Waste Management Area Research Articles

IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN PENGELOLAAN SAMPAH KOTA SEMARANG MENURUT PERDA NOMOR 6 TAHUN 2012 TENTANG PENGELOLAAN SAMPAH

Waste management policy based on the event by the high number of heaps of garbage that exists in the city of Semarang. Production of garbage in the city of Semarang per day reached 800 tons/day with a capacity of landfill of 400 tons/day. This happens because with the increase of the population of Semarang city around 1.5 million inhabitants and is also one of the goals of the urbanization. As a result of such activities is the increased production of waste caused by the people. To deal with the problem of local government issued regulation Semarang city waste management areas number 6 in 2012 about waste management that aims to improve public health and the quality of the environment as well as made the waste as a resource. The purpose of this research is to find out how the implementation and the factors that encourage and inhibit the implementation of waste management Policies according to the Semarang area number 6 in 2012. Research methods used in this research is qualitative research methods are descriptive, i.e. by providing a comprehensive overview of the focus of the research. The results of this research show that the implementation of waste management policies are not fully managed to reduce the number of existing middens. In practice there are still various obstacles such as, communications, resources, disposition and bureaucratic structure. Recommendations that can be given to the problem of socialization such as local regulations through electronic media, the addition of human resources and facility cleanliness, training, motivation for employees as well as the establishment of a special section dealing with communities who break the rules are already set.

Spatial analysis of Carbon-14 dynamics in a wetland ecosystem (Duke Swamp, Chalk River Laboratories, Canada)

A detailed survey was conducted to quantify the spatial distribution of 14C in Sphagnum moss and underlying soil collected in Duke Swamp. This wetland environment receives 14C via groundwater pathways from a historic radioactive Waste Management Area (WMA) on Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL)'s Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site. Trends in 14C specific activities were evaluated with distance from the sampling location with the maximum 14C specific activity (DSS-35), which was situated adjacent to the WMA and close to an area of groundwater discharge. Based on a spatial evaluation of the data, an east-to-west 14C gradient was found, due to the influence of the WMA on 14C specific activities in the swamp. In addition, it was possible to identify two groups of sites, each showing significant exponential declines with distance from the groundwater source area. One of the groups showed relatively more elevated 14C specific activities at a given distance from source, likely due to their proximity to the WMA, the location of the sub-surface plume originating from the WMA, the presence of marsh and swamp habitat types, which facilitated 14C transport to the atmosphere, and possibly, 14C air dispersion patterns along the eastern edge of the swamp. The other group, which had lower 14C specific activities at a given distance from the groundwater source area, included locations that were more distant from the WMA and the sub-surface plume, and contained fen habitat, which is known to act as barrier to groundwater flow. The findings suggest that proximity to source, groundwater flow patterns and habitat physical characteristics can play an important role in the dynamics of 14C being carried by discharging groundwater into terrestrial and wetland environments.

Evaluation of Potential Mercury Releases from Medical Isotope Waste

Mercuric (Hg) nitrate is used as a catalyst in the medical isotope production process at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories (Chalk River, ON) to ensure consistent Mo-99 target dissolution. The subsequent high level radiological liquid waste is cemented into stainless-steel pails and shipped to a waste management area for long-term storage. Previous studies have confirmed that Hg tends to bind and precipitate I-131, thus minimizing its release to the environment. In order to assess the situation and evaluate the need for Hg monitoring, environmental media (vegetation, surface soil, groundwater, and air) surrounding this waste storage area were sampled and results were compared with applicable guidelines and/or background areas at AECL and other locations.Mercury in groundwater, surface soil, and vegetation were found to be below applicable environmental guidelines and comparable to background locations. Atmospheric Hg near waste storage was found to be elevated above background, but well below applicable guidelines for continuous monitoring. Concentrations of Hg in air also dissipated quickly and were comparable to background within 60 to 80 m from source.The atmospheric Hg monitor used in this study (TEKRAN 2537B) constitutes part of the custom-built portable TEAMS trailer that was designed to provide Chalk River Laboratories with the capability to measure, monitor and model Hg emissions, along with other radiological and non-radiological contaminants, for a wide range of situations. The trailer can also be easily re-configured to adapt to different monitoring needs.

Exergy analysis of biogas production from a municipal solid waste landfill

In the energy area, intensive efforts are being made over the last years to bridge the supply area with renewable energy sources and the demand side with energy conservation. Energy recovery from municipal solid waste landfills can play a contributing role in the solution of problems of both waste management and energy areas. The objective of this work is to analyze exergeticaly the electricity production from a landfill in the area of Volos, Greece and discuss how the extension of the landfill influences electricity production, something not studied so far. The electricity production potential was analyzed for every extension phase and comparative results are presented.

