundidad, los análisis cuantitativos y la aplicación de un enfoque diferenciado para el transporte de fuentes de 60Co categoría 1. La evaluación de seguridad concluyó que, en cualquier caso, como producto de la ocurrencia de sucesos iniciadores, las consecuencias son altas; sin embargo, la robustez de las barreras de seguridad, los reductores de consecuencia y los reductores de frecuencia mantienen la práctica en riesgos bajos.

The Ins and Outs of Autophagy and Metabolism in Hematopoietic and Leukemic Stem Cells: Food for Thought.

Discovered over fifty years ago, autophagy is a double-edged blade. On one hand, it regulates cellular energy sources by “cannibalization” of its own cellular components, feeding on proteins and other unused cytoplasmic factors. On the other, it is a recycling process that removes dangerous waste from the cytoplasm keeping the cell clean and healthy. Failure of the autophagic machinery is translated in dysfunction of the immune response, in aging, and in the progression of pathologies such as Parkinson disease, diabetes, and cancer. Further investigation identified autophagy with a protective role in specific types of cancer, whereas in other cases it can promote tumorigenesis. Evidence shows that treatment with chemotherapeutics can upregulate autophagy in order to maintain a stable intracellular environment promoting drug resistance and cell survival. Leukemia, a blood derived cancer, represents one of the malignancies in which autophagy is responsible for drug treatment failure. Inhibition of autophagy is becoming a strategic target for leukemic stem cell (LSC) eradication. Interestingly, the latest findings demonstrate that LSCs show higher levels of mitochondrial metabolism compared to normal stem cells. With this review, we aim to explore the links between autophagy and metabolism in the hematopoietic system, with special focus on primitive LSCs.

Effects of binder choice in converter and blast furnace sludge briquette preparation: Environmental and practical implications

Blast furnace and converter sludges are fine-grained waste materials characterized as dangerous waste with a negative impact on the environment. One way of recycling of such materials is briquetting followed by reuse of the material in the blast furnace. In the briquetting process, an important step is the choice of the binder suitable for manufacturing the briquettes with suitable mechanical properties. In this work, the effect of the binder choice (laundry starch UNIPRET, Portland cement) on the reduction of iron oxides in the assessed waste materials during thermal treatment (900, 1000, 1100 °C) is evaluated. Simultaneously, the effect of the binder choice on the amount and composition of the resulting waste gas was evaluated as well as its possible impact on the environment. The performed experiments proved the mutual relationship between the level of iron oxides to metal iron conversion, the binder content and retention temperature. Type of binder also affected the volume of the resulting waste gas. Factor analysis for mixed data (FAMD) proved that the resulting concentrations of the assessed hydrocarbons were correlated (apart from ethyne) and that they are closely associated with the binder applied. Conversely, the concentrations of ethyne, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were not associated with the binder but with the retention temperature. FAMD did not show any direct effect of final retention temperature on the amount of the rest of the resulting hydrocarbons. In comparison with the starch-containing briquettes, the cement-containing briquettes were also proved to lead to lower resulting concentrations of PAHs in the waste gas.

Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho: Um estudo realizado em uma organização de coleta de resíduos não perigosos

O artigo visa elaborar um diagnóstico de uma organização de coleta de resíduos não perigosos, onde se busca analisar quais os fatores determinantes da qualidade de vida no trabalho para os colaboradores da organização. Nadler e Lawler (1983) afirmam que a Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho é uma maneira de pensar nos indivíduos, no trabalho e na própria empresa. Esta pesquisa caracteriza-se como exploratória, descritiva e quantitativa, com o uso de estatística e aplicação de um questionário objetivando identificar a Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho da empresa em questão. O questionário aplicado foi criado por meio da interpretação e análise das oitos dimensões de QVT apresentadas por Walton (1973). Quanto à população, utilizou-se uma amostra intencional compreendendo os funcionários do setor administrativo. Quanto às análises realizadas a partir dos gráficos, constatou-se que a organização transmite aos seus funcionários uma boa qualidade de vida, pois se obteve um pequeno percentual de respondentes que não concordavam em parte, ou não concordavam com algumas das afirmativas indagadas.

