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Do you think incineration is a good solution for Devon's waste?
 
MedWorm : Incineration
  • Co-Detoxification of Transformer Oil-Contained PCBs and Heavy Metals in Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash under Sub- and Supercritical Water
    Environmental Science & TechnologyDOI: 10.1021/es202342h (Source: Environmental Science and Technology)

  • Utilization of spent activated carbon to enhance the combustion efficiency of organic sludge derived fuel.
    This study examines the heating value and combustion efficiency of organic sludge derived fuel, spent activated carbon derived fuel, and derived fuel from a mixture of organic sludge and spent activated carbon. Spent activated carbon was sampled from an air pollution control device of an incinerator and characterized by XRD, XRF, TG/DTA, and SEM. The spent activated carbon was washed with deionized water and solvent (1N sulfuric acid) and then processed by the organic sludge derived fuel manufacturing process. After washing, the salt (chloride) and sulfide content could be reduced to 99% and 97%, respectively; in addition the carbon content and heating value were increased. Different ratios of spent activated carbon have been applied to the organic sludge derived fuel to reduce the NO(x) e...

  • Exposure to heavy metals in blood and risk perception of the population living in the vicinity of municipal waste incinerators in Korea.
    Authors: Lee CS, Lim YW, Kim HH, Yang JY, Shin DC Abstract BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: The purpose of this study was to monitor and present the heavy metal concentrations in the blood of residents of areas near municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), who are more prone to environmental pollution. We also sought to compare and analyze the residents' perception of environmental pollution as one of the factors affecting heavy metal concentrations in the blood using a survey about the perceived damage caused by the facilities. Since heavy metal levels in the blood can be affected not only by local environmental pollution but also by personal and occupational factors, heavy metal levels in the blood need to be verified and consistently monitored. METHODS: ...

  • Application of low-temperature CP-Sil 88 column for the isomeric analysis of toxic 2378-substituted PCDD/Fs in incinerator flyash and sewage sludge using a triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS.
    Authors: Onwudili JA, Hajizadeh Y, Zainal S, Upton J, Williams PT Abstract The seventeen 2378-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-p-furans (PCDD/Fs) congeners have been separated and analyzed in sewage sludge and incinerator flyash samples using a CP-Sil 88 column (50m×0.25mm I.D., 0.25μm film thickness) operating at a maximum oven temperature of 240°C. The column was used on a Varian 450-GC with a Varian 320-MS Triple Quadrupole. Calibration standards were used to determine the transition chemistries of the 2378-substituted PCDD/F congeners in the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) system. The five-point calibration curve for each of the congeners showed very good linearity with R(2) values greater than 0.999. The recovery of labelled compound...

  • Baseline soil levels of PCDD/Fs established prior to the construction of municipal solid waste incinerators in China.
    Authors: Liu HM, Lu SY, Buekens AG, Chen T, Li XD, Yan JH, Ma XJ, Cen KF Abstract In order to determine the baseline contamination by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in different areas in China, prior to the construction of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs), a total of 32 representative soil samples was collected near 16 incinerators and analyzed for their PCDD/F concentrations. The PCDD/F baseline concentrations in the soil samples ranged from 0.32 to 11.4ng I-TEQ kg(-1) (dry matter), with average and median value of 2.73 and 2.24ng I-TEQ kg(-1) (dry matter), respectively, and a span between maximum and minimum recorded value of 36. The PCDD homologues predominated in 26 out of 32 soil samples, with the ratio (PCDDs)/(PC...

  • Inhibition of PCDD/F by adding sulphur compounds to the feed of a hazardous waste incinerator.
    Authors: Wu HL, Lu SY, Li XD, Jiang XG, Yan JH, Zhou MS, Wang H Abstract Sulphur compounds, including (NH(4))(2)SO(4) and pyrite, were tested as suppressants in a hazardous waste incineration facility. The test results suggested that adding sulphur compounds only slightly reduced PCDD/F stack emissions; this restricted effect was attributed to the release of fly ash in large amounts during the sulphur adding experiments, i.e., it was due to a malfunctioning of the baghouse filter. Nevertheless, for the combined flow of flue gas+fly ash a reduction of more than 50% was achieved for the total PCDD/F concentrations and the total toxic concentrations, and an even higher inhibition capability was observed for PCDD. Also, a simulation of the thermodynamic equilibrium conditions by sulphu...

  • Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners in River Sediments: Distribution and Source Identification Using Multivariate Factor Analysis.
    Authors: Jin R, Park SU, Park JE, Kim JG Abstract To assess the level of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination and identify their sources, surface sediments were collected from selected locations along Nakdong River, Korea, and analyzed for 209 PCB congeners using high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectroscopy. PCB levels ranged from 0.124 to 79.2 ng/g dry weight (coplanar PCBs 0.295 to 5720 pg/g dry), which were similar to those of three other major rivers (Han, Geum, and Youngsan rivers) in Korea but slightly lower than those in neighboring countries. Regarding homologue composition, tetra-CBs were most abundant in most samples, but some samples with much higher PCBs concentrations had relatively lower proportions of tetra-CBs and higher proportions...

  • Technico‐economical assessment of MFI‐type zeolite membranes for CO2 capture from postcombustion flue gases
    AbstractA detailed survey of the effect of moisture on the CO2/N2 permeation and separation performance of Mobile Five (MFI) zeolite membranes in view of downstream postcombustion CO2 capture applications in power plants and incinerators is presented. The membranes, displaying a nanocomposite architecture, have been prepared on α‐alumina tubes by pore‐plugging hydrothermal synthesis at 443 K for 89 h using a precursor clear solution with molar composition 1 SiO2:0.45 tetrapropylammonium hydroxide:27.8 H2O. The synthesized membranes present reasonable permeation and CO2/N2 separation properties even in the presence of high water concentrations in the gas stream. A critical discussion is also provided on the technico‐economical feasibility (i.e., CO2 recovery, CO2 purity in the permea...

  • Technico‐economical assessment of MFI‐type zeolite membranes for CO2 capture from post‐combustion flue gases
    This study provides a detailed survey of the effect of moisture on the CO2/N2 permeation and separation performance of MFI zeolite membranes in view of downstream post‐combustion CO2 capture applications in power plants and incinerators. The membranes, displaying a nanocomposite architecture, have been prepared on α‐alumina tubes by pore‐plugging hydrothermal synthesis at 443 K for 89 h using a precursor clear solution with molar composition 1 SiO2 : 0.45 TPAOH : 27.8 H2O. The synthesized membranes present reasonable permeation and CO2/N2 separation properties even in the presence of high water concentrations in the gas stream. A critical discussion is also provided on the technico‐economical feasibility (i.e. CO2 recovery, CO2 purity in the permeate, module volume, energy consump...

  • Assays of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in actually contaminated soils using transgenic tobacco plants carrying a recombinant mouse aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated β-glucuronidase reporter gene expression system.
    Authors: Inui H, Gion K, Utani Y, Wakai T, Kodama S, Eun H, Kim YS, Ohkawa H Abstract The transgenic tobacco plant XD4V-26 carrying the recombinant mouse aryl hydrocarbon receptor XD4V-mediated β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene expression system was used for assay of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds consisting of polychlorinated dibenzeno-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) in actually contaminated soils. The transgenic tobacco plant XD4V-26 showed a significant dose-dependent induced GUS activity when cultured on MS medium containing PCB126 [toxic equivalency factor (TEF) = 0.1]. In contrast, PCB169 and PCB180, which have 0.03 of TEF and unassigned TEF values, respectively, did not significantly induce GUS activity under t...

  • PCDD/F formation from oxy-PAH precursors in waste incinerator flyash.
    Authors: Hajizadeh Y, Onwudili JA, Williams PT Abstract The yield of PCDD/F in relation to the presence of oxygenated PAH in model waste incinerator flyash has been investigated in a fixed bed laboratory scale reactor. Experiments were undertaken by thermal treatment of the model flyash at 250 and 350°C under a simulated flue gas stream for 2h. After reaction, the PCDD/F content of the reacted flyash and the PCDD/F released into the exhaust gas, and subsequently trapped by XAD-II resin in a down-stream condensation system were analyzed. The PAHs investigated were, dibenzofuran and benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furan and were spiked onto the model flyash as reactant precursors for PCDD/F formation. The results showed significant formation of furans from both of the PAH investigated, howeve...

  • Two New Reasons to Worry about Air Pollution: Obesity and Diabetes
    The debate over air pollution and, more specifically, the regulation of air pollution, raged on this week as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) watered down its cross-state pollution rule and House Republicans moved to delay new rules on toxic air pollution from cement plants, solid waste incinerators, and industrial boilers.  These latest debates come on the heels of President Obama's move last month to reneg on promises to tighten up smog standards, a decision that angered environmentalists and led to speculation that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson might be ready to walk. In all cases, the argument against regulation goes something like this: The last thing a down economy needs is new regulation, and the EPA is overstepping its boundaries. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

  • Highlights of recent studies and future plans for the French human biomonitoring (HBM) programme.
    Authors: Fréry N, Vandentorren S, Etchevers A, Fillol C Abstract This manuscript presents highlights of recent studies and perspectives from the French human biomonitoring (HBM) programme. Until recently, HBM studies focused on specific populations or pollutants to gain a better understanding of exposure to environmental chemicals, to help regulators reduce environmental exposure and to monitor existing policies on specific concerns. Highlights of recent multicentre biomonitoring studies with specific population or pollutant focus are given. These French HBM studies have been implemented to know: (1) the influence of living near an incinerator on serum dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels, (2) the influence of consuming river fish contaminated by PCBs on serum PCBs of ...

