Hazardous Waste Processing Research Articles

RECYCLING OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES: THE BLACK SPOT OF THE GREEN DEAL

Progress towards a decarbonized economy is dependent on the development of energy storage devices enabling the deployment of new strategies in the transport and energy sectors. Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) play a key role in facilitating the shift from fossil fuels to renewables based on ubiquitous sources of decentralized energy. However, the rapidly increasing demand for batteries has generated environmental concerns regarding recycling, and raw materials depletion and exhaustion. Moreover, the level of extraction and processing of battery raw materials from local resources is almost negligible, inducing geopolitical concerns regarding potential threats to production and the stability of local manufactures. Finally, the storage and processing of hazardous wastes remains a difficult challenge in the circular economy concept. Recycling, therefore, is beneficial to the environment and has a high economic value via strengthening local supply chains. This work presents an alternative, comprehensive, and holistic review of LIB recycling technologies; from traditional metallurgy strategies to innovative, direct recycling methods and pioneering in-production and design-for-recycling approaches. It identifies new directions for making recycling efficient and techno-economically profitable and sustainable - including the vital role of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Keywords: Lithium Ion Batteries, Recycling, Design for Recycling, In-production Recycling, Artificial Intelligence

Handling 'carbon footprint' in orthopaedics.

The National Health Service contributes 4%-5% of England and Wales' greenhouse gases and a quarter of all public sector waste. Between 20% and 33% of healthcare waste originates from a hospital's operating room, and up to 90% of waste is sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. The goal of this study was to quantify the amount and type of waste produced during a selection of common trauma and elective orthopaedic operations, and to calculate the carbon footprint of processing the waste. Waste generated for both elective and trauma procedures was separated primarily into clean and contaminated, paper or plastic, and then weighed. The annual carbon footprint for each operation at each site was subsequently calculated. Elective procedures can generate up to 16.5kg of plastic waste per procedure. Practices such as double-draping the patient contribute to increasing the quantity of waste. Over the procedures analysed, the mean total plastic waste at the hospital sites varied from 6 to 12kg. One hospital site undertook a pilot of switching disposable gowns for reusable ones with a subsequent reduction of 66% in the carbon footprint and a cost saving of £13,483.89. This study sheds new light on the environmental impact of waste produced during trauma and elective orthopaedic procedures. Mitigating the environmental impact of the operating room requires a collective drive for a culture change to sustainability and social responsibility. Each clinician can have an impact upon the carbon footprint of their operating theatre.

The mediating effect of environmental management accounting on hospital environmental performance: Analyzing hazardous waste processing in public hospitals of Manokwari Regency

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Leadership Transformation Style, organizational commitment, and the environmental performance of hospitals in managing hazardous waste. The study uses Structural Equation Modeling with a Partial Least Square approach (SEM-PLS) to analyze the data. The study focuses on the Civil Servants, Honorary Employees, and Contracted Health Workers at the Government General Hospital in Manokwari Regency as the research subjects. The dimensions of Transformation Leadership Variable are measured using 4 dimensions consisting of 37 indicators, while the dimensions of Organizational Commitment Variables are measured by 3 dimensions with 16 indicators. The measurement of Environmental Performance Variables consists of 13 indicators. Hypothesis tests I and II demonstrate a positive correlation between transformational leadership and Hospital Environmental Performance, with path coefficients of 0.364 and p-values of 0.009 (<0.05). Additionally, the study shows that there is a significant relationship between organizational commitment and the environmental performance of hospitals, with a path coefficient of 0.483 and a p-value less than 0.05. Both hypothesis tests I and II confirmed the positive association between transformational leadership and Hospital Environmental Performance with path coefficients of 0.364 and p-values of 0.009 (<0.05). The study evaluates the PLS Predict test of the Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square method (SEM-PLS) and suggests that the PLS model has medium predictive power.