Sustitución de una práctica de Laboratorio con enfoque a Química Verde como herramienta para la reducción de residuos peligrosos

<p>Los laboratorios de química permiten una educación técnica en una gran cantidad de carreras. Sin embargo, en el área ambiental, deberían tener un enfoque menos contaminante, donde el estudiantado pueda manejar los conceptos, pero de una forma inocua. El cambio de prácticas de laboratorio a prácticas con enfoque a química verde permite esta adquisición de conocimientos, pero con la mejora de ser ambientalmente responsable.<br />Se realizó una evaluación básica de una serie de prácticas del laboratorio de Medición de Agentes Contaminantes con respecto al uso de energía y la generación de residuos. A partir de esta valoración se sustituyó una práctica pasando de una valoración verde de 3 a una con una valoración verde de 8, logrando incorporar en ambos casos los mismos conceptos.<br />Con la sustitución de la práctica de retrovaloración no se aprecia una diferencia significativa en la adquisición de conocimientos, pero sí en la generación de residuos la cual pasó de 3.3 mol de residuos de peligrosidad alta a 0.2 mol de residuos de peligrosidad incipiente. Se concluye que la química verde permite trabajar una educación con una generación de residuos mínima.</p>

Rheological Behaviour of a Bitumen Modified with Metal Oxides Obtained by Regeneration Processes

Nowadays, one important challenge is to demonstrate an innovative and integrated approach for the sustainable construction of roads considering the whole life cycle of the infrastructure. Road pavements with multiple asphalt layers generally undergo prolonged environmental exposure and the alternation between solar irradiation and low temperatures. As a result, relaxation or progressive removal of the material with a negative impact on the resistance to plastic deformation occur, also leading to the formation of slits and to dimensional variations, which are commonly defined as thermal cracking. This suggests the use of suitable bitumen modifiers. For these, important parameters are the optimal mixing time and mixing temperature, in order to reduce problems related to the stability of the bitumen. Therefore, the behaviour, upon changing the temperature, of bituminous mixtures containing (as fillers) a series of metal oxides coming, as secondary products, from spent acid solutions regeneration processes, was investigated. This is intended in order to recover and reuse those otherwise dangerous wastes coming from several industrial (especially, metallurgical) processes. The study was aimed at evaluating the properties of bituminous blends by performing rheological tests under dynamic shear regime. More specifically, five different bitumen matrices were prepared (70/100 bitumen and blends with metal oxides and/or SBS copolymer). Results showed that the addition of iron oxides leads to an increase of the softening point and the complex modulus. The increase is even more emphasized when SBS is added to the blend.

Application of Fenton process to remove organic matter and PCBs from waste (fuller’s earth) contaminated with insulating oil

ABSTRACTPolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are carcinogenic to humans and can be found in fuller’s earth used for the treatment of used transformer oil. This work describes an optimization of the Fenton process for the removal of contaminants from fuller’s earth. The effects of pH (2.5 and 4.0), [H2O2] (1.47 and 2.07 mol L−1), and [Fe2+] (1.7 and 40 mmol L−1) were studied. The Fenton process efficiency was monitored using the decreases in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the concentrations of oil and grease, total carbon (TC), PCBs, and H2O2. The fuller’s earth contaminated with insulating oil presented 35% (w/w) of TC, 34% (w/w) of oil and grease, 297.0 g L−1 COD, and 64 mg of PCBs per kg. The material could therefore be considered a dangerous waste. After Fenton treatment, using a slurry mode, there was a removal of 55% of COD, 20% of oil and grease, and 20% of TC, achieved at pH 2.5 using 2.07 mol L−1 of H2O2 and 40.0 mmol L−1 of Fe2+. No PCBs were detected in the samples after the Fenton treatment, even using smaller amounts of Fenton reagents (1.47 mol L−1 of H2O2, 1.7 mmol L−1 of Fe2+, pH 2.5). The results indicated that the treated fuller’s earth was free from PCB residues and could be disposed of in a simple landfill, in accordance with Brazilian PCB regulations.