  • Does Burning Garbage to Produce Electricity Make Sense?
    From the sidewalk there's almost no evidence that behind the walls of the energy-from-waste plant in Alexandria, Va., an incinerator is burning garbage at more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit and providing electricity to thousands of homes."Everything that the resident puts out on the street in a trash can comes here," said Bryan Donnelly, the facility manager. At his location, that amounts to about 350,000 tons of municipal waste per year. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

  • Online measurements of low-volatile organic chlorine for dioxin monitoring at municipal waste incinerators.
    In this study, an automatic sampling device and an analysis device have been developed for the measurement of low-volatile organic chlorine (LVOCl) in flue gas. The concentrations of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls) have been estimated by online measurements of LVOCl at a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) using these devices. The LVOCl concentration at the outlet of the selective catalyst reactor (SCR) of the MSWI increased momentarily up to 95μgClm(-3) during the startup period of the MSWI; subsequently, it gradually decreased to less than 1.0μgClm(-3) after 50h from the start of waste feeding. The concentration of toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ)-Dioxins at the SCR outlet had a linear positive re...

  • Air quality assessment by tree bark biomonitoring in urban, industrial and rural environments of the Rhine Valley: PCDD/Fs, PCBs and trace metal evidence.
    Authors: Guéguen F, Stille P, Millet M Tree barks were used as biomonitors to evaluate past atmospheric pollution within and around the industrial zones of Strasbourg (France) and Kehl (Germany) in the Rhine Valley. The here estimated residence time for trace metals, PCBs and PCDD/Fs in tree bark is >10years. Thus, all pollution observed by tree bark biomonitoring can be older than 10years. The PCB baseline concentration (sum of seven PCB indicators (Σ(7)PCB(ind))) determined on tree barks from a remote area in the Vosges mountains is 4ngg(-1) and corresponds to 0.36×10(-3)ng toxic equivalent (TEQ) g(-1) for the dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs). The northern Rhine harbor suffered especially from steel plant, waste incinerator and thermal power plant emissions. The polychlorinated diben...

  • Monitoring Environmental Levels of Trace Elements near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator : Human Health Risks after a Decade of Regular Operations.
    Authors: Giné Bordonaba J, Vilavert L, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL In 1998, we initiated an environmental surveillance program of the only hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Spain. The concentrations of a number of metals (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, and V) were analyzed in soil and vegetation samples collected around the facility. Since then, periodical measurements of these same elements have been performed in both matrices. In 2009 and 2010, soil and vegetation samples were again collected, and the levels of the above elements were determined. In general terms, the temporal trends in metal concentrations were not homogeneous, showing significant changes between the baseline and the latest surveys. Metal levels in soil and herbage samples analyzed in the current...

  • Hospital waste incinerator bottom ash leachate induced cyto-genotoxicity in Allium cepa and reproductive toxicity in mice
    The potentials of hospital incinerator bottom ash leachate (HIBAL) to induce cyto-genotoxicity in Allium cepa and reproductive anomalies in the mouse were investigated. The leachate obtained from simulation of the bottom ash was analyzed for some physico-chemical parameters. The A. cepa, mouse sperm morphology and histopathological tests were carried out at concentrations ranging from 1% to 50% of the leachate sample. In A. cepa, HIBAL caused significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of root growth and induction of chromosomal aberrations. In the animal assays, there was 100% mortality at the 50% concentrations. The leachate caused insignificant (p > 0.05) concentration-dependent induction of various types of sperm morphology. There was accumulation of fluid in the seminiferous tubule lumen ...

  • Health impact assessment of waste management facilities in three European countries
    Conclusions: The current health impacts of landfilling and incineration can be characterized as moderate when compared to other sources of environmental pollution, e.g. traffic or industrial emissions, that have an impact on public health. There are several uncertainties and critical assumptions in the assessment model, but it provides insight into the relative health impact attributable to waste management. (Source: Environmental Health)

  • Impact of a Medical Waste Incinerator on Mercury Levels in Lagoon Fish from a Small Tropical Island in the Western Pacific
    (Source: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A)

  • EPA delays boiler and incinerator emissions rules
    US chemical industry backs EPA’s postponement of emissions rules for boilers and solid waste incinerators (Source: Chemistry World | Latest News)

  • EPA Rules on Hazardous Emissions Delayed
    Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a stay postponing the effective date of emissions standards for major source boilers and commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators. Because the original boiler rule was vacated, there is no rule currently... (Source: HealthLawProf Blog)

  • Diabetes Blog Week, Out of the Box: Three Fictions
    The three pieces here have all previously appeared on my older blog. They're out of the box in that while poetry appears in blog entries fairly often, but I rarely see fiction. The pieces were published at different times, and are all somewhat different in tone. You might give yourself a few seconds of break between pieces.Breakfast With My MeterIn a dream…. I was sitting in a molded plastic booth at a fast food restaurant, finishing my breakfast, when a woman slipped into the seat across the table from me. “We have to talk”, she said. I was startled – by the interruption, by the woman’s loveliness, and most especially by such words coming from someone I didn’t think I knew at all. A case of mistaken identity? I wondered in a moment of anxiety. Was I about to be drawn into some ...

  • America's "Island of Enchantment": Environmental Hazards and Hope in Puerto Rico [Slide Show]
    Its nickname is "Isla del Encanto," or "Island of Enchantment," and on the surface, Puerto Rico seems to fulfill every paradisiacal promise made about it by glossy travel magazines. The 111 x 36 mile island has a remarkable range of geological, biological, and habitat diversity, including a rain forest, a dry forest, mangroves, karst formations, three bioluminescent bays, and one of the largest underground cave systems in the world. Mona, one of the five islands in the Puerto Rican archipelago, has been called the "Galapagos of the Caribbean," and approximately 75 miles offshore is the Puerto Rico Trench, recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean.But America's Cari...

  • How to Dispose of Unused or Expired Medications
    Is your medicine cabinet filled with expired drugs or medications you no longer use? How should you dispose of them? Most drugs can be thrown in the household trash, but consumers should take certain precautions before tossing them out, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A few drugs should be flushed down the toilet. And a growing number of community-based “take-back” programs offer another safe disposal alternative. FDA Guidelines for Drug Disposal FDA worked with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop the first consumer guidance for proper disposal of prescription drugs. Issued by ONDCP in February 2007 and updated in October 2009, the federal guidelines are summarized here: Follow any specific disposal instructions on...

  • Kenya: Let Hospitals Handle Their Waste, Says Nema
    Environment watchdog Nema has ordered local authorities to stop handling medical waste. Nema senior officer Betty Nzioka said municipal and county councils have no skilled staff and incinerators. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

  • PCDD/Fs atmospheric deposition fluxes and soil contamination close to a municipal solid waste incinerator.
    Authors: Vassura I, Passarini F, Ferroni L, Bernardi E, Morselli L Bulk depositions and surface soil were collected in a suburban area, near the Adriatic Sea, in order to assess the contribution of a municipal solid waste incinerator to the area's total contamination with polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs). Samples were collected at two sites, situated in the area most affected by plant emissions (according to the results of the Calpuff air dispersion model), and at an external site, considered as a reference. Results show that the studied area is subject to low contamination, as far as these compounds are concerned. Deposition fluxes range from 14.3pgm(-2)d(-1) to 89.9pgm(-2)d(-1) (0.75pg-TEQm(-2)d(-1) to 3.73pg-TEQm(-2)d(-1)) and no sig...

  • Mortality and morbidity among people living close to incinerators: a cohort study based on dispersion modeling for exposure assessment
    Conclusions: No increased risk of mortality and morbidity was found in the entire area. The internal analysis of the cohort based on dispersion modeling found excesses of mortality for some cancer types in the highest exposure categories, especially in women, The interpretation of the findings is limited given the pilot nature of the study. (Source: Environmental Health)

  • INDIA: Green Schemes Turn Into White Elephants
    Several incinerator facilities that were supposed to turn waste into energy have proven to be white elephants that are now adding to the country's pollution woes, instead of alleviating them. (Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health)

  • Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in both products and by-products of a mussel shell incinerator facility.
    CONCLUSIONS: All samples studied contained PCBs at levels below the maximum tolerated limit established by European legislation. Based on their PCB content, the studied sewage sludge can be used as a soil amendment with no health risk. Also, fly ash and sewage sludge can be deemed stable PCB reservoirs releasing PCBs at concentrations below the regulatory cutoff to runoff water. PMID: 21336633 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International)

  • Waste incineration plant to double as ski park
    New York Times: If you’re itching to visit the new advanced waste management plant that will open in 2016 in Copenhagen, be sure to bring your skis, writes Jim Witkin for the New York Times. An urban ski park will cover the plant, which will incinerate the waste from five municipalities to generate heat and electricity for 140 000 homes. While their trash is burning inside, locals will be able to take an elevator to the top of the building, then ski down one of three different slopes. Although municipal incinerators in Europe often take on decorative coverings to overcome negative public perceptions, the Copenhagen plant will be the first to engage the public in a sport. Designers call it “hedonistic sustainability”—sustainable cities and buildings that actua...

