Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is a global problem as most local authorities fail to dispose MSW safely. In view of this, the study was aimed at evaluating environmental and health risks associated with municipal solid waste (MSW) illegal disposal as well as constraints faced by Masvingo City in MSWM, with a view to developing an alternative sustainable management model. The study, informed by the philosophy of pragmatism, employed a mixed methods design in which quantitative and qualitative data werecollected concurrently. Questionnaires comprising both close and open-ended questions, semi-structured interviews and site visits were used to collect data. The study population comprised participants from Masvingo City’s residential areas, Masvingo City Council employees, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) officials and informal waste pickers. A sample of 406 participants, comprising 354 residents from high-density, 16 residents from medium-density, 24 residents from low-density suburbs, six council employees, two EMA officials and four informal waste collectors participated in the survey. Concurrent triangulation was employed to analyse data. Basic numerical analysis was used for quantitative data while thematic data analysis was employed for qualitative data. Three main findings which emerged from the study were (a) Land pollution, air pollution, surface water pollution and loss of urban beauty, were the main environmental risks as at least 59 % of the respondents noted the four as environmental risks associated with illegal municipal solid waste disposal (b) Cholera, skin problems and malaria were the main health risks; and, (c) The main constraints related to MSW management were inadequate environmental education, lack of cooperation and participation from waste generatorsand lack of resources by Masvingo City . From the findings, 66 %, 52 % and 49 % of participants noted inadequate environmental education, lack of cooperation and participation, and lack of resources respectively as constraints faced by Masvingo City in MSWM. Basing on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that MSW disposal in Masvingo was a threat to the environment and human health and, as a result, a sustainable MSWM model was developed for Masvingo City. / Environmental Sciences

Vattenfall operates a cogeneration plant where household and industrial waste is incinerated to generate electricity and district heating. The waste incineration generates flue gases, and the energy in the hot flue gases is recovered by condensation. Both flue gases and the flue gas condensate are treated by emission control systems before being released into nature. The emission control system is planned to be updated with better technologies currently applied in Sweden. In this study, a comparison of the overall environmental impact of the current emission control system and the new system for emission control is performed. Vattenfall will perform a comparative life cycle assessment, LCA, of the two emission control systems. A part of the LCA is an inventory analysis. In this study, data required for the inventory analysis will be collected and quantified. The parameters considered are emissions to air and water, consumption of chemicals, produced solid residue, and water utilization. The objectives with the planned upgrade of the emission control system, which are evaluated in this study, are to obtain a cleaner condensate stream that can be reused in the system, to reach a higher tolerance of sulphur content in the fuel, and to reach a better reduction of emissions, for future stricter regulation. From the perspective of this study, the new system for emission control system seems to be the choice for emission control system with the least environmental impact. The results show that the reasons for upgrading the emission control system are met with the new system. The condensate is significantly cleaner with the new alternative emission control system than in the current one, the total amount of emissions decreases by 99,98 w%. The significantly smaller amount of emissions results in a condensate flow that can be reused in the system, which could save a considerable amount of raw water each year. The SO2 emissions are reduced by 99,5 w%, which show that a higher sulphur content in the fuel could be tolerated with the new emission control system. Furthermore, the total amount of emission content in the flue gas decreases with 61,9 w% with the new emission control system. The emission parameters that are deemed likely to be more strictly regulated in coming regulations, NOx and Hg, are both significantly reduced with the new emission control system. On the other hand, both the consumption of chemicals and the production of solid residue increases in the new emission control system, compared to the current one. These aspects are important drawbacks with the new system, and the environmental impact of these aspects needs to be further investigated in the planned LCA. / Vattenfall driver ett kraftvärmeverk där avfall från hushåll och industrier förbränns för att generera el och fjärrvärme. Avfallsförbränningen genererar rökgaser, och energin i rökgaserna utvinns genom kondensering. Rökgaserna och kondensatet renas från föroreningar innan de släpps ut i naturen. Systemet för rökgas- och kondensatrening ska uppdateras till nyare tekniker. I det här arbetet jämförs den totala miljöpåverkan av det nuvarande och det nya systemet för rökgas- och kondensatrening. Vattenfall kommer i framtiden att utföra en jämförande livscykelanalys av de två rökgas- och kondensatreningssystemen. En del i en livscykelanalys är en inventeringsanalys. Syftet med det här arbetet är att samla in och kvantifiera den data som behövs för inventeringsanalysen. Parametrarna som tas med i inventeringsanalysen är utsläpp till luft och vatten, kemikalieförbrukning, restprodukter samt vattenförbrukning. Målen med uppdateringen av rökgas- och kondensatreningssystemen är att erhålla ett renare kondensat som kan återanvändas i systemet, att kunna elda bränsle med en högre halt svavel och fortfarande hålla utsläppen under utsläppsgränserna, samt att få en bättre rening av föroreningar för att kunna möta framtida utsläppskrav. Målet med detta arbete är att utvärdera hur väl dessa aspekter möts i det nya systemet för rökgas- och kondensatrening. Utifrån de aspekter som utvärderats i denna studie verkar det nya systemet för rökgas- och kondensatrening ha en mindre miljöpåverkan än det nuvarande. Resultaten visar att alla målen med att uppdatera rökgas- och kondensatreningssystemet nås med det nya systemet. Kondensatet blir signifikant renare med det nya systemet jämfört med det nuvarande, den totala mängden föroreningar i kondensatet minskar med 99,98 vikts%. Det innebär att kondensatet kan återanvändas i systemet, och en betydande mängd råvatten kan sparas varje år. Utsläppen av SO2 minskar med 99,5 vikts%, vilket visar att en högre svavelhalt i bränslet skulle kunna tolereras. Vidare minskar den totala mängden föroreningar i rökgaserna med 61,9 vikts%. De föroreningsparametrar som bedöms bli mer strikt reglerade inom en snar framtid, NOx och Hg, reduceras signifikant med det nya systemet för rökgas- och kondensatrening. Däremot ökar både kemikalieförbrukningen och mängden producerad restprodukt. Ökningarna är betydande nackdelar för det nya systemet, och miljöpåverkan av detta bör undersökas vidare i den planerade livscykelanalysen.