Mercury: risks and handling as hazardous waste

The handling of some chemical substances, as is the case of Mercury used in the determination of the contraction characteristics of soils, becomes dangerous waste at the end of the test process, which requires an adequate management having as a reference the established measures in the legislation and complying with the legal and applicable requirements in this matter. In the present work the characteristics of the mercury, the measures for its use, transportation, and/or storage, as well as the risks to the occupationally exposed workers, are related in the Laboratories of the Applied Research Company. The objective of this research is to raise the culture in the procedures for the handling of chemical substances and hazardous waste, in the use and care of the means of individual protection, as well as compliance with everything established in the procedures for the realization of activities related to the use of mercury to form an environmental awareness focused on achieving an excellent quality of life in the workplace and contribute to the protection of the environment.

Development of Medicated Topical Patches in Transdermal drug delivery system

Transdermal drug delivery system is topically administered medicaments in the form of patches that deliver drugs for systemic effects at a predetermined and controlled rate. These devices allow for pharmaceuticals to be delivered across the skin barrier. Skin is a protective layer of the body, which acts as a barrier against physical, chemical and microbiological invasions. It also regulate the body temperature and blood pressure. The human skin is a readily accessible surface for drug delivery. In addition, Transdermal systems are non-invasive and can be self administered. Transdermal patch is the formulation which is expected to increase the solubility and bioavailability by penetrating poorly water soluble compounds through skin, and it is also possible for this formulation to decrease over-dosing and to avoid hepatic first pass metabolism. Transdermal delivery also has advantages over hypodermic injections, which are painful, generate dangerous medical waste and pose the risk of disease transmission by needle re-use. It has a variety of advantages compared with the oral route. This article mainly describes about composition of patch, types of patches and also explains detailed about evaluation of patches.

Financing pro-ecological investments in the Częstochowa municipal enterprise

The paper presents the opportunities for funding ecological investments with the example of the Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise. Modernizations of facilities and technologies are usually very capitalintensive investments. High costs of operation and changes introduced to programs of waste management have stimulated creation of various forms of support for the enterprises, including companies involved in municipal waste management. Both Poland and the European Union provide financial support to enterprises for ecological and innovative purposes. For nearly 15 years, both national and international programs have offered their support for changes in the system of waste management. The Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise has been successful in meeting legal requirements. Subsidies from the EU operational programs (nearly a third of investments in 2004-2014) allowed for the achievement of a high level of investments. One should emphasize performance of such tasks as municipal waste sorting plant, composting facility, station of bulky waste disassembly, station of construction debris fragmentation or municipal point of dangerous waste collection. 200 points of selective waste collection have been created in the community and educational campaigns were performed concerning waste sorting. Each of these units represents a necessary component of modern and ecological waste management. Nowadays, waste landfills represent modern enterprises with huge economic potential, whereas investments and subsidies allow for the development and building infrastructure of the municipal industry which is essential in development of cities and villages.

ЭКСЕРГЕТИЧЕСКАЯ ОЦЕНКА ПОЖАРНОЙ ОПАСНОСТИ ПЕРЕВОЗОК НА ЖЕЛЕЗНОДОРОЖНОМ ТРАНСПОРТЕ

Introduction. The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the important problems of our time. Security is only possible when solving this problem. The amount of MSW is steadily increasing. The project of garbage transportation from Moscow and St. Petersburg by railway is begins to have results to solve problems related to waste management. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the possibility and advantages of using the exergy fire risk assessment of transportation of MSW in railway transport. Theory and calculations. The concept of chemical exergy is used to effectively design energy conversion processes, study the level of environmental impact of equipment and technologies, and determine the possibility of minimizing it. The exergy method can be applied to the assessment of energy-ecological efficiency and the fire hazard of the transport of dangerous waste by train. Analysis of changes in the morphological composition of the waste was implemented from the 20 s of XX century to the present. Formulas for calculating chemical exergy and HHV of MSW were presented. Results and discussion. The values of chemical exergy and HHV of MSW are determined. An in­crease in the values of these indicators was acknowledged, which is determined by changes in the morpho­logical composition of the waste. The dependence between exergy and HHV for the components of MSW was obtained, the correlation coefficient is R 2 = 0.975. The dependence between the exergy of TCR of different morphological composi­tion and the HHV, R 2 = 0.977, was built. As a result, an analysis of changes in these characteristics was proven by years and the determinated by cities in Russia. It was proposed to introduce the concept of “exergy” in the procedure for determining the hazard class of MSW. The advantages of the exergy assessment of the fire danger of traffic on the railway transport are revealed. Conclusion. The exergy approach allows to comprehensively address the issues of energy-ecological efficiency and fire hazard of waste management processes in railway transport. Accounting for indicators of fire hazard through exergy when assigning the hazard class MSW contributes to improving the safety of traffic on the railway transport.