  • The uptake of persistent organic pollutants by plants
    Abstract  In a field experiment, the transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil to maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), poplar (Populus nigra × P. maximowiczii) and willow (Salix × smithiana) and the distribution of PCB congeners in maize and sunflower was investigated. The former waste incinerator in Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) was chosen for the experiment. Results of plot screening showed heterogenous contamination by PCBs and PAHs. PCB soil contamination was evidently caused by Delor 106 or Aroclor 1260 stocking and PAH contamination by chemicals containing fluoranthene, benzo/b/fluoranthene, phenanthrene and pyrene. Tested plants were planted on a contaminated field site, in soil ...

  • Levels of PCDD/Fs in Agricultural Soils near Two Municipal Waste Incinerators in Shanghai, China.
    Authors: Deng YY, Jia LJ, Li K, Rong ZY, Yin HW A study was conducted on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in agricultural soils at 41 sites within a radius of 3 km from two municipal solid waste incinerators in Shanghai. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 71.32 to 3,881.44 pg g(-1) (0.64-61.15 pg I-TEQ g(-1)). The highest PCDD/F concentrations were found approximately 1,000 m from the municipal solid waste incinerators. The PCDD/F homologue profiles of all soil samples were compared with the profiles from suspected PCDD/F sources by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that, the PCDD/F pollutions in some soil samples can be attributed to emissions from the municipal solid waste incinerators. PMID: 21161505 [PubMe...

  • Increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and serum organochlorine concentrations among neighbors of a municipal solid waste incinerator.
    This study provides strong and consistent support for an association between serum cumulative WHO(1998)-TEQ concentrations, at levels experienced by people residing in the vicinity of a polluting MSWI, and risk of NHL. PMID: 21167603 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Environment International)

  • Health Impacts of Waste Management Policies
    series:Environmental Science and Technology LibraryThis book examines the health effects of waste deposit sites, incinerators and other options for waste management, focusing in particular on the impacts of halogenated hydrocarbons, and byproducts of incineration. These results are linked with waste policy options, of which reviews in four EU countries and the United States are provided. Scientific arguments which can be used in an ... (Source: Springer Medicine titles)

  • Effects of water washing on removing organic residues in bottom ashes of municipal solid waste incinerators.
    In this study, extended solid-phase extraction of the water-washed bottom ash and liquid-phase extraction of the washing water were carried out with regard to bottom ash samples from three mass-burning incinerators in Taipei County (Taiwan) during four consecutive seasons of year 2008-2009. Supercritical fluid extraction and Soxtec extraction techniques along with GC-MS were successfully used to characterize the residual organics in weathered and washed bottom ashes. Supercritical fluid extraction provided the quantification of aliphatics and aromatic compounds such as hexanoic acid and benzaldehyde, respectively. Soxtec extraction was useful for qualitative analysis of aromatic and aliphatic groups in the ashes and many of which were odourous and toxic compounds. By mixing one unit weight...

  • Chlorination Mechanism of Carbon during Dioxin Formation Using Cl-K Near-edge X-ray-absorption Fine Structure.
    In this study, we report the application of Cl-K near-edge X-ray-absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) in determining the chlorination mechanism of carbon in fly ash. The separation of a chloride-carbon (C-Cl) bond was readily recognizable as a peak in the Cl-K NEXAFS spectrum. Chlorination effects could be estimated using Cl K-edge NEXAFS with no dependence on metal species. Analysis of Cl K-edge NEXAFS spectra showed the reduction of copper(II) chloride at 300°C and oxidation of iron(III) chloride at 400°C in connection with the chlorination of carbon. PMID: 21079339 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Analytical Sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry)

  • "Dioxin Releases in Waste Incinerations and Thermal Processes"
    "Dioxin Releases in Waste Incinerations and Thermal Processes" Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2010 Nov 11; Authors: Thacker N, Kashyap S, Sheikh J, Trivedi J, Thokchom B, Agnihotri A The releases of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from waste incinerators and thermal processes were investigated. The characteristics of mean PCDD/Fs I-TEQ concentrations and congener profiles were studied over the samples of water, soil, fly ash and bottom ash of individual source. The TEQ value for fly ash ranges from 0.013 to 17.01 pg-TEQ/g. Moreover, the TEQ value for bottom ash was 12.06 pg-TEQ/g and the TEQ values for the water samples were found to be in a consistent range from 0.41-0.56 ng-TEQ/L. In almost all the analyzed matrices the congener OCDD/OCDF was fo...

  • Obama environment agenda under threat from incoming Republicans
    Environmental agencies brace themselves for aggressive investigations after expected Republican majority in midtermsRepublican leaders have begun gathering evidence for sweeping investigations of Barack Obama's environmental agenda, from climate science to the BP oil spill, if as expected, they take control of the House of Representatives in the 2 November mid-term elections, the Guardian has learned.The new Congress will not be installed until next January, but Democrats and environmental organisations say they are braced for multiple, aggressive investigations from the incoming Republican majority.Republican leaders have also raised the possibility of disbanding the global warming committee in Congress, established by the Democratic speaker, Nancy Pelosi."We are already getting posturing...

  • A new method for municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash inertization, based on colloidal silica
    E. Bontempi, A. Zacco, L. Borgese, A. Gianoncelli, R. Ardesi, L. E. Depero (Paper from J. Environ. Monit.) E. Bontempi, J. Environ. Monit., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/c0em00168f To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above. The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - J. Environ. Monit. latest articles)

  • Vapor-phase sorption of hexachlorobenzene on typical municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration fly ashes, clay minerals and activated carbon.
    Authors: Gao Y, Zhang H, Chen J Column sorption experiments were conducted at 330°C and 250°C to study the vapor-phase sorption of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) on two kinds of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator fly ashes, kaolinite, montmorillonite and activated carbon (AC). Both Freundlich equation and linear equation well fitted the sorption isotherms of HCB vapor on fly ashes and clay minerals at 330°C (r(2)>0.87), while the sorption isotherm of HCB vapor on AC at 330°C was in the shape of Brunauer type-II adsorption. Catalytic dechlorination of HCB was found to occur on the surface of fly ashes, and pentachlorobenzene was the only dechlorination product detected in the effluent gas. Increasing temperature decreased the sorption of HCB vapor on fly ashes, and promoted...

  • Effect of weathering treatment on the fractionation and leaching behavior of copper in municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash.
    Authors: Yao J, Li WB, Tang M, Fang CR, Feng HJ, Shen DS This work describes the effect of weathering of fresh quenched municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash on the fractionation and leaching behavior of Cu. A sequential extraction procedure was used to characterize the fractionation of Cu in the fresh and weathered MSWI bottom ash samples. It showed that the organic matter bound fraction of Cu decreased drastically from 69% to 37% during the weathering treatment, while the residual fraction, Fe-Mn oxides bound fraction, carbonate bound fraction and exchangeable fraction increased from 24% to 54%, 3% to 4%, 2% to 3% and 2% to 3%, respectively. Furthermore, two standard leaching procedures, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) and toxicity characteristic leach...

  • Treatment of gaseous hydrogen chloride using Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with carbonate ion.
    Authors: Kameda T, Uchiyama N, Yoshioka T It is important to treat gaseous HCl from incineration streams efficiently to avoid adverse environmental consequences. In this paper, a new treatment method for gaseous HCl is presented-the application of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) intercalated with CO(3)(2-) (CO(3).Mg-Al LDH) to treat gaseous HCl continuously. The degree of HCl removal without water vapor is higher than that with water vapor; further, this reaction does not require H(2)O. In addition, the degree of HCl removal increases with increasing temperature, CO(3).Mg-Al LDH quantity, HCl concentration, and improved contact between CO(3).Mg-Al LDH and HCl gas. The treatment of HCl gas by CO(3).Mg-Al LDH leads to the production of Mg-Al LDH intercalated with Cl(-). Further, HCl...

  • Biomedical waste management: Incineration vs. environmental safety
    V Gautam, R Thapar, M SharmaIndian Journal of Medical Microbiology 2010 28(3):191-192Public concerns about incinerator emissions, as well as the creation of federal regulations for medical waste incinerators, are causing many health care facilities to rethink their choices in medical waste treatment. As stated by Health Care Without Harm, non-incineration treatment technologies are a growing and developing field. Most medical waste is incinerated, a practice that is short-lived because of environmental considerations. The burning of solid and regulated medical waste generated by health care creates many problems. Medical waste incinerators emit toxic air pollutants and toxic ash residues that are the major source of dioxins in the environment. International Agency for Research on Cancer, a...