Improving environmental performance: Analyzing hazardous waste processing in public hospitals of Manokwari Regency

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Leadership Transformation Style, organizational commitment, and the environmental performance of hospitals in managing hazardous waste. The study uses Structural Equation Modeling with a Partial Least Square approach (SEM-PLS) to analyze the data. The study focuses on the Civil Servants, Honorary Employees, and Contracted Health Workers at the Government General Hospital in Manokwari Regency as the research subjects. The dimensions of Transformation Leadership Variable are measured using 4 dimensions consisting of 37 indicators, while the dimensions of Organizational Commitment Variables are measured by 3 dimensions with 16 indicators. The measurement of Environmental Performance Variables consists of 13 indicators. Hypothesis tests I and II demonstrate a positive correlation between transformational leadership and Hospital Environmental Performance, with path coefficients of 0.364 and p-values of 0.009 (<0.05). Additionally, the study shows that there is a significant relationship between organizational commitment and the environmental performance of hospitals, with a path coefficient of 0.483 and a p-value less than 0.05. Both hypothesis tests I and II confirmed the positive association between transformational leadership and Hospital Environmental Performance with path coefficients of 0.364 and p-values of 0.009 (<0.05). The study evaluates the PLS Predict test of the Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square method (SEM-PLS) and suggests that the PLS model has medium predictive power.

Water purification from chlorobenzenes using heteroatom-functionalized carbon nanofibers produced on self-organizing Ni-Pd catalyst

The development of effective methods for the processing of hazardous wastes containing chlorinated hydrocarbons still remains a big challenge. Herein, the approach allowing the transformation of chlorohydrocarbons into functionalized carbon nanomaterials was demonstrated for 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) used as a model compound. Carbon nanofibers (CNF) doped with nitrogen and oxygen heteroatoms were fabricated by a joint decomposition of DCE and co-reagent (CH3CN, NH4OH, C2H5OH, and H2O). The Ni-Pd (5%) alloy was used as a catalyst precursor for the CNF synthesis. Pristine Ni-Pd alloy was found to undergo disintegration under the reaction conditions and to induce an active growth of the functionalized carbon nanofibers. The obtained CNF were shown to have a similar segmental structure of carbon filaments and to possess high specific surface area (up to 470 m2/g) and porosity (up to 0.9 cm3/g). According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data, the nitrogen content within CNF samples prepared using N-comprising precursors was about 1.0–1.7 at%. The total oxygen content reaches 3.6 at%. The obtained materials were demonstrated to be attractive for the dichlorobenzene adsorption from its aqueous solutions.

A field study of dioxins during co–processing of hazardous waste in multicomponent slurry gasifier

A field test was conducted to study the emission and distribution characteristics of dioxins during co–processing of hazardous waste in a multicomponent slurry gasifier (MCSG). The toxicity equivalent concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo–p–dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in all exhaust gas, waste water, and solid waste under both blank condition (i.e., feedstock was normal coal–water slurry) and test condition (i.e., feedstock mixed with hazardous waste and labeling reagents) were analyzed. Results showed that organic matter was fully degraded in the MCSG. The dioxin amount in the black water flash steam increased with the addition of hazardous waste and chlorine in the feedstock, and octachlorodibenzo–p–dioxins (OCDD) with the largest increase is the most easily formed monomer in dioxins. The dioxin amount in all samples was far below the standard limit in China and other countries. This indicates the low environmental risk from dioxins during the co–processing process. The dioxin distribution trend in solid, liquid, and gas phase during co–processing did not change: 86.63%–94.18%, 0.02%–0.13%, and 5.8%–13.23% of PCDDs were distributed in the exhaust gas, waste water, and solid waste, respectively, while 6.10%–22.95%, 0.59%–0.80%, and 76.45%–93.10% of PCDFs were distributed in the exhaust gas, waste water, and solid waste, respectively.

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

In order to ensure a sustainable economic and social development and maintain the quality of the environment, adequate waste management and conservation of natural resources are required. It is therefore necessary to apply an integrated waste reprocessing and recycling system, based on specific technologies, which facilitate, in the first stage, the recovery of valuable waste materials and, subsequently, the recovery of all materials and energy. Among the waste generated, a significant quantity is classified as hazardous waste. This paper has as main objective the analysis of waste management alternatives with an emphasis on hazardous waste management. Small and large generators of hazardous waste and environmental impact are considered as well as options for reducing hazardous waste quantities. Following an algorithm proposed in literatureh, the decision of appropriate methods of treatment and disposal of hazardous waste is made based on three main factors: physical state of hazardous waste, hazard criterion, composition criterion. On this basis, specific schemes for hazardous waste processing and disposal were established. A special attention was paid to alternatives for the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste in the form of accumulators