THE PENALTY PRODUCTION MODEL – AN ALTERNATIVE WORKING CAPITAL SOLUTION FOR REVERSE SUPPLY CHAINS

The working capital issue increased lately for small and medium-sized companies which strived to behold their position on the competitive market in the long term. A shift in competition from firm versus firm to supply chain versus supply chain increased the role that every member of the supply chain had in its long-run development or failure. This paper presents an alternative working capital production model which collects its working capital needs by using an auto-financing method in the sorting stage of the recycling process for reverse supply chains. The penalty system was designed by the author (as part of the operative drift for one of the largest Norwegian recycling companies) as an aggregation of penalty types and their respective amounts for each category that a load can comprise at the entrance in the manufacturing area. Results generated by the new production system highlighted the fact that working capital could be obtained by autofinancing mechanisms, and that the total income could be higher than the value based on a fixedfee penalty system (the complex model doubled previous income already one year after new system was implemented), achieving in the same time better waste control between original waste declaration and handled waste resulted after the sorting process. Moreover, the sorting facility decreased its own production costs (since extra working capital was generated by applying the auto-financing mechanism), and obtained better control for every fraction processed at the plant (dangerous waste presented in this study) between invoiced volumes and quantities shipped forward in the reverse supply chain.

Possible Areas of Application of Drones in Waste Management during Rail Accidents and Disasters

In this article the most modern versions of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will be presented from the aspect of safer identification of dangerous effluent materials during rail accidents and catastrophes. These technologies are crucial to minimize the pollution of dangerous waste generated during accidents or catastrophes. Doing this, exploration of further opportunities of waste management - satisfying the conditions of the highest level of environmental safety - is necessary, as well as to find new methods to handle waste in time securely and professionally. Exploration of unprecedented solutions during rail- and road accidents or catastrophes is also reasonable. Relevancy of application of drones is particular as long as the approachability of the affected area is difficult or impossible. During the neutralization of explosive, hazardous or toxic materials the risk of life could be eliminated using drones equipped with the most modern technologies.

Combustion Cleaning Methods in Dangerous Waste Incineration Houses

Two (dry and semi-dry) methods of cleaning the combustion products from the dangerous waste incineration process are discussed in terms of the environmental (emission limits, waste and emission volumes, etc.) and economic criteria (material balances) as well as the plant service life and operation. The dry combustion product cleaning method as a BAT technology is recommended as the most suitable one.

Electro-Membrane Technology for Extraction of Valuable Compounds and Rare Earth Elements from the Red Mud

The paper is devoted to the developed technology of treatment of red mud, a dangerous waste formed in the process of production of aluminum from bauxite ores by the Bayer process. The technology was examined on the samples of red mud from Russia and Iran aluminum plants. Detailed description of the process is presented. The chemical analysis data before and after the treatment are presented. It is shown that the new technology based on the use of electro-membrane apparatuses makes possible to neutralize the hazardous red mud with separate production of valuable compounds including rare earth metals. Several schemes of the process are presented.

Neutronic Analysis of (ThO2–EnrichedUO2) Replacement with natUO2 Fuel in a Typical Heavy Water Research Reactor

Theoretical and experimental investigations, which are exclusively carried out, reveal that thorium-based fuel could potentially be a proper alternative in nuclear fuel cycle technology. In this study, the neutronic impacts of such cycle as a consequence of natUO2 fuel substitution with an enriched uranium/thorium oxide fuel in a heavy water research reactor is presented. The obtained computational data shows that the thorium-based fuel has a less negative temperature coefficient comparing to UO2 fuel. Meantime, the thorium-based fuel loading in a typical core configuration does not drastically reduce the β as in case of UO2 fuel. Rather higher conversion factor and less transuranic production in the thorium-based fuel cycle make it favorable either to achieve higher cycle length or less dangerous and costly waste disposal.