Do site-specific radiocarbon measurements reflect localized distributions of 14C in biota inhabiting a wetland with point contamination sources?

Duke Swamp is a wetland ecosystem that receives 14C via a groundwater pathway originating from a waste management area on Atomic Energy Canada Limited's Chalk River Laboratories site. This groundwater reaches the surface of the swamp, resulting in relatively high 14C levels over an area of 146 m2. The objective of this study was to quantify 14C concentrations in flora and fauna inhabiting areas of Duke Swamp over the gradient of 14C activity concentrations in moss to determine whether 14C specific activities in receptor biota reflect the localized nature of the groundwater source in the swamp. Representative receptor plants and animals, and corresponding air and soil samples were collected at six sites in Duke Swamp with 14C specific activities in air that ranged from 1140 to 45,900 Bq/kg C. In general, it was found that specific activities of 14C in biota tissues reflected those measured in environmental media collected from the same sampling site. The findings demonstrate that mosses could be used in monitoring programs to ensure protection of biota in areas with elevated 14C, negating the need to capture and euthanize higher organisms.

Decision support models for solid waste management: Review and game-theoretic approaches

This paper surveys decision support models that are commonly used in the solid waste management area. Most models are mainly developed within three decision support frameworks, which are the life-cycle assessment, the cost–benefit analysis and the multi-criteria decision-making. These frameworks are reviewed and their strengths and weaknesses as well as their critical issues are analyzed, while their possible combinations and extensions are also discussed. Furthermore, the paper presents how cooperative and non-cooperative game-theoretic approaches can be used for the purpose of modeling and analyzing decision-making in situations with multiple stakeholders. Specifically, since a waste management model is sustainable when considering not only environmental and economic but also social aspects, the waste management bargaining game is introduced as a specific decision support framework in which future models can be developed.

World scenario of green patents: Perspectives and strategies for the development of eco-innovations

The purpose of the present research was to analyze the global scenario for green patents connected with waste management areas, alternative energies, agriculture, transportation, energy conservation and the prospecting about hybrid cars. The patents analyzed were filed from 1979 to 2011. The data collection method consisted of a technological forecast about the Green Technologies. The research was carried out on the patent base Derwent Innovations Index from Web of Science. Only, 123 Green Technology patents were found in nine countries, including the United States, China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, Britain and Taiwan. Indeed, 727 technological patents related to hybrid cars in sixteen countries including the United States, Japan, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, India, South Korea, Britain, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Holland and Hungary were found. The United States is leader in the ranking of Green Technologies and in hybrid car patents. However, countries such as Japan, China and Germany demonstrated a considerable increase. This study contributes toward other studies that focus on the acceleration of decisions in applications for inventive patents and aims to identify new technologies which can be quickly used by the productive sector and universities stimulating the licensing and encouraging the innovation in many countries. Key words: Green patents, eco-innovations, intellectual property, hybrid cars.

Quantification of exchangeable and non-exchangeable organically bound tritium (OBT) in vegetation

The objective of this study is to quantify the relative amounts of exchangeable organically bound tritium (OBT) and non-exchangeable OBT in various vegetables. A garden plot at Perch Lake, where tritium levels are slightly elevated due to releases of tritium from a nearby nuclear waste management area and Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) operations, was used to cultivate a variety of vegetables. Five different kinds of vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, tomato, radish and beet) were studied. Exchangeable OBT behaves like tritium in tissue free water in living organisms and, based on past measurements, accounts for about 20% of the total tritium in dehydrated organic materials. In this study, the percentage of the exchangeable OBT was determined to range from 20% to 57% and was found to depend on the type of vegetables as well as the sequence of the plants exposure to HTO.

Observed and Modelled Tritium in the Wetland Ecosystem in Duke Swamp near a Nuclear Waste Management Area

The high mobility of tritium as HTO implies that, under steady-state conditions, the T/H ratio (or equivalently the HTO concentration) is the same in all water compartments of the environment. This is the basis of the specific activity (SA) model, which underlies almost all environmental tritium models. SA concepts apply to organically bound tritium (OBT) as well, since the OBT formed by a given plant process at a given time has a T/H ratio that reflects the ratio in the water that enters into that process. There is no empirical evidence that the bioaccumulation of tritium in aquatic and wetland plants will occur. OBT/HTO ratios less than one is consistently found in the laboratory where the HTO concentrations to which the plants are exposed can be held constant. These data suggest a value of 0.7 for the OBT/HTO ratio under equilibrium conditions in the laboratory. Theoretical considerations suggest that the value of the OBT/HTO ratio in plants is significantly different from one and, in most cases, greater than one. This is primarily due to the much longer residence time of OBT in plants as compared to HTO. The observed HTO concentrations are much higher than OBT concentrations, which makes OBT/HTO ratio smaller than unit in contrast with SA based expectations. In addition to this, the IMPACT model overpredicted HTO and OBT concentrations in plants and animals by a factor of 3 or 4, on average. This work is summary of the AECL funded research project (1).

