Municipal Waste Incineration Research Articles

Destructive Effects of Slag from Municipal Waste Incineration Plants on Cement Composites

Destructive Effects of Slag from Municipal Waste Incineration Plants on Cement Composites

Emission of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Unidentified Organofluorine from Swedish Municipal Waste Incineration Plants

Emission of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Unidentified Organofluorine from Swedish Municipal Waste Incineration Plants

Numerical Simulation of the Diffusion Characteristics of Odor Pollutants of Waste Bunkers in Waste Incineration Plant

This paper utilizes the waste bunker of a waste incineration plant as the analysis model. It analyzes the airflow characteristics under various unloading door opening states and the air flow velocity through CFD simulation. The simulation analysis results show that when one unloading door is opened, it is recommended to adjust the opening amplitude or set an air outlet to optimize the airflow distribution. If two unloading doors are opened, it is advised to prioritize the two middle unloading doors (M4, M5) or the two rightmost doors (M7, M8). Furthermore, the exhaust port located relatively far from the unloading door should be closed to reduce the turbulence of the airflow. When all unloading doors are opened, the air flow velocity at the unloading door needs to be increased to achieve an efficient exhaust effect and prevent negative pressure problems at low speed. The results offer theoretical support for odor control technologies and provide valuable design recommendations for air outlets and unloading doors in municipal waste incineration plants. Additionally, this study proposes optimization strategies and effective solutions for addressing odor pollutant diffusion in waste incineration facilities.

Assessment of mechanical and heavy metal leaching behavior of engineered cementitious composites incorporating ultra-high-volume municipal waste incineration bottom ash

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of incorporating 100% municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA) as a replacement for fine aggregates in engineered cementitious composites (ECCs). To improve mechanical properties, three types of polymer fibers (PVA, PP, and PE) were used at dosages of 0-2% by volume. The impact of fiber content on compressive strength, elastic modulus, and other key performance indicators such as peak strain, ultimate strain, damage modulus, and toughness index was systematically investigated. Results showed that while the elastic modulus and peak stress slightly decreased with increasing fiber content due to fiber agglomeration and increased macro-porosity, fibers significantly enhanced the deformation capacity and toughness. For instance, the MSWIBA-ECCs with 2% PP fibers exhibited the highest compressive damage energy of 205.47 J, a 79.48% increase over the control group, demonstrating superior toughness. Additionally, the study developed a new constitutive model that accurately predicted stress-strain behavior considering fiber characteristics. Environmental assessment revealed that MSWIBA-ECCs effectively immobilized hazardous heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), with a solidification efficiency of 97%, ensuring compliance with Chinese environmental standards. These findings suggest that MSWIBA-ECCs, combined with optimized fiber content, offer a sustainable and high-performance alternative for construction applications.

Occurrence, sources and risk assessment of 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in sediments from the Soummam River protected area, Algeria: A potential threat to the Mediterranean Sea

The levels, the sources and the potential risks associated with twelve dioxin-like PCBs were investigated in the sediments of the Soummam River in northeastern Algeria. Total dl-PCBs concentrations ranged from 3.64 ng/g to 9.38 ng/g with PCB 118 and PCB 105 being the predominant congeners. Principal component analysis suggested that commercial mixtures and municipal waste incineration could be responsible for the presence of PCBs in the region. TEQ values ranged from 12.93 pg/g to 60.98 pg/g indicating adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Moreover, cancer risk assessed via Total Lifetime Cancer Risk (TLCR) suggested that for all the stations, the risk was low but not negligible. Additionally, the non-cancer risk was significant at half of the stations for children but negligible for adults at all the stations. Consequently, measures must be taken by local authorities to protect the environment and the human health.

Mineralization of fluoropolymers from combustion in a pilot plant under representative european municipal and hazardous waste combustor conditions

The goal of this study was to provide data to support mineralization of fluoropolymer waste and insignificant generation of PFAS as products of incomplete combustion (PIC) during incineration of fluoropolymer applications at their end-of-life. Destruction efficiency is not an acceptable metric to indicate mineralization and therefore we need to look for and measure products of incomplete destruction. A mixed sample of fluoropolymers representing 80% of commercial fluoropolymers was combusted at conditions representative of municipal and industrial waste incinerators operating in EU. State-of-the-art emission sampling and analytical methods (UPLC-MS/MS, GC-MS) were used for identifying and quantifying those PFAS whose standards were available. Statistical analysis of the results confirmed non-detect to negligible levels of PFAS evidencing mineralization of fluoropolymers.