  • Modeling On-Grate MSW Incineration with Experimental Validation in a Batch Incinerator
    Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Volume 0, Issue 0, Articles ASAP (As Soon As Publishable). (Source: Industrial and Engineering Chemical Research)

  • Environmental monitoring of metals, PCDD/Fs and PCBs as a complementary tool of biological surveillance to assess human health risks.
    Authors: Rovira J, Mari M, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL The results of an environmental program around the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) of Mataró (Catalonia, Spain), which was designed to assess the potential impact of the facility on the close environment and the health of the population living in the vicinity, are here reported. Metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analyzed in soil and air samples collected in/around the facility. In soils, Mn and Zn showed the highest metal concentrations (ranges: 136-648mgkg(-1) and 29.6-97.8mgkg(-1), respectively), while total concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were 0.14-0.46ng WHO-TEQkg(-1) and 167-3340ngkg(-1), respectively. In air, the highest metal ...

  • Determination of levels of persistent organic pollutants (PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs, PBDEs, PCBs, and PBBs) in atmosphere near a municipal solid waste incinerator.
    Authors: Wang MS, Chen SJ, Huang KL, Lai YC, Chang-Chien GP, Tsai JH, Lin WY, Chang KC, Lee JT This work develops a comprehensive approach for quantitatively analyzing polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs/PBDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs/PBDFs), biphenyls (PCBs/PBBs) and diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). This technique, based on multiple (silica, alumina, and active carbon) columns, can be applied to prepare samples for determining the five group compounds based on high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. The method was also validated by analyses of blank and spiked samples. In the sampled air, the mean PCDD/F, PCB, PBDD/F, PBDE, and PBB concentrations were 59.6fg WHO-TEQ Nm(-3), 6.74fg WHO-TEQ Nm(-3), 12.2fg WHO-TEQ Nm(-3), 52100fgNm(-3), and 341...

  • Maternal residence near municipal waste incinerators and the risk of urinary tract birth defects
    Conclusions This study confirms our previous observation of a link between the risk of urinary tract birth defects and exposure to MSWI emissions in early pregnancy and illustrates the effect of participation bias on risk estimates of environmental health impacts. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)

  • Incinerators, birth defects and the legacy of Thomas Bayes
    (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)

  • EPA Announces Regulations To Reduce Mercury Emissions
    WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced April 30 that it will take comments for 45 days and hold a public hearing on proposed regulation changes that will reduce mercury emissions from boilers, process heaters and solid waste incinerators by more than 50 percent. Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

  • New EPA Rules Target Harmful Mercury Emissions
    Proposal Aims to Limit Mercury Released from Boilers and Solid Waste Incinerators that Can Damage Brain and Nervous System (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

  • Spatial analysis of the health risks associated with solid waste incineration: a preliminary analysis
    CONCLUSION: although no excess risk for the selected cancers were observed, emissions of incinerators still operating and their possible health effects should be monitored. The study of the spatial distribution of health events in areas around point sources of air pollution can become a methodological option for surveillance activities. (Source: Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia)

  • Botswana: Billowing Hospital Smoke Causes Misery for Residents
    An incinerator stack at Molepolole's Scottish Livingstone Hospital continues to spew its smoke and drop ashes on residents, a year after environment officers declared it a health hazard. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

  • 'Fingerprinting' method reveals fate of mercury in Arctic snow
    A study offers new insight into what happens to mercury deposited onto Arctic snow from the atmosphere. Mercury is a naturally occurring element, but some 2000 tons of it enter the global environment each year from human-generated sources such as coal-burning power plants, incinerators and chlorine-producing plants. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

  • Inequalities, inequities, environmental justice in waste management and health
    Conclusions: The patterns of association between waste-related environmental pressures and SES suggest that some of the observed inequalities in exposure and health represent a case of environmental injustice as they are the result of social processes and may be prevented, at least partly. Disentangling the possible health effects remains difficult, due to limitations in the methodology. It seems important to investigate if disadvantaged people are more vulnerable, i.e. risks differ in different social groups living in the same area. Notwithstanding these open questions, public health officers and decision makers should identify waste management policies to minimize their potential health impacts and their unequal distribution. (Source: The European Journal of Public Health)

  • Biodiversity Law 2010 - Legislative Hearing
    Today, the University of Kansas School of Law Biodiversity Law class was invited to Legislative hearings at the Virgin Islands Legislature. Here is the students' account of what they experienced and learned: The US Virgin Islands have recently been consumed by a project that proposes to take combustible waste and petroleum coke (pet coke) and burn it to produce energy. This project is alternatively styled as a waste incinerator or waste-to-fuel project, among other terms. The project was put out to bid by the USVI WPA and a firm called Alpine won the bid to construct the project. In the lead-in to securing approval and permitting for the project, the territorial government and Alpine have engaged in public town hall meetings, and the USVI Senate scheduled hearings to gather facts about the...

  • Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) in municipal solid waste incinerators.
    Authors: Wang LC, Hsi HC, Wang YF, Lin SL, Chang-Chien GP The stack flue gases and the ashes in different units of two municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) are sampled to investigate the characteristics of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Bottom ashes (BA) exhibited much higher PBDD/F (8.11-52.2 pg TEQ/g) and PBDE contents (20.4-186 ng/g) than those of fly ashes (0.0932-2.02 pg TEQ/g and 0.332-25.5 ng/g), revealing that the PBDD/Fs and PBDEs in the feeding waste may not be completely destroyed. The PBDE concentrations/contents in the stack flue gases (26.1-109 ng/Nm(3)) and in the BA (20.4-186 ng/g) of the MSWIs could reach three orders higher th...

  • Systematic review of epidemiological studies on health effects associated with management of municipal solid waste
    Conclusions: The studies we have reviewed suffer from many limitations due to poor exposure assessment, ecological level of analysis, and lack of information on relevant confounders. With a moderate level confidence, however, we have derived some effect estimates that could be used for health impact assessment of old landfill and incineration plants. The uncertainties surrounding these numbers should be considered carefully when health effects are estimated. It is clear that future research into the health risks of waste management needs to overcome current limitations. (Source: BioMed Central)

  • Mass balance for POPs in hazardous and municipal solid waste incinerators.
    Authors: Van Caneghem J, Block C, Van Brecht A, Wauters G, Vandecasteele C The amount of different persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the input of waste incinerators was compared to that in the output. Three cases were considered: a rotary kiln incinerating hazardous waste, a grate furnace incinerating municipal solid waste (MSW) and the same grate furnace co-incinerating plastics of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and automotive shredder residue (ASR) with MSW. The mass balance for PCBs in the rotary kiln indicates that these POPs are destroyed effectively during incineration. The grate furnace can be a sink or source of PCDD/Fs and PCBs depending on the concentrations in the incinerated waste. In order to compare the total amount of POPs in input and output, ...

  • Application of thermal plasma to vitrify fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators.
    Authors: Wang Q, Yan JH, Chi Y, Li XD, Lu SY Several fly ash samples collected from different municipal solid waste incinerator plants were vitrified using thermal plasma furnace at 1400-1500 degrees C. After vitrification, there are obvious changes in microstructures and crystalline phases between produced slag and original ash. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure results show that there is an excellent resistance against leaching of heavy metal ions. The residual fractions of heavy metals in slag presumably decrease in the following sequence: Cr>Ni>Cu>Zn>Pb>Cd. Almost all of PCDD/Fs could be destroyed through thermal plasma treatment. And the average decomposition efficiency of the samples vitrified by thermal plasma furnace is 100% in toxic equivalent calculati...

  • Test burn with PCB-oil in a local cement kiln in Sri Lanka.
    The objective of this study was therefore to carry out the first test burn with PCB-oil in a developing country cement kiln and to assess its feasibility and destruction performance. The 3 d test burn demonstrated that the Sri Lankan cement kiln was able to destroy PCB in an irreversible and environmental sound manner without causing any new formation of PCDD/PCDF or HCB. The destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) was better than 99.9999% at the highest PCB feeding rate. PMID: 20004933 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Chemosphere)

  • Heavy metal pollution in topsoils near a cement plant: The role of organic matter and distance to the source to predict total and HCl-extracted heavy metal concentrations.
    Authors: Bermudez GM, Moreno M, Invernizzi R, Plá R, Pignata ML Heavy metal and trace element concentrations were examined in topsoils to evaluate a cement plant and an industrial waste incinerator as pollution sources. As, Ba, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, U, Yb and Zn were measured by Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), and Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn by a 0.5M-hydrochloric extraction technique using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The Cr total concentration and HCl-extracted Co and Mn were possibly related to wind transportation from an industrial area in the north of Córdoba city (Argentina). Cu, Pb and Zn in partial HCl extraction were influenced by the cement plant and the industrial area in the north of C&...