A study on legislative and policy tools for promoting the circular economic model for waste management in China

The circular economy has been developing rapidly in recent years in China. A legislative system has been created to provide legal protection for the development of a circular economy, including a series of price and tax measures in the waste management area. These measures form the basic foundation for promoting better waste management under the circular economic model. Many challenges, however, remain. For instance, the legal system needs to incorporate more sophisticated science, and China lacks key waste treatment technology that could support the further development of a circular economy. There is also a need to educate the public about the concept of the circular economy and its benefits. Specific suggestions are made for the development and implementation of the circular economic model.

Ecological perspectives in restoring mine waste management areas

Ecological Engineering (EE) in mining waste restoration aims to apply knowledge of natural biological systems known to be present on rocks or minerals, and in sediments to practically and beneficially achieve human and industrial objectives in a natural self-sustaining way. Omitting or discarding ecological processes in the engineering of the mine waste management areas severely prolongs the longevity of current mining practices, when chemical treatment must be provided for hundreds of years. The potential biological controls on contaminant generation and the biological strategies available to reverse sulphide oxidation in mine wastes provide pathways toward less expensive, more energy-efficient and ecologically more acceptable strategies for mine waste management. The application of EE to mining has been demonstrated in several field projects and numerous publications, where the relevant bio-mineralization processes have been well-documented. Unfortunately, the EE approach has not been widely accepted, not because of its lack of a scientific foundation or successful implementation, but due to the challenge of effectively communicating the importance of ecosystem function and the associated geochemical and biological processes to the engineering fraternity. The mining industry needs to adapt to the values and aims of contemporary environmental engineering, to develop systems, structures, methods, tools and infrastructures to protect human and environmental health. The progress made in our EE projects has been brought about through the enhancement of ecosystem function. We will here briefly describe the transformation of an acid mine drainage dump into a productive, biologically-active polishing lake.

DECISION SUPPORT MODELS FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT - AN OVERVIEW

The purpose of this paper is to analyze some models currently used in the area of solid waste management, identified in literature as decision support models and developed for establishing a decision support system (DSS). They are usually designed to help decision makers to build up integrated programs for applying solid waste management alternatives such as recycling, treatment, incineration, disposal. These decision support models are based on cost benefit analysis, multicriteria analysis or life cycle assessment (LCA) respectively. The structure, types, advantages and limitation of these models were analyzed, the work being focused on the methodology of LCA in waste management. Types of LCA models and application in the solid waste management area and possible combinations of LCA with other methods used in literature such as cost-benefit analysis and multicriteria decision making are approached, discussed and compared.

English

The Stucky Ridge test plot is located approximately two miles northeast of Anaconda, Montana. Sparse vegetation includes quaking aspen, Wood's rose, currant species, rubber rabbitbrush, horsebrush, redtop and basin wildrye. In November 2002, 22 tons/acre lime kiln dust was disced to a 12‖ depth. Prior to spring seeding, 500 bulk-pounds of fertilizer were applied/incorporated to a 6‖ depth. Thirty-six grass, two subshrub accessions, and four seed mixtures were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block with four replications. Plots were drill-seeded in May 2003 at 50 Pure Live Seeds per linear row foot. Soil sampling for arsenic and heavy metals occurred after planting. A significant amount of new grass seedling emergence was detected during the June 2004 evaluation, particularly for Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, Nevada bluegrass, and basin wildrye. Following the 2004, 2005, and 2006 evaluations for cover and vigor rating, each plot was sampled for biomass production. Tissue analyses indicated heavy metal concentrations were generally within limits for livestock and wildlife use. In single-species plots, ‗local source' plants exhibiting superior performance included Copperhead and 9081621 slender wheatgrass, Opportunity Nevada bluegrass, 9081968 western wheatgrass, 9081624 and Washoe Germplasm basin wildrye, 9081628 Indian ricegrass, 9081636 bluebunch wheatgrass and 9081635 Canbyi bluegrass. In 2003, Open Range Germplasm winterfat was the only broad-leaved entry demonstrating significant emergence. In 2007, the only broad-leaved plants surviving were Open Range winterfat and 9081632 silverleaf phacelia. Old Works fuzzytongue penstemon and silverleaf phacelia were only detected in alternating years. In the Seed Mixture Trials, the ‗Experimental' mixes containing native ‗local source' were far superior to the ‗Developed' mixes consisting of native ‗nonlocal source' (Upland Mix) and introduced cultivars (Waste Management Areas). However, it was estimated the majority of plants in the Experimental mixtures were Copperhead slender wheatgrass, the best overall performer on the test site.