Discharge Electrode Degradation in Dry Electrostatic Precipitator Cleaning of Exhaust Gases from Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators

The electrodes of industrial electrostatic precipitators degrade as a result of two phenomena: corrosion and erosion. The first is chemical degradation by highly reactive compounds formed during combustion, in particular, during the incineration of municipal or industrial wastes or high-sulfur coal. The degradation intensity of electrostatic precipitator electrodes depends on the chemical composition of the exhaust gasses. High concentrations of chlorides, fluorides, or sulfur in the exhaust gasses cause strong corrosion of the electrostatic precipitator elements. The second mechanism is the erosion caused by solid particles conveyed by the exhaust gas stream due to their collision with the electrodes. In this study, the analysis of the degradation of electrodes of an electrostatic precipitator downstream of an industrial waste incinerator was carried out. The industrial wastes of unknown sources were subjected to thermal degradation in a rotary kiln. The aim of this study was to provide fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms of electrode degradation located on the surface of discharge electrodes of electrostatic precipitators during the combustion of industrial wastes.

Technological and economical analysis of the heat recovery system from flue gas in a thermal waste treatment plant

A heat recovery system from flue gas increases the overall efficiency of a district heating or CHP plant, as the system recovers the waste energy contained in the flue gas at the chimney outlet. This makes it possible to increase thermal energy production with the same fuel consumption. A method for calculating the thermodynamic parameters of municipal waste incineration plants was developed as part of the work carried out. The mathematical models prepared made it possible to analyse the impact of the heat recovery system from flue gas on technical and economic parameters and the environment, including, among other things, an estimate of the annual amount of heat recovered, the amount of additional electricity consumed, the amount of condensate treated, the estimated capital expenditure, operating profits and operating costs. The results of the analyses were the basis for designing and constructing a heat recovery system from flue gas equipped with a condensation heat exchanger for the municipal waste incineration plant in Cracow. The calculation results were compared with the measurement results obtained during the test run of the constructed installation.

Geopolymer Materials from Fly Ash-A Sustainable Approach to Hazardous Waste Management.

This study explores the utilisation challenges of fly ash from municipal waste incineration, specifically focusing on ash from a dry desulphurisation plant (DDS), which is categorised as hazardous due to its high heavy metal content. The ash's low silicon and calcium contents restrict its standalone utility. Laboratory investigations initially revealed that geopolymers derived solely from fly ash after flue gas treatment (FGT), in combination with coal combustion fly ash, exhibited low compressive strength (below 0.6 MPa). However, the study demonstrated significant improvements by modifying the FGT ash through water leaching. This process enhanced its performance when mixed with high-silica and -aluminium fly ash, resulting in geopolymers achieving compressive strengths of up to 18 MPa. Comparable strength outcomes were observed when the modified ash was blended with commercial cement. Leachability tests conducted for heavy metals (HMs) such as copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, and nickel indicated that their concentrations fell below the regulatory limits for landfill disposal: 2, 4, 0.5, 0.04, and 0.4 mg/kg, respectively. These results underscore the effectiveness of water-washing FGT ash in conjunction with other materials for producing geopolymers, contributing to sustainable waste management practices.

Optimizing waste leachate treatment for environmental and economic sustainability: Insights from a bottom-up study of over 300 cities