  • Characteristics of the abundance of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in sediment samples from selected Asian regions in Can Gio, Southern Vietnam and Osaka, Japan.
    Authors: Kishida M, Imamura K, Takenaka N, Maeda Y, Viet PH, Kondo A, Bandow H The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were determined in sediment samples from Can Gio, South Vietnam, and Osaka, Japan. Can Gio is known for the defoliation of its mangrove forests by aerial spraying with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, whereas Osaka is renowned for a PCDD/PCDF pollution accident at a municipal solid-waste incinerator. For comparison, we also analyzed PCDD/PCDFs and DL-PCBs in sediment samples from Hue and Hanoi, Vietnam. The toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) values in Can Gio were as high as those in Hue, Hanoi, and suburban areas of Osaka, but much lower than those in urban areas of Osaka. The p...

  • PCDD/Fs in ambient air in north-east Italy: The role of a MSWI inside an industrial area.
    This study highlights the usefulness of multivariate data analysis such as PCA to identify, among different potential emission sources, the one really responsible for the contamination. PMID: 19815252 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Chemosphere)

  • Stack gas emissions of PCDD/Fs from hospital waste incinerators in China.
    Authors: Gao H, Ni Y, Zhang H, Zhao L, Zhang N, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Chen J Stack gas samples from 14 domestic-made hospital waste incinerators (HWIs) in China were collected and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The waste burning capacities of the investigated HWIs ranged from 5 to 25tond(-1). The stack gas emissions of PCDD/Fs from HWIs exhibited a large variation (0.08-31.60ng I-TEQNm(-3)). Nine incinerators had the emission levels below the current emission standard in China (0.5ng I-TEQNm(-3)), while only two facilities exhibited emission levels below the European Union directive emission limit (0.1ng I-TEQNm(-3)). For two plants, concentrations of PCDD/Fs in stack gas were above 10.0ng I-TEQNm(-3). The emission factors of PCDD/Fs from the in...

  • Air Pollution Experts Say Modern Incinerators Are No Significant Threat To Public Health
    INCINERATORS that are well run and regulated do not pose a significant threat to public health, according to air pollution experts. The Health Protection Agency has reviewed the latest scientific evidence on the health effects of modern municipal waste incinerators. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

  • Air pollution experts say modern incinerators are no significant threat to public health
    INCINERATORS that are well run and regulated do not pose a significant threat to public health, according to air pollution experts. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

  • Characterization of a former dump site in the Lagoon of Venice contaminated by municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash, and estimation of possible environmental risk.
    Authors: Rigo C, Zamengo L, Rampazzo G, Argese E Bottom ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator on a former contaminated site, the island of Sacca San Biagio (Lagoon of Venice), was examined in order to evaluate levels of pollutants and their potential mobility and availability. Heavy metal concentrations were determined and the actual contamination of the site was compared with national legislation on polluted sites. The site was mainly contaminated by zinc, copper and lead. Physico-chemical characterization of bottom ash was carried out by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) with micro-analysis by EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) and XRD (X-ray Diffractometry), for information on newly formed minerals. SEM-EDS analysis revealed the presence of particles, compounds and c...

  • A multisyringe sequential injection method for monitoring water in the energy cogeneration system of a municipal waste incinerator.
    Authors: de Mirabó FM, Forteza R, Cerdà V Leading-edge urban solid waste ashing plants use burning heat energy to obtain electrical power. Water fed to their boilers for conversion into steam should be highly pure in order to minimize corrosion, scaling and similar phenomena, which can lead to malfunctioning and a reduced useful life but can be avoided by proper management and control of the water supply. In this work, we developed a multiparameter monitor based on multisyringe sequential injection for the sequential determination of up to eight important parameters, namely: pH, specific and acid conductivity, hydrazine, ammonium, phosphate, silicate and total iron. Acid conductivity was determined by passing the sample through a cation-exchange resin in order to retain ammon...

  • Influence of operational conditions, waste input and ageing on contaminant leaching from waste incinerator bottom ash: A full-scale study.
    Authors: Hyks J, Astrup T Leaching of metals and Cl from fresh, naturally aged, and lab-scale aged bottom ashes generated during full-scale incineration experiments with different operational conditions (OC) and waste input (WI) was assessed. Although significant differences in the bulk contents of the generated bottom ashes were observed between the individual experiments, addition of 5.5 wt.% PVC, 11.1 wt.% chromated-copper-arsenate impregnated wood, 14.2 wt.% automotive shredder residue, 1.6 wt.% shoes, and 0.5 wt.% batteries to the normal municipal solid waste received at the incinerator (in six individual experiments) had no significant effect on metal leaching from the bottom ash. Likewise, changes in OC (furnace oxygen level and air distribution) could not be correlated to chang...

  • Angola: Luanda to Get Incinerator This Year
    Luanda province will get an incinerator this year for the treatment of hospital wastes. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

  • Survey of PCDDs and PCDFs in air and soil around various incinerators in Korea, 2003-2007.
    Authors: Kim SJ, Kim JG, Jeon TW, Shin SK, Kim KS To investigate the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) pollution in soils and air around incinerators, a total of 574 soil and 48 air samples were collected around 22 incineration facilities in Korea from 2003 to 2007. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in the flue gases and air ranged from 0.01 to 21.50 ng I-TEQ Sm(-3) and 0.0002 to 9.95 pg I-TEQ Sm(-3), respectively whereas concentrations in soils ranged from n.d. to 153.23 pg I-TEQ g(-1) dw. The average value was 8.14 pg I-TEQ g(-1) dw in soil samples. PMID: 19458883 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology)

  • Hormone levels and sexual development in Flemish adolescents residing in areas differing in pollution pressure.
    Authors: Croes K, Baeyens W, Bruckers L, Den Hond E, Koppen G, Nelen V, Van de Mieroop E, Keune H, Dhooge W, Schoeters G, Van Larebeke N In 2002, the Centre for Environment and Health in Flanders, Belgium started a human biomonitoring program. For 1679 adolescents, residing in nine study areas with differing pollution pressure, hormone levels and the degree of sexual maturation were measured. Possible confounding effects of lifestyle and personal characteristics were taken into account. Participants from the nine different study areas had significantly different levels of sex hormones (total and free testosterone, oestradiol, aromatase, luteinizing hormone) and the thyroid hormone free triiodothyronine, after correction for confounders. Significantly higher hormone concentrations were ...

  • Exposure to heavy metals and PCDD/Fs by the population living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste landfill in Catalonia, Spain: Health risk assessment.
    Authors: Mari M, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL Most fly ashes produced in municipal waste incinerators of Catalonia (Spain) are deposited in a hazardous waste landfill (HWL) placed in Castellolí (Barcelona). This facility means a concern for the population living nearby. In response to this, we performed a probabilistic study focused on assessing human health risks derived from environmental exposure to heavy metals and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) around the HWL. Concentrations of various metals and PCDD/Fs were determined in soil and air samples collected at the HWL, and in 4 locations around it. Health risks were evaluated according to the distance from the sampling locations to the HWL (near and far-sites). In general terms, metal and PCCD...

  • Speciation of zinc in secondary fly ashes of municipal solid waste at high temperatures
    The evaporation aerosols produced during the vitrification process of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWI) fly ash represent a potential environmental risk owing to their high content of heavy metals. In this research, high-temperature heating processes were carried out on fly ashes collected from bag houses in a Chinese MSWI plant and the secondary fly ashes (SFA) were separately collected at three high temperatures (1273 K, 1423 K and 1523 K) below the melting range. Elemental analysis showed that high contents of both zinc and chlorine were present in these SFA samples and, according to the standard of the heavy metals industrial grade of ore, SFAs can be re-used as metallurgical raw materials or rich ore. Moreover, as shown by XAS analysis and for different high temperatures...

  • Risk of cancer in the vicinity of municipal solid waste incinerators: importance of using a flexible modelling strategy
    Conclusions: In most epidemiological studies distance is still used as a proxy for exposure leading to significant exposure missclassification. Additionally, in geographical correlation studies the non-linear relationships are usually not accounted for in the statistical analysis. In studies of weak associations it is important to use advanced methods to better assess dose-response relationships with disease risk. (Source: International Journal of Health Geographics)

  • Dietary Exposure to Metals by Individuals Living Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Catalonia, Spain: Temporal Trend.
    Authors: Martí-Cid R, Perelló G, Domingo JL The concentrations of arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), thallium (Tl), and vanadium (V) were determined in a number of foodstuffs purchased during 2006 in various localities of Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain), near a hazardous waste incinerator, which has been operating since 1999. The dietary intake of the above elements by the population of the area was subsequently estimated. The results were compared with those obtained in previous surveys (baseline 1997 and 2002) performed in the same area. The levels of Be, Tl, and V were under their respective limits of detection in all samples. The estimated dietary intakes of the elements analyzed i...

  • Emissions of PCDD/Fs from municipal solid waste incinerators in China.
    Authors: Ni Y, Zhang H, Fan S, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Chen J Gas emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from 19 commercial municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators in China are investigated. The emission concentrations of PCDD/Fs were 0.042-2.461ng TEQNm(-3) with an average value of 0.423ng TEQNm(-3). The emissions of PCDD/Fs from 16 MSW incinerators were below the MEP regulation level (1.0ng I-TEQNm(-3)), while only six systems have the dioxin emission levels below the limit established by the European Union Directive of 0.1ng I-TEQNm(-3). The emission factors of PCDD/Fs from 19 MSW incinerators were calculated to be 0.169-10.72mug TEQton(-1) MSW with an average value of 1.728mug I-TEQton(-1) MSW. The total amount of PCDD/Fs emitted from M...