Development and Validation of a Model for Tritium Accumulation by a Freshwater Bivalve Using the IAEA EMRAS Scenarios

A six-compartment metabolic model for tritium accumulation by bivalves was developed and validated using two observed data sets supplied in an international IAEA program for validation of environmental models, EMRAS (Environmental Modeling for Radiation Safety, 2003-2007). The data observed were presented in scenarios for model prediction of temporal change of HTO and OBT concentrations in Barnes mussels (Elliptio complanata). In the Uptake Scenario, mussels were transplanted from a site with background tritium concentrations into a lake, which has historically received tritium inputs over time from upgradient waste management areas. Another data set was presented in the Depuration Scenario for model prediction of the temporal decrease in HTO and OBT concentrations in the mussels following transplantation from the lake into another lake with significantly lower tritium levels. The model simulation was able to reproduce the observation that the amount of hydrogen taken from sediment was very small compared with that taken from lake water.

Isotopic Studies of Contaminant Transport at the Hanford Site, Washington

Processes of fluid flow and chemical transport through the vadose zone can be characterized through the isotopic systematics of natural soils, minerals, pore fluids, and groundwater. In this contribution, we first review our research using measured isotopic variations, due both to natural and site‐related processes, of the elements H, O, N, Sr, and U, to study the interconnection between vadose zone and groundwater contamination at the Hanford Site in south‐central Washington State. We follow this brief review with a presentation of new data pertaining to vadose zone and groundwater contamination in the Waste Management Area (WMA) T‐TX‐TY vicinity. Uranium isotopic data for the C3832 core (WMA TX) indicate the involvement of processed natural U fuel and link the observed U contamination to releases near single‐shelled tank TX‐104. The data also preclude contamination from an early 1970s TX‐107 leak. In the case of the C4104 core (WMA T), the U isotopic data indicate a mixture of processed natural and enriched U fuels consistent with the major leak from T‐106 in 1973. Uranium and strontium isotopic data for the cores also provide direct evidence for chemical interaction between high‐pH waste fluid and sediment. Isotopic data (δ15N and δ18O) for groundwater nitrate contamination in multidepth samples just to the northeast of WMA T are distinct from that seen in surrounding wells and suggest tank waste (possibly from the 1973 T‐106 event) as a source of very high 99Tc concentrations recently observed at the northeast corner of WMA T.

Transport of Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2− in partially-saturated and heterogeneous sediments

Strontium-90 has migrated deep into the unsaturated subsurface beneath leaking storage tanks in the Waste Management Areas (WMA) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Reservation. Faster than expected transport of contaminants in the vadose zone is typically attributed to either physical hydrologic processes such as development of preferential flow pathways, or to geochemical processes such as the formation of stable, anionic complexes with organic chelates, e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The goal of this paper is to determine whether hydrological processes in the Hanford sediments can influence the geochemistry of the system and hence control transport of Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2−. The study used batch isotherms, saturated packed column experiments, and an unsaturated transport experiment in an undisturbed core. Isotherms and repacked column experiments suggested that the SrEDTA 2− complex was unstable in the presence of Hanford sediments, resulting in dissociation and transport of Sr 2+ as a divalent cation. A decrease in sorption with increasing solid:solution ratio for Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2− suggested mineral dissolution resulted in competition for sorption sites and the formation of stable aqueous complexes. This was confirmed by detection of MgEDTA 2−, MnEDTA 2−, PbEDTA 2−, and unidentified Sr and Ca complexes. Displacement of Sr 2+ through a partially-saturated undisturbed core resulted in less retardation and more irreversible sorption than was observed in the saturated repacked columns, and model results suggested a significant reservoir (49%) of immobile water was present during transport through the heterogeneous layered sediments. The undisturbed core was subsequently disassembled along distinct bedding planes and subjected to sequential extractions. Strontium was unequally distributed between carbonates (49%), ion exchange sites (37%), and the oxide (14%) fraction. An inverse relationship between mass wetness and Sr suggested that sandy sediments of low water content constituted the immobile flow regime. Our results suggested that the sequestration of Sr 2+ in partially-saturated, heterogeneous sediments was most likely due to the formation of immobile water in drier regions having low hydraulic conductivities.