The investigation of an electric arc in a plasma chemical reactor for hazardous waste treatment

AbstractBACKGROUNDResearch was performed to reveal the main peculiarities of an operating electric arc in a plasma chemical reactor (PChR) for hazardous waste processing. The experimental study was performed in a model of PChR using thermal plasma as a heat source. Investigations described are conducted to study the voltage–current characteristics (VCC) and heat transfer between an electric arc and a flat anode during the free arc operation in an ambient nitrogen (N2) atmosphere.RESULTSPlasma torch (PT) parameters varied in the range of I = 100–600 A, U = 50–450 V, x = 0–400 mm, G = 2–4 g s−1 at atmospheric pressure using N2 as plasma‐forming gas. It was found that the power value of the laminar arc increased with increasing arc current and length. With increasing arc length, its initial part started to operate in a turbulent regime. It was observed that the region of laminar regime appeared in the area where arc power was inversely proportional to arc current. The dependence of the heat flux transferred by the electrons to the anode on arc current was determined. The distribution of convective heat flux density over the anode heating spot was analyzed and generalized. The experimental data on convective heat transfer in the anode (mean and critical point) were discussed.CONCLUSIONThis confirmed that plasma technology has several advantages over conventional incineration including higher temperatures, independence of heat source from the waste being destroyed or additional fuel, and shorter exposure time of hazards in the high‐temperature area. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Spatial Environmental Inequality in Lubbock, Texas

Environmental inequality assumes a near proximity of environmental health hazards, hazardous waste processing and releasing facilities to minority and low-income communities. Research in environmental inequality and environment justice over the past twenty years suggests that hazardous waste facilities are often located near minority and low-income neighborhoods. We conducted a study evaluating and quantifying environmental inequality in Lubbock County, Texas. Our study analyzed both spatial and statistical relationships between population demographics and spatial proximity to hazardous waste releasing facilities. Hazardous waste facility data used in the study were collected from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Population statistics from the U.S. Census comprise the demographic data for this analysis. Spatial regression models were estimated to evaluate the relationship between distance from TRI sites and neighborhood / census block group demographics. A statistically significant relationship with proximity to hazardous waste facilities was found in communities having significant minority populations.

Combined processing of waste organic polymers and manganese bearing waste/low grade ores into fuels and low-carbon manganese alloys

Georgia could serve as a unique natural testing ground for the development of green industry using advanced technologies for industrial processing of hazardous waste. The goal of the reported work was to improve on the current methods of reprocessing waste by using a combination of a microwave enhanced method of processing used tyres and plastic residues with the microwave enhanced processing of manganese bearing waste and low-grade ores into manganese oxide concentrate. The manganese concentrate could be processed into high-grade manganese alloys (metallic manganese, low-carbon ferromanganese, and composite manganese alloys). Microwave heating required lower energy and resulted in a two-fold increase in yield.

Research on Hazardous Waste Disposal Bus System Built in China's Dalian Xizhong Island Petrochemical Park

It is estimated that there are 0.33 billion tons of hazardous waste per year over the world. the scientific management of hazardous waste, effective guidance on the whole process and effective utilization become necessary. From this point, this thesis takes China’s Dalian Xizhong Petrochemical Park as the research object, using Multi-level evaluation model of grey system of hazardous waste processing project evaluation, then setting up Xizhong Island Petrochemical Park optimization of hazardous waste processing and disposing methods.We innovatively construct the combination of open type and closed type of hazardous waste disposal and management bus system, which is of great significance to achieve efficient management of hazardous waste.

Construction of Hazardous Waste Management

Hazardous Waste Management is a special course offered to students whose major is Environmental Engineering. It is offered to let students know basic knowledge and technologies of hazardous waste (HW) processing and disposal, so that they can solve problems on HW processing and disposal. With increasing development of processing and synthesis of substances, lots of hazardous waste is generated as side-products. As more importance was attached on environment, requirement on hazardous waste management is more stringent than ever before. In order to enhance the competitiveness of undergraduates in using English, it is necessary to develop this course as a bilingual course. This paper first analyzes the basic conditions of this course. Then it proposes a developing plan for the course from the following aspects: adjustment of the course, reorganization of the textbook, teaching method, teaching mode, test database and exercise database and ways to increase teaching quality of this course.