  • Medical waste illegally dumped in Sharjah
    Small clinics and hospitals in the UAE emirate of Sharjah are illegally dumping dangerous medical waste, including exposed needles and bloodstained dressings, while the city’s incinerator remains inoperable, reported The National. A municipal official acknowledged the illegal dumping, saying the emirate is waiting for spare parts to repair the incinerator. He gave no timetable for when the incinerator would be ready. (Source: Healthcare)

  • Characteristics and emission factors of PCDD/Fs in various industrial wastes in South Korea.
    In this study, PCDD/F-containing wastes from various industrial emission sources in Korea (n=388) except from incinerators were investigated to elucidate the emission characteristics and their emission factors of PCDD/Fs in each industry. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in waste samples ranged ND-96200ng I-TEQkg(-1) (or 66600ng WHO-TEQkg(-1)) for solid phase samples and ND-11100pg I-TEQL(-1) (or 6800ng WHO-TEQL) for liquid samples, respectively. Elevated levels of PCDD/F concentrations and emission factors were found in the wastes from productions of Cu, Al, Zn, Iron/steel, Pb, EDC/VCM/PVC and from waste landfill sites. The wastes from productions of cement (kilns) and acetylene (carbide method) showed elevated levels of PCDD/F emission factors only. The dominant congeners were OCDD, OCDF, 1...

  • Risk of congenital anomalies around a municipal solid waste incinerator: a GIS-based case-control study
    Conclusion: Overall, these findings do not lend support to the hypothesis that the environmental contamination occurring around an incineration plant such as that examined in this study may induce major teratogenic effects. (Source: BioMed Central)

  • Electrokinetic stabilization as a reclamation tool for waste materials polluted by both salts and heavy metals.
    Authors: Traina G, Ferro S, De Battisti A A method for detoxifying industrial wastes is presented, aiming at a safer management and reuse. Focusing, in particular, on bottom ashes from a municipal solid waste incinerator, the proposed "ElectroKinetic Stabilization" (EKS) technique requires a relatively short treatment time and improves the remediation of ashes by combining a fast extraction of chlorides by electromigration, together with a stabilization of metals through their reaction with phosphate anions, which migrate through the ash under the influence of the electric field. Heavy metals react with the phosphate anions, leading to the precipitation of metal hydroxy-apatite or chloro-apatite (for Pb and Ba), or to their trapping in a calcium-apatite mineral, that formed during the ...

  • Genetic and Environmental Risk Indicators in Canine Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas: Breed Associations and Geographic Distribution of 608 Cases Diagnosed throughout France over 1 Year.
    Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Influence of genetics in the development of CNHL was supported by the existence of an association between breed and immunophenotype. Waste incinerators, polluted sites, and radioactive waste could just be considered as risk indicators of CNHL, but not as risk factors. Case-control studies around critical sites are necessary to confirm the implication of those environmental factors in the development of CNHL. PMID: 19192140 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine)

  • Concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in breast milk of women from Catalonia, Spain: A follow-up study.
    Authors: Schuhmacher M, Kiviranta H, Ruokojärvi P, Nadal M, Domingo JL The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk from women living in the vicinity of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Catalonia, Spain. The results were compared with the levels obtained in two previous surveys carried out in 1998 (baseline study) and 2002. The current concentrations of PCDD/Fs in breast milk ranged from 45 to 143 pg/g fat (2.8 to 11.2 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat), while total PCBs ranged from 114 to 617 pg/g fat (2.8 to 17.6 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat). PBDE concentrations (sum 15 congeners) ranged from 0.57 ng/g fat to 5.9 ng/g fat, with a mean value of 2.5 ng/...

  • Levels of PCDD/F in adipose tissue on non-occupationally exposed subjects living near a hazardous waste incinerator in Catalonia, Spain.
    Authors: Nadal M, Domingo JL, García F, Schuhmacher M The potential adverse effects on human health of hazardous waste incinerators (HWIs) are a subject of concern. The construction of the first and till now only HWI in Spain finished in 1999. In 2007, after approximately 9 years of regular operations in the facility, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) were determined by HRGC/HRMS in samples of adipose tissue of 15 autopsied subjects living in the area under potential impact of the HWI (Constantí, Tarragona County, Catalonia). These data were compared with the levels found in two previous surveys performed in 1998 (baseline) and 2002. The current mean PCDD/F concentration in adipose tissue was 14.6pg WHO-TEQ/g of fat (range: 3.3...

  • Removal of ammonium chloride generated by ammonia slip from the SNCR process in municipal solid waste incinerators.
    Authors: Hwang IH, Minoya H, Matsuto T, Matsuo T, Matsumoto A, Sameshima R The selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) process is one of the methods used to reduce NO(x) to N(2) and H(2)O by injecting NH(3) or urea solution into a high-temperature furnace. Merits of this method include simple handling, low cost, and energy savings. However, a critical problem of the SNCR process is the generation of ammonia slip; in reactions with HCl in flue gas, ammonium chloride is generated and forms detached white plumes near the stack. Using a laboratory-scale experimental apparatus, we examined the possibility of NH(4)Cl collection and removal by a bag filter (BF). The molar NH(3)/HCl ratio of the compound collected at the filter was nearly one, regardless of gas temperature, retention time, an...

  • Simultaneous flue gas bioremediation and reduction of microalgal biomass production costs.
    Authors: Douskova I, Doucha J, Livansky K, Machat J, Novak P, Umysova D, Zachleder V, Vitova M A flue gas originating from a municipal waste incinerator was used as a source of CO(2) for the cultivation of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, in order to decrease the biomass production costs and to bioremediate CO(2) simultaneously. The utilization of the flue gas containing 10-13% (v/v) CO(2) and 8-10% (v/v) O(2) for the photobioreactor agitation and CO(2) supply was proven to be convenient. The growth rate of algal cultures on the flue gas was even higher when compared with the control culture supplied by a mixture of pure CO(2) and air (11% (v/v) CO(2)). Correspondingly, the CO(2) fixation rate was also higher when using the flue gas (4.4 g CO(2) l(-1) 24 h(-1)) than using the control ...

  • Levels and Profiles of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Feedstuffs and Milk From Farms in the Vicinity of Incineration Plants in Tuscany, Italy.
    Authors: Ingelido AM, Abballe A, di Domenico A, Fochi I, Iacovella N, Saragosa A, Spagnesi M, Valentini S, De Felip E Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) were determined in samples of bovine and ovine milk collected in farms located in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, in the vicinity of two incineration plants as well as in farms located in areas with presumable background levels of contamination. Samples of feedstuffs of local origin used in the investigated farms were also collected and analysed. The cumulative levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in feedstuffs ranged from 0.25 to 0.61 pg WHO-TE/g fresh weight (fw) in the farms under impact from incinerator emissions and from 0....

  • Morning Rounds: Industry vs. Reform, School Lunches and Toxic Incinerators
    Health news from around the Web. (Source: NYT > Health)

  • Dioxin and dioxin-like PCB profiles in the serum of industrial and municipal waste incinerator workers in Korea.
    Authors: Park H, Ikonomou MG, Kim HS, Choi JW, Chang YS To assess occupational exposure, we determined the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in human serum samples from 26 incinerator workers (10 industrial waste and 16 municipal solid waste incinerator workers), 38 residents near the facilities and 7 inhabitants (as control subjects) living over 10 km away from any incinerator facilities in Korea. The mean TEQ(WHO) levels of PCDD/Fs in the industrial and MSWI workers were 41.57 and 9.86 pg TEQ(WHO) g(-1) lipid, respectively. For the residents, the mean TEQ(WHO) was 13.47 pg TEQ(WHO) g(-1) lipid (residents near IWI, MSWI, and control subjects: 17.64, 13.31, and 6.91 pg TEQ(WHO) g(-1) lipid). Higher levels of certain PCDD/F congeners, mainly PCDFs, were detected in the serum of industr...

  • Morning Rounds: Industry v. Reform, School Lunches and Toxic Incinerators
    Health news from around the Web. (Source: NYT > Health)

  • Monitoring Metals in Blood and Hair of the Population Living Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator: Temporal Trend.
    Authors: Ferré-Huguet N, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL The concentrations of As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, and V were determined in hair of 96 school children and in blood of 144 adults living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) (Constantí, Tarragona County, Catalonia, NE Spain). The results were compared with those obtained in previous (1998 and 2002) surveys performed in the same area. Data were analyzed in terms of age, sex, and specific place of residence. Current mean concentrations in hair ranged between not detected (ND) (As, Be, and Tl) and 1.31 mug/g for Cr. In blood, Be, Hg, Mn, Sn, and Tl levels were under the respective detection limits. The mean blood concentrations of the remaining elements ranged from 0.34 mug/dL for Cd, to 2.4...