English

Iron hydroxide precipitates, generated from acid mine drainage adhere to surfaces in tailings and waste rock piles and accumulate as sludges in ditches and in pond sediments in mine waste management areas. Such precipitates undergo a series of transformations which lead ultimately to the stable mineral goethite. Ground water from piezometers in an below tailings containing 41 % pyrite were stored for 4 years unpreserved in their original, un-sterilized sampling bottles reached pH values around 1. The stored water with the iron precipitates have been able to support Fe-oxidizing and Fe-reducing bacteria and similar microbial populations were identified on slides which were immersed into the piezometers from the same tailings site. A clear relationship between microbial activity and Fe(III) mineral compositions in the iron precipitates from the stored samples and from sludges accumulating in a ditch precipitating from the effluent from underground workings at the same site, could not be established. The relevance of the microbial activity in the formation of secondary minerals occurring in ground water in and below tailings and accumulating on the surface is discussed. The high variability of the output of geochemical modelling (PHREEQC) to the modelling input allowed a wide variety of possible interpretations.

INTEGRATING THE VALUE OF ECO-BUILDING WITHIN THE DESIGN PROCESS: AN INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSING CRITERIA IN EGYPT

High performance eco-building offer superior performance in a variety of areas, including functionality, energy and water efficiency, quality of the indoor environment (air quality, thermal comfort, lighting…etc.), waste management and other many areas without necessarily increasing in capital costs. Establishing challenging building performance objectives should be at very early in the design process, usually by referencing a recognized rating system. This rating system has been done and identified in Europe, United States of America and many other countries. This piece of work introduces the idea of constructing an eco-building assessing tool for Egypt by introducing a definition of ecobuilding issue and its components. It discusses the barriers that prevent qualifying the eco-building scheme. This paper illustrates two famous schemes that used in assessment the eco-scheme in buildings, the first one used in the United States of America called LEED and the second one used in New Zealand and Australia called BRANZ. The strategy of development and delivery of the Egyptian eco-assessing tools to be concluded. These tools are depending on the basic criteria of qualifying the eco-building. The quantity of the used data is depending on the awareness of the developers, decision makers, and the construction organizations and their understanding to the value of qualifying the eco-building in projects. According to this, more data can be used in the assessing tools which lead to a positive effect on the performance of the building

Strategies for building material reuse and recycle

Reuse and recycling of building material is a growing area of interest and concern in many parts of the USA. Current practices and trends in the building material waste management area are examined from a building life cycle standpoint or cradle to reincarnation concept. Strategies include zero waste, integrated recycling, international approaches, reuse of materials, resource optimisation, waste reduction, and deconstruction. Examination of the waste management hierarchy and life cycle management of material is used to improve the understanding of reuse and recycle opportunities. Other considerations include cost, economic factors, social factors and environmental factors. All of these assessments are needed to develop a comprehensive waste management plan for a specific project. Four case studies are also presented to illustrate the benefits that can be derived from effective building material reuse and recycle.

Passive mine water treatment: the correct approach?

Passive waste water treatment technologies based on ecological principles for organic pollutants are gaining gradual acceptance in many industrial sectors in the western world. They represent a revival of the ancient stewardship of natural resources in response to the need for sustainable development. This revival has also lead to the use of wetlands for mine waste water with inorganic pollutants. Constructed wetlands for metal-laden acid mine drainage (AMD), the major environmental issue in mining, are only part of the solution, as the metals in the waste water need to be mineralized in sediments. The principles of ecological engineering need to be embraced if sustainable solutions are to be found. Neither the scientific community working in mine-site restoration nor the mineral sector itself has fully integrated ecological engineering principles into restoration efforts. The many delaying factors are explored in this paper. A precise understanding of the underlying microbial dynamics of AMD generation is a prerequisite to any successful remediation strategy. The effectiveness of sediments in the open water sections of wetlands which bio-mineralize nutrients and organics, reduce metal acidity and increase pH has been widely demonstrated but the message doesn’t seem to be getting out. In addition to gaining an understanding of the underlying processes, effective treatment systems need to be designed, constructed and monitored over a sufficient time period to assess the sustainability of the approach. A few mine waste management areas have been developed where ecological engineering principles are utilized and demonstrate that through supporting biogeochemical cycles, nature's repair mechanisms are at work.