Municipal waste incineration in China reached 232 million tonnes in 2022, with increasing problems in treating waste leachate (WL). However, significant uncertainty exists in the emission performances, cost, and optimization strategies of city-level WL treatment. Herein, a bottom-up approach is utilized to investigate the WL status across over 300 cities and a life cycle thinking is employed to compare the environmental and economic effects of various WL and waste leachate concentrate (WLC) management options. Analysis reveals national production of WL has reached 57 million tonnes, with the top ten cities, including Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Chongqing, contributing 20.6 %. Biological coupled chemical treatment (BCT) demonstrates the best environmental performances in WL treatment technologies, while biologically coupled membrane treatment (BMT) offers the lowest economic expenses, and Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) evaporation excels in treating WLC. In a business-as-usual scenario, the national carbon emissions, energy consumption, and economic costs of WL treatment are 24 million tonnes CO2 eq, 264 million GJ, and RMB 19 billion, respectively. Under the WL and WLC technology optimization scenarios, estimations indicate a reduction in carbon emissions by 80.7 % (equivalent to 55.1 million trees) and 19.7 % (equivalent to 13.5 million trees), respectively. Viewed holistically, replacing BMT with BCT emerges as the optimal mitigation strategy, with the synergistic optimization of BMT and MVR evaporation systems following closely. In the formulation of the technology transition strategies, the urban economy, strategic positioning, and geographic location also should be considered apart from the technological aspects, to steadily achieve sustainable co-benefits across environmental and economic dimensions.

Study on the properties of solidified materials of municipal waste incineration ash cementitious materials

Study on the properties of solidified materials of municipal waste incineration ash cementitious materials

Elevated temperature rusting characteristics of UNS 31254 weldments within the operational confines of fossil fuel-fired plants and municipal waste incinerator surroundings at 700 °C

ABSTRACT This study investigates the air oxidation and rusting traits of fully austenitic alloy 254 stainless steel samples at 700°C after pulse current gas tungsten arc welding (PCGTA) and CO2 laser beam welding (CO2 LBW), with or without molten salt, relevant to coal-fired plants and waste incinerator settings. Among the weldments studied, CO2 laser weldments demonstrate greater resilience to corrosive gas and salt amalgamation, as well as air oxidation, compared to gas tungsten arc weldments, possibly due to thermal disparities and microstructural differences inherent in the welding processes. Protective oxides enhance corrosion resistance in air-oxidised samples, while corrosive compounds like CrS, Cr2K2O7, etc., reduce corrosion resistance and promote spallation in salt-degraded material. A thermogravimetric approach was used to assess rusting effects, alongside microstructural analysis employing optical, Scanning electron microscopy/ Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD) techniques.

Co-pyrolysis of fly ash with sewage sludge for PCDD/F removal.

Fly ash generated from municipal waste incineration (MWI) contains various toxic substances, and it has to be properly treated before disposal or reuse. Water washing and thermal pyrolysis can improve the destruction efficiency of PCDD/Fs in fly ash generated from municipal solid waste incinerators. Since sulfur oxides and nitrogen compounds generated by the heating of the sewage sludge poison the catalytic active sites for PCDD/Fs formation on fly ash surface, co-pyrolysis of fly ash with sewage sludge effectively inhibits precursor formation and de novo synthesis reaction, resulting in the great reduction of PCDD/F formation. The results of the pyrolysis at 350 °C show that the PCDD/Fs removal efficiencies based on mass concentration are over 99%. The results at 350 °C of different reaction times show that the reaction time of 10 min is sufficient to reach the European End of Waste criteria (≤ 20 pg TEQ/g) when the ratio of fly ash/sewage sludge is controlled at 1:1.

Immobilization of Cu(II) and Zn(II) into hydrocalumite - An X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) investigation

The fate of heavy metals is crucial to the reuse of municipal waste incineration ash (MWIA) as construction materials. It is, however, not completely clear how they interact with cementitious phases at the molecular scale. This study investigated the uptake and speciation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) during the generation of Al-hydrocalumite-type high-pH phases through co-precipitation and adsorption experiments. Hydrocalumite (Hc) and minor phases, such as calcite and hydrogarnet, were identified as primary phases using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The characterization of Hc+Cu(II), Hc+Zn(II), and Hc+Cu(II)+Zn(II) via XRD, SEM, and bulk Cu(II)/Zn(II) EXAFS showed that both Cu(II) and Zn(II) exists as the surface/interlayer adsorption on the Hc+Cu(II)/Hc+Zn(II) and Hc+Cu(II)+Zn(II). Thermodynamic calculations support the experimental observations for the bulk phase. This study help understand the interacting mechanism between Cu(II)/Zn(II) and Hc phase, and pave the way of safe utilization of heavy-metal-containing waste as supplementary cementitious materials.