Greening of Orthopedic Surgery

Every year, 4 billion pounds of waste are produced by health care facilities, and the amount continues to increase annually. In response, a movement toward greening health care has been building, with a particular focus on the operating room. Between 20% and 70% of health care waste originates from a hospital's operating room, and up to 90% of operating room waste is improperly sorted and sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. Recent successful changes include segregation of hospital waste, substitution of the ubiquitous polypropylene plastic wrap used for the sterilization and handling of surgical equipment with metal cases, and the reintroduction of reusable surgical gowns. Orthopedic-related changes include the successful reprocessing and reuse of external fixators, shavers, blades, burs, and tourniquets. These changes have been shown to be environmentally and economically beneficial. Early review indicates that these changes are feasible, but a need exists for further evaluation of the effect on the operating room and flow of the surgical procedure and of the risks to the surgeons and operating room staff. Other key considerations are the effects of reprocessed and reused equipment on patient care and outcome and the role of surgeons in helping patients make informed decisions regarding surgical care. The goals of this study were to summarize the amount and types of waste produced in hospitals and operating rooms, highlight the methods of disposal used, review disposal methods that have been developed to reduce waste and improve recycling, and explore future developments in greening health care.

Prospects for processing wastes into products used in agriculture

Abstract The authors have proposed their own newly developed universal procedure for assessing waste and selecting methods of processing the waste for agricultural purposes. Increasingly more rigorous environmental legal regulations, especially pertaining to sustainability in agricultural and chemical production, were the most convincing motivation for such approach. The procedure is based on technological and environmental safety criteria. Special attention is devoted to the chemical processing of hazardous wastes into fertilizer products and the underlying reasons for such methodology. As opposed to physical and biochemical processes, in chemical processes the agents used completely change the chemical structure of the waste materials or at least that of some of their components. As a result, new phases are formed and the harmful properties of the initial material are eliminated. Prospects for the chemical processing of hazardous wastes are demonstrated using as an example the utilization of asbestos wastes. There are vast amounts of asbestos materials installed in industrial, communal, and service facilities. Landfill asbestos waste disposal is the common practice, but this does not solve properly the problem of environmental hazard. The proposed utilization concept consists in destroying asbestos with a phosphoric acid solution in a two-stage process. The obtained suspension is then filtered, and the solution of phosphates containing an excess of phosphoric acid is subsequently neutralized with lime and processed into phosphate fertilizers of TSP (triple superphosphate) or DCP (dicalcium phosphate) type. Experiments showed that the process yielded asbestos-free products which did not contain any respirable fibers. Comparative immunological tests showed that the products did not cause any degeneration of human lung cells exposed to them, as opposed to the original asbestos, which had a highly damaging effect on the cells.

Separation Techniques for Quantification of Radionuclides in Environmental Samples

The reliable and quantitative measurement of radionuclides is important in order to determine environmental quality and radiation safety, and to monitor regulatory compliance. We examined soil samples from Podunajske Biskupice, near the city of Bratislava in the Slovak Republic, for the presence of several natural (U, Th, K) and anthropogenic (Cs, Sr, Pu, Pu, Am) radionuclides. The area is adjacent to a refinery and hazardous waste processing center, as well as the municipal incinerator plant, and so might possess an unusually high level of ecotoxic metals. We found that the levels of both naturally occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides fell within the expected ranges, indicating that these facilities pose no radiological threat to the local environment. During the course of our analysis, we modified existing techniques in order to allow us to handle the unusually large and complex samples that were needed to determine the levels of Pu, Pu, and Am activity. We also rated three commercial techniques for the separation of 90Sr from aqueous solutions and found that two of them, AnaLig Sr-01 and Empore Extraction Disks, were suitable for the quantitative and reliable separation of Sr, while the third, Sr-Spec Resin, was less so. The main criterion in evaluating these methods was the chemical recovery of Sr, which was less than we had expected. We also considered speed of separation and additional steps needed to prepare the sample for separation.