  • Kinetics of carbon degradation and PCDD/PCDF formation on MSWI fly ash.
    Authors: Lasagni M, Collina E, Grandesso E, Piccinelli E, Pitea D The native carbon oxidation and PolyChloroDibenzo-p-Dioxins and PolyChloroDibenzoFurans, PCDD/F, formation were simultaneously studied at different temperatures (230-350 degrees C) and times (0-1440min) in order to establish a direct correlation between the disappearance of the reagent and the formation of the products. The kinetic runs were conducted in an experimental set up where conditions were chosen to gain information on the role of fly ash deposits in cold zones of municipal solid waste incinerators in PCDD/F formation reaction. The carbon oxidation measured as the decrease of total organic carbon of fly ash was in agreement with the carbon evolved as sum of CO and CO(2). The carbon mass balance indicated an incr...

  • Non Hodgkin's lymphoma risk and past dioxin emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators
    Conclusions: This study, in line with previous results obtained in the vicinity of the incinerator located in Besancon (France), adds further evidence to the link between NHL incidence and exposure to dioxins emitted by municipal solid waste incinerators. However, the findings of this study cannot be extrapolated to current incinerators, which emit lower amounts of pollutants. (Source: Environmental Health)

  • Performance evaluation of intermediate cover soil barrier for removal of heavy metals in landfill leachate.
    Authors: Suzuki K, Anegawa A, Endo K, Yamada M, Ono Y, Ono Y This pilot-scale study evaluated the use of intermediate cover soil barriers for removing heavy metals in leachate generated from test cells for co-disposed fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators, ash melting plants, and shredder residue. Cover soil barriers were mixtures of Andisol (volcanic ash soil), waste iron powder, (grinder dust waste from iron foundries), and slag fragments. The cover soil barriers were installed in the test cells' bottom layer. Sorption/desorption is an important process in cover soil bottom barrier for removal of heavy metals in landfill leachate. Salt concentrations such as those of Na, K, and Ca in leachate were extremely high (often greater than 30gL(-1)) because of high salt content in ...

  • Association of cytochrome P450 1B1 gene expression in peripheral leukocytes with blood lipid levels in waste incinerator workers.
    CONCLUSIONS: CYP1B1 expression was associated with decreased HDL cholesterol levels in incinerator workers. PMID: 18922394 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of Epidemiology)

  • Practices in dioxin emission reduction by special regulatory enforcement and utilizing advanced control technologies for incinerators in Korea.
    This study strives to estimate the emission of dioxin and furthermore attempts to find the best technological control methods available for waste incinerators by investigating the emission status thereof. In order to incorporate the Stockholm Convention, a particular stringent law was promulgated in Korea and in recent years incinerators were forced to utilize better technological control. After the enforcement of special dioxin emission regulation in 2003, the average concentration of dioxin emitted from municipal and industrial waste incinerators decreased from 15.25 and 12.86ngTEQNm(-3) to 5.53 and 4.96ngTEQNm(-3) in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Based on test results at commercial plants, several best arranged sets of air pollution control devices (APCDs) were suggested in order to prov...

  • Levels of metals and organic substances in workers at a hazardous waste incinerator: a follow-up study
    Conclusion  According to the results of the present study, there are no evident signs of occupational exposure to a number of metals and organic substances in the workers of the HWI. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00420-008-0350-0Authors Montse Mari, Rovira i Virgili University Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering Sescelades Campus 43007 Tarragona SpainMarta Schuhmacher, Rovira i Virgili University Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering Sescelades Campus 43007 Tarragona SpainJosé L. Domingo, Rovira i Virgili University Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine San Lorenzo 21 43201 Reus Spain Journal International Archives of Occupational and E...

  • Concentrations of PCDD/PCDFs in plasma of subjects living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator: Follow-up and modeling validation.
    Authors: Nadal M, Perelló G, Schuhmacher M, Cid J, Domingo JL In 2007, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) were determined in plasma of non-occupationally exposed subjects living near the only hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Spain (Constantí, Tarragona County, Catalonia). These data were compared with the levels found in two previous surveys performed in 1998 (baseline) and 2002. The current mean PCDD/PCDF concentration in plasma was 9.36pg I-TEQg(-1) of lipid (range: 1.76-23.44pg I-TEQg(-1) of lipid). It means a significant reduction of the mean PCDD/PCDFs levels in plasma in comparison to the concentrations found in 1998 and 2002 (27.01 and 15.70pg I-TEQg(-1) of lipid, respectively). This important decrease agrees well...

  • Monitoring PCDD/Fs, PCBs and metals in the ambient air of an industrial area of Catalonia, Spain.
    Authors: Mari M, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL In 2005 and 2006, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl and V) were measured in air samples collected in an industrial area of Sant Adrià del Besòs (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) where a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) is placed, and in a background/control area. In general terms, concentrations of all environmental pollutants were higher at the industrial site. No significant seasonal/temporal variations were observed in any of the areas. No Pearson correlation was found between the PCDD/F concentrations and the environmental conditions of the two sampling periods considered. Principal compo...

  • Medicine Starts Thinking Green
    Here’s a reason we hadn’t heard before to support a move to electronic medical records: It’s environmentally friendly. Medical waste and other garbage washed onto a 10-mile stretch of Lake Michigan beaches earlier this month. (AP Photo/News Advocate,Dan Wrzesinski) The tree-sparing virtue of electronic records was a plus for a Washington medical practice that’s switching to a high-tech system. The practice, the Washington Wellness Institute, also boasts that its physical plant is entirely free of toxins and that everything including the carpet and wall panels is made of natural and recycled materials. And among other things, the doctors use washable hemp gowns instead of disposable paper ones. The environmentally friendly options are described in this morningR...

  • Medicine Gears Up for a Code Green
    Tossing out everything from plastic bandages and cotton swabs to hospital robes after a single use, the U.S. medical industry generates more than 2 million tons of waste per year, environmental advocates say. Some of that waste makes its way to incinerators and, when burned, releases dioxin, merc... (Source: washingtonpost.com - Health)

  • Dioxin- and POP-contaminated sites-contemporary and future relevance and challenges : Overview on background, aims and scope of the series.
    CONCLUSIONS: It is inevitable, therefore, that dioxin/POP-contaminated sites will remain of contemporary and future relevance. They will continue to represent an environmental issue for future generations to address. The securing and/or remediation of dioxin/POP-contaminated sites is very costly, generally in the order of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Secured landfills and secured production sites need to be considered as constructions not made for 'eternity' but built for a finite time scale. Accordingly, they will need to be controlled, supervised and potentially repaired/renewed. Furthermore, the leachates and groundwater impacted by these sites will require ongoing monitoring and potential further remediation. These activities result in high maintenance costs, which are accr...

  • Conversations with Pioneers: Gary Cohen of Health Care Without Harm
    Last month, we kicked off Conversations with Pioneers, a series of interviews with Pioneer grantees. The series continues this week with an interview with Gary Cohen (photo at left), executive director of Health Care Without Harm.Health Care Without Harm hosted its annual conference, Clean Med, last month and Susan Promislo and Theresa Kanter both posted updates from the conference. Working to drive environmental sustainability in health care, Health Care Without Harm has been on the forefront of efforts to accelerate the development, use, and diffusion of environmentally preferable products and practices in the health care system.Abbey Cofsky spoke with Cohen recently about the organization and its work:Health Care Without Harm’s mission is to transform the health care sector --why have...

  • The response of a co-culture lung model to fine and ultrafine particles of incinerator fly ash at the air-liquid interface.
    In this study, the exposure of a co-culture cell model at the air-liquid interface was used to evaluate the dose-dependent biological effects of a test aerosol. The CULTEX system was used to expose human cells to an environmentally-relevant aerosol, generated from fly ash collected in a commercial municipal waste incinerator and resuspended in filtered air. Human bronchial epithelial cells, BEAS-2B, co-cultured with differentiated THP-1 macrophages growing on Transwell inserts, were employed in the bioassay. Analyses of cell viability, interleukin-8 (IL-8) release, intracellular glutathione, and haeme oxygenase-1 enzyme expression were performed. Transportation of the cells and exposure to humidified filtered air or the test aerosol, at 100 ml/min for 1 to 6 hours, were well tolerated by t...

  • The repsonse of a co-culture lung model to fine and ultrafine particles of incinerator fly ash at the air-liquid interface.
    In this study, the exposure of a co-culture cell model at the air-liquid interface was used to evaluate the dose-dependent biological effects of a test aerosol. The CULTEX(R) system was used to expose human cells to an environmentally-relevant aerosol, generated from fly ash collected in a commercial municipal waste incinerator and resuspended in filtered air. Human bronchial epithelial cells, BEAS-2B, co-cultured with differentiated THP-1 macrophages growing on Transwell(R) inserts, were employed in the bioassay. Analyses of cell viability, interleukin-8 (IL-8) release, intracellular glutathione, and haeme oxygenase-1 enzyme expression were performed. Transportation of the cells and exposure to humidified filtered air or the test aerosol, at 100ml/min for 1 to 6 hours, were well tolerated...