Energy Efficiency Analysis of Waste-to-Energy Plants in Poland

The issue of enhancing energy recovery efficiency is a key concern within the European Union’s climate protection efforts. In particular, it applies to all processes and plants for the harvesting, gathering, and conversion of energy. The abandonment of fossil fuels in favour of alternative energy sources, and the increasing of energy efficiency and its recovery, is now a widely accepted direction of energy development. This study focuses on facilities that recover and process energy from municipal waste left after recycling processes, known as waste-to-energy (WtE) plants. These plants’ energy recovery efficiency is governed by the R1 Formula in EU countries. This report is based on an analysis of four years of operational data from selected Polish municipal waste incinerators, supplemented by a discussion of various studies on energy recovery efficiency. The primary objective of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness of these plants in contributing to sustainable waste management and energy recovery. The main effect of the developed report is the set of results of the energy recovery efficiency factor values, determined based on the R1 formula valid in the EU legislation, tabulated and graphically illustrated, and calculated for five selected Polish waste-to-energy plants. The presented results, with their graphical interpretation, discussion, and conclusions, provide insights into several factors influencing the value of the R1 efficiency factor. They can be a valuable contribution to operators of waste-to-energy plants, especially those operating in countries outside the EU.

Assessing the effect of COVID 19 lockdowns on the composition of organic compounds and potential source of PM2.5 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The ambient air quality during COVID-19 lockdowns has been improved in many cities in the world. This study is to assess the changes in persistent organic pollutants in PM2.5 during the COVID-19 lockdown in Hanoi. Individual organic species in PM2.5 ((e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)) were measured in an urban residential area in Hanoi from before the March 10th to April 22nd, 2020, including before the partial lockdown (BL) and the partial lockdown (PL) phases. During the PL phase, the concentration of Σ14PAHs and Σ28PCBs was reduced by 38 and 52% compared with the BL period, respectively. The diagnostic ratio method implied that the sources of PAHs within the PL phase had a less effect on traffic and industrial activities than in the BL phase. The characteristic ratio method indicated that PCBs were mixed by commercial product and combustion process in both the BL and the PL periods, however, the source of PCBs in the BL phase was influenced by municipal waste incineration more than those in the PL phase. The decreasing concentration of Σ20OCPs during the partial lockdown was attributed to the restriction of human activities during the quarantine period. The results suggested that the source of OCPs was probably derived from the usage of pesticides in current and, historical degradation or the transportation of pesticides from the soil to the atmosphere.

An integrated uncrewed aerial vehicle platform with sensing and sampling systems for the measurement of air pollutant concentrations

Abstract. In this study, an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) platform with sensing and sampling systems was developed for three-dimensional (3D) measurements of air pollutant concentrations. The sensing system of this platform contains multiple microsensors and Internet of Things devices for determining the 3D distributions of four critical air pollutants and two meteorological parameters in real time. Moreover, the sampling system comprises remote-controllable gas sampling kits, each of which contains a 1 L Tedlar bag for the 3D measurement of volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations according to the Toxic Organics-15 (TO-15) method of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The performance of the developed UAV platform was verified in experiments where it was used to detect air pollutant emissions from a large industrial zone in Taiwan that included a traditional industrial park, a precision machinery park, and a municipal waste incineration plant. Three locations were selected as field measurement sites according to the prevailing local wind direction. The vertical distributions of four critical air pollutants, the ambient temperature, and the relative humidity were determined from data gathered at the aforementioned sites in March and May 2023. A total of 56 and 72 chemical species were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in these two periods, respectively. The experimental results verified the feasibility of using the proposed UAV platform for accurately evaluating the air pollutant concentration distribution and transport in an industrial zone. The sampling system can be used as the sampling part of the TO-15 method, thus extending the method to measure the 3D distribution of VOCs in an area. The UAV platform can serve as a useful tool in the management of and decision-making process for air pollution in industrial areas.