Analysis of transport phenomena in a rotary-kiln hazardous waste incinerator

Processing of hazardous waste in a rotary kiln incinerator is a complex process. Since hazardous waste has often very complicated chemical compositions and physical forms, the transport phenomena within the incinerator are not well understood, and the incineration process expects large uncertainties in process chemistry and is difficult for emission control. For better understanding of the incineration process, various transport phenomena taking place in the rotary kiln were discussed and analysed in this paper. To get more quantitative understanding, process simulation was conducted by using Computational Fluid-Dynamics (CFD) to characterise gas and solid flow and mixing, temperature and species distribution in the incinerator. To include all the waste streams in a single CFD model is a difficult task, and how to define the different waste streams with different calorific values and chemical compositions is a challenge to the CFD modelling. In this study, hazardous waste in various forms is firstly converted to a hydrocarbon-based virtual fuel mixture based on an overall mass and energy balance. The combustion of the simplified waste was then simulated with a combustion model. The distribution of temperature and chemical species is broadly investigated under various conditions. The predicted temperature distribution has been validated with available measurement data from an operating rotary kiln waste incinerator, and reasonable agreement between the predicted and measured data has been reached.

Development of a plasma energy pyrolysis system (PEPS) to treat complex military waste streams

AbstractThe U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USACERL) is involved in evaluating the capability of plasma technology for the destruction of hazardous components, verifying slag suitability for regular landfill disposal, identifying potential hazards associated with the process emissions, and developing qualified cost estimates for the future use of the process on large scale operations. The Plasma Energy Pyrolysis System (PEPS) project provides an environmental compliance technology to reduce the cost of treatment and disposal of hazardous and toxic waste streams resulting from production or deactivation of military weapon systems or from military operations.Plasma arc technology applications enable the military to control and dispose of recalcitrant hazardous and toxic wastes regulated under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act amendments (RCRA), in addition to satisfying the increasingly stringent emission standards of the Clean Air Act (CAA) relevant to open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) practices within the military. A plasma arc processing unit can significantly reduce costs associated with conventional hazardous waste treatment technologies such as: sample characterization lead time, health and safety exposure risks to workers, and increased risks to the general public from accidents involving excavated and transported wastes. The development and field demonstration of plasma arc technology will provide a much‐needed capability for military hazardous waste processing and disposal on a flexible basis.

Engineering applications of plasma science

Plasmas are important in such diverse fields as astrophysics, controlled fusion research, semiconductor manufacturing and laser technology. Plasma science incorporates skills from electromagnetics, thermodynamics, materials science, chemistry, electronics, mechanical design, vacuum technology and computer modeling. Plasma is involved in up to 30% of the steps in fabricating today's microprocessors. Microwave tubes are a multibillion dollar market worldwide. Plasma processing within integrated circuit manufacturing is a $2 billion/year industry in the United States alone. The author discusses some engineering applications of plasma science, including: etching; deposition/coating; surface treatment; microwave vacuum tubes; pollution and hazardous waste processing; lasers; coronas.

Implementing Change in Locally Unwanted Land Use: The Case of GSX

To date, guidelines and strategies for the siting process, including planner intervention, have arisen from conflict surrounding locally unwanted land uses (LULUs). The task of changing an existing unwanted land use has not received equal attention, and this task poses special problems for parties involved in the decision-making process. The issues, the space of alternative solutions, and some consequences of limited planner involvement are illustrated with a case: the closing down of the GSX Chemical Services of Ohio hazardous waste processing facility in Cleveland. The unpredictability and poor quality of outcomes, as well as the costs of conflict to the host community, illustrated by this case suggest the need for proactive planner participation in such changes. We use the GSX case to examine specific aspects of change in existing unwanted land uses and the potential benefits of using planners' skills and their position as active negotiators on behalf of the public interest. We explore some ways in which planner intervention could enable a transparent decision-making process that is inclusive of all concerns, whether represented or not, and that is based on accurate and shared information.

Hazardous waste generation and processing

A waste is considered hazardous if it exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity. This paper reviews the sources of hazardous waste generation which come mainly from industries. The major types of hazardous wastes are toxic organic compounds and heavy metals. Up to the present, the developed countries such as USA, Japan and many European countries are the major hazardous wastes generators, while increasing quantity of hazardous wastes is being generated by the newly industrialized countries (NICs). To minimize hazardous waste disposal problems, certain technologies to reduce waste quantity are recommended. These technologies include; in-plant minimization, raw material alteration, equipment redesign, improved housekeeping and product substitution. Some proven hazardous waste processing and treatment technologies are described in the paper.