  • Monitoring PCDD/Fs in Soil and Herbage Samples Collected Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator: Health Risks for the Population Living Nearby
    (Source: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment)

  • Pollutant effects on genotoxic parameters and tumor-associated protein levels in adults: a cross sectional study.
    This study intended to investigate whether residence in areas polluted by heavy industry, waste incineration, a high density of traffic and housing or intensive use of pesticides, could contribute to the high incidence of cancer observed in Flanders. Methods: Subjects were 1583 residents aged 50-65 from 9 areas with different types of pollution. Cadmium, lead, p,p'-DDE, hexachlorobenzene, PCBs and dioxin-like activity (Calux test) were measured in blood, and cadmium, t,t'-muconic acid and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine. Effect biomarkers were prostate specific antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen and p53 protein serum levels, number of micronuclei per 1000 binucleated peripheral blood cells, DNA damage (comet assay) in peripheral blood cells and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine in urine. Confounding facto...

  • Total suspended particulate (TSP), polychlorinated dibenzodioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) emissions from medical waste incinerators in Antioquia, Colombia.
    Authors: Hoyos A, Cobo M, Aristizábal B, Córdoba F, Montes de Correa C Results of a preliminary survey of particulate and dioxin emissions in combustion gases from hospital waste incinerators in Antioquia - Colombia are presented. Base line data of total suspended particulate (TSP) and polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/PCDF) emissions in incinerators from health care institutions in Antioquia - Colombia will be used to improve the management of medical waste in the local context. All monitored incinerators are batch operated. TSP exceeds 80mgNm(-3) in 8 out of 12 incinerators. Dioxin emissions are in the range from about 7 to 700 I-TEQ (ngNm(-3)). Such a significant amount of dioxin emissions did correlate with entrained particulate matter, mainly as a cons...

  • Use of time to pregnancy in environmental epidemiology and surveillance
    Conclusions In a context of public and scientific concern about possible reproductive toxicity, an interview study of TTP was highly acceptable to local women. A large enough sample to generate stable TTP distributions was readily achieved. (Source: Journal of Public Health)

  • Baseline levels of dioxin and furan emissions from waste thermal treatment in Colombia.
    This study also evaluated the impact of implementing different control systems in an incinerator. Finally, for comparison purposes several samples were analyzed by both high resolution gas chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS) and high resolution gas chromatography coupled to ion-trap low resolution mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (HRGC-IT LRMS/MS). Overall, I-TEQ values deviated about 20-30% between both techniques. PMID: 18485442 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Chemosphere)

  • Influences of perinatal dioxin load to visual motion and oddball stimuli examined with an EEG and MEG analysis.
    CONCLUSIONS: It may be concluded that, during the end-80s/early-90s, exposure to background levels in industrialized regions seems to have resulted in small underdevelopment or damage to visual motion processing and visual cognition. SIGNIFICANCE: Since dioxin pollution by incinerators still exists in many regions in developing countries and also still, although at a smaller scale, in the industrialized world, perinatal loads of similar magnitude and possibly more as measured in this study may occur and as a consequence might affect the developing brain. PMID: 18450506 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical Neurophysiology)

  • Relationship between dynamic change of copper and dioxin generation in various fly ash.
    Authors: Takaoka M, Shiono A, Yamamoto T, Uruga T, Takeda N, Tanaka T, Oshita K, Matsumoto T, Harada H Only limited information on the chemical forms of copper in municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash is available in the literature. Therefore, we performed in situ X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) experiments involving two types of real fly ash to confirm the behavior of copper in fly ash at secondary formation temperatures for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). CuCl(2).3Cu(OH)(2) was detected in both fly ash types before heating experiments. Cupric compounds in real fly ash were reduced to cuprous compounds or elemental copper at approximately 200 degrees C. The changes in the Cu XANES spectra observed for the two fly ash samp...

  • Chlorination and thermal degradation of 2-chlorodibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran by CuCl(2) or CuCl at 350 degrees C.
    Authors: Visez N, Sawerysyn JP Chlorination and thermal degradation of 2-chlorodibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran were investigated using sealed tubes at 350 degrees C in the presence of CuCl(2) or CuCl. Twelve organic species, including polychlorobenzenes, were identified and quantified as a function of residence time. Time behaviours of PCDDs and PCDFs regarding destruction processes were compared. The formation of polychlorobenzenes from the thermal heterogenous degradation of PCDDs was only a minor pathway but it could contribute to the good linear correlation observed between the concentration of polychlorobenzenes and those of PCDD/Fs in the emissions of municipal solid waste incinerators. PMID: 18440048 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Chemosphere)

  • The evaluation of the air quality impact of an incinerator by using MM5-CMAQ-EMIMO modeling system: North of Spain case study.
    Authors: San José R, Pérez JL, González RM The use of sophisticated air pollution modeling systems to evaluate the impact of different industrial plant emissions is currently done in an extensive way. MM5-CMAQ (PSU/NCAR and EPA, USA) is one of the most applicable air quality modeling systems to evaluate those impacts. In this contribution we present the methodology and results obtained when applying the MM5-CMAQ air quality modeling system for evaluating the potential impact of an incinerator in San Sebastián (Basque Country, Spain). We have used the EMIMO (UPM, Spain) emission model to simulate the emissions from biogenic and anthropogenic sources including traffic and tertiary sector sources. The study includes the air quality impact of a highway located near the ...

  • Serum levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in non-occupationally exposed population groups living near two incineration plants in Tuscany, Italy.
    Authors: De Felip E, Abballe A, Casalino F, di Domenico A, Domenici P, Iacovella N, Ingelido AM, Pretolani E, Spagnesi M A pilot study was carried out in Tuscany, Italy, to provide preliminary information on the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (DL-PCBs), and selected non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) in groups of subjects living in the vicinity of two incineration plants. Seventy-four volunteers were enrolled from areas identified as under a potential impact from incinerator emissions and from not exposed areas. No significant differences were observed between subjects living in the two types of areas. Total concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and DL-PCBs resulted to be in the range 23-30pg WHO-T...

  • Proposed Incinerator Reclassification Undermines EU Health And Sustainability Goals, Say NGOs
    In a decision criticised today by environment groups, the EU Parliament ENVI Committee voted in favour of EU Commission proposals to reclassify some waste incinerators as energy recovery plants. Among the critics of the proposals, which form part of the EU Waste Framework Directive, are environmental health network Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWHE) and waste campaigners GAIA. (Source: Asthma / Respiratory News From Medical News Today)

  • Cytotoxicity of municipal solid waste incinerator ash wastes toward mammalian kidney cell lines.
    In this study, three municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash wastes-bottom ash, scrubber residue, and baghouse ash-were extracted using a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) extractant. These so-called final TCLP extracts were applied to African green monkey kidney cells (Vero), baby hamster kidney cells (BHK-21), and pig kidney cells (PK-15), multi-well absorption reader analysis was performed to test how the cytotoxicity of the incineration ashes would affect the digestive systems of animals. Ion-coupled plasma analyses indicated that the baghouse ash extract possessed the highest pH and heavy metal concentration, its cytotoxicity was also the highest. In contrast, the bottom ash and the scrubber residue exhibited very low cytotoxicities. The cytotoxicities of mixtures...

  • Uganda: Lira Hospital Lacks Incinerator
    LIRA Hospital disposes of clinical in a pit, MPs heard yesterday. The hospital superintendent, Jane Aceng, said the facility, which was built in the 1920s, lacked an incinerator. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

  • On Sushi, Mercury, and Women’s Health: Can’t See the Pollution for the Fish
    Amidst the relentless recent coverage of mercury in tuna, sushi and fish in general, I’ve read and heard a lot of hand-wringing over what is and is not a safe level of mercury, and how it’s really the pregnant women, the breastfeeding women, the pre-pregnant women (get it? the women!) who need to worry, but I haven’t heard one account that actually addresses how all this mercury gets in the fish in the first place. In case you thought mercury fairies were poisoning your sushi just to ruin your trips to big coastal cities, here’s what the EPA says: Mercury is found in the environment as a result of natural and human activities. The amount of mercury that cycles in the environment has increased since the industrial age. The main source of mercury is air emissions fro...

  • Dioxin emissions from a municipal solid waste incinerator and risk of invasive breast cancer: a population-based case-control study with GIS-derived exposure
    Conclusion: Before speculating that this decreased risk reflects a dioxin anti-estrogenic activity with greater effect on late-onset acquired breast cancer, some residual confounding must be envisaged. (Source: International Journal of Health Geographics)

  • Has Dental Amalgam Been Torpedoed and Sunk?
    J Dent Res 87(2):101-102, 2008© 2008 International and American Associations for Dental Research GUEST EDITORIALHas Dental Amalgam Been Torpedoed and Sunk?Derek W. JonesProfessor Emeritus of Biomaterials, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canadadwjones@dal.caKEY WORDS: Mercury • amalgam • environment • scientific principlesFor the past 20 years, the public has been bombarded by sensational, confusing, and misleading media reports about health issues related to dental amalgam. The public opinion on this issue has been modified by minority, non-scientific views driven and supported by media sensationalism. Mobilization of irrational public fear is the strategy used by lobby groups to pressure governments to change public policy (Jones, 1993). It is important that governments adhere t...

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