Hydrogen as Potential Primary Energy Fuel for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration for a Sustainable Waste Management

The control of municipal stable waste (MSW) has lengthy offered difficulties for the community. Affecting the sustainability of the environment. The expected reasons are rising earnings and population. The maximum superior and practicable technique for coping with municipal strong waste is incineration generation. The foundation of incinerator generation is the combustion of trash with the use of fossil fuels. Not handiest are these fuels strolling out day by day, however burning them poses a chance to the environment. The modern study appears into the viability of using hydrogen as the main gas for combustion within the incineration of municipal strong waste (MSW). It is now viable to run an incinerator of the vertical shaft type on natural hydrogen. Through specially made burners, a gasoline aggregate of hydrogen and oxygen in a stoichiometric ratio has been fed. The burners are made in this kind of manner as to offer uniform heat dispersion. In order to envision how the incinerator operates at the very best accredited moisture degree, more than a few Tests were carried out on both homogeneous and heterogeneous MSWs with excessive moisture possibilities ranging from 60 to 90%. It has been mentioned that the incineration reached a most temperature of 850C. There has been a important drop in weight percentage, 86–94%, and loss on ignition (1.74%–6.41%). For homogeneous paper and meals waste (1 kg), the hydrogenbased totally incinerator executed fine, accomplishing 60% and 87% of moisture content, in that order. The weight reduction become 97.14% and 88.88%, respectively, with energy expenditure of 108 Wh and 321 Wh. The efficiency of the hydrogen-based incinerator gadget decreases as the moisture content of the rubbish will increase. Keywords: Municipal waste management (MSW), hydrogen, incineration, fuel.

Speciation of antimony and vanadium in municipal solid waste incineration ashes analyzed by XANES spectroscopy

The use of ashes from municipal solid waste incineration as secondary building materials is an important pillar for the circular economy in Germany. However, leaching of potential toxic elements from these materials must be at environmentally acceptable levels. Normally, a three-month ageing period immobilizes most hazardous heavy metals, but antimony (Sb) and vanadium (V) showed previously unusual leaching. In order to clarify the mechanisms, we analyzed the Sb and V species in various bottom and fly ashes from municipal waste incineration by XANES spectroscopy. Antimony oxidizes from Sb(+ III) species used as flame retardants in plastics to Sb(+ V) compounds during waste incineration. However, owing to the similarity of different Sb(+ V) compound in the Sb K- and L-edge XANES spectra, it was not possible to accurately identify an exact Sb(+ V) species. Moreover, V is mainly present as oxidation state + V compound in the analyzed ashes. However, the coarse and magnetic fraction of the bottom ashes contain larger amounts of V(+ III) and V(+ IV) compounds which might enter the waste incineration from vanadium carbide containing steel tools. Thus, Sb and V could be critical potential toxic elements in secondary building materials and long-term monitoring of the release should be taken into account in the future.

Study of a Fire-Resistant Plate Containing Fly Ashes Generated from Municipal Waste Incinerator: Fire and Mechanical Characteristics and Environmental Life Cycle Assessment.

The recycling of fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration is currently a global issue. This work intends to examine the viability of a novel recycling alternative for fly ashes as a component of fire-resistant plates. To lessen the quantity of heavy metal leaching, the fly ash was utilized after being washed using a water/fly ash ratio of 2 for one hour. Subsequently, an inexpensive, straightforward molding and curing process was used to create a plate, with a composition of 60%wt of MSWI-FA, 30%wt of gypsum, 0.5%wt of glass fiber and 9.5%wt of vermiculite. The plate exhibited high fire resistance. Furthermore, it demonstrated compression, flexural strength and surface hardness slightly lower than the requirements of European Standards. This allows for manufacturing plates with a high washed MSWI-FA content as fire protection in firewalls and doors for homes and commercial buildings. A Life Cycle Assessment was carried out. The case study shows that a 60% substitution of gypsum resulted in an environmental impact reduction of 8-48% for all impact categories examined, except four categories impacts (marine eutrophication, human toxicity (cancer), human non-carcinogenic toxicity and water depletion, where it increased between 2 and 718 times), due to the previous washing of MSWI-FA. When these fly ashes are used as a raw material in fire-resistant materials, they may be recycled and offer environmental advantages over more conventional materials like gypsum.