No description available.

Waste-fired boilers suffer severely from corrosion of critical components such as superheater tubes. In this work the high temperature corrosion of candidate superheater alloys have been investigated by detailed laboratory studies and controlled field exposures in full-scale boilers. In a laboratory study the detrimental effect of gaseous hydrochloric acid (HCl) on three  different ground surface and preoxidised austenitic stainless steels was investigated. Exposures were conducted in an environment comprising N2-10O2-5H2O-0.05HCl at both 400 °C and 700 °C. A positive effect of preoxidation is evident when the alloys are exposed at 400 °C. Oxide layers formed during preoxidation effectively suppress chlorine ingress and lower the corrosion rate for all three materials while accelerated corrosion and chlorine accumulation at the metal/oxide interface is detected for ground surface specimens. The positive effect of preoxidation is lost at 700 °C and corrosion resistance is dependent on alloying level. At 700 °C metal chloride evaporation contributes significantly to the material degradation. Based on the results, high temperature corrosion in the presence of gaseous HCl is discussed in general terms.  In two different waste-fired boilers measures for counteracting superheater corrosion were investigated. In a grate-boiler the deposit formation and high temperature corrosion of some candidate superheater materials were studied. Metal loss measurements showed unacceptably high corrosion rates for the lower alloyed ferritic steels 13CrMo44 (Fe-1Cr-0.5Mo) and HCM12A (Fe-11Cr-2W), as well as for the austenitic Super 304 (Fe-18Cr-9Ni-3Cu). The corrosion attack for these alloys was manifested by the formation of mixed metal chloride/metal oxide scales. A different type of behaviour was seen for the higher alloyed austenitic steels and nickel-base alloys, which were able to form a chromium-enriched oxide next to the metal. However, the alloys suffered from localised pitting attack. Since analyses of the deposit revealed appreciable amounts of low melting salt mixtures such as ZnCl2-KCl, PbCl2-KCl, FeCl2-KCl and NaCl-NiCl2, oxide dissolution in these molten salts is the probable reason for pitting attack. In a waste-fired boiler ammonium sulphate solution was added to the flue gas and the effect on flue gas and deposit composition was evaluated. It was evident that the sulphur-rich additive reduced the amount of alkali chlorides in both the flue gas and the deposit. Results also indicated that the initial corrosion rates were lowered with the use of ammonium sulphate. It was concluded that using the additive could be a possible strategy for changing the flue gas chemistry so that superheater corrosion is mitigated. / <p>QC 20110414</p>

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23870号 / 工博第4957号 / 新制||工||1774(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市環境工学専攻 / (主査)教授 高岡 昌輝, 教授 藤原 拓, 准教授 大下 和徹 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

Incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) is common for energy recovery, and management of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ashes has received a growing attention around the world. In the U.S., generation of MSW has increased up to 65% since 1980, to the current level of 251 million tons per year with 53.8% landfilled, 34.5% recycled and composted, and 11.7% incinerated with energy recovery. In the process of incineration, MSWI ash is being produced as byproducts; about 80 to 90% of the MSWI ash is bottom ash (BA) and 10 to 20% is fly ash (FA) by weight. The current practice of the U.S. is to combine both BA and FA to meet the criteria to qualify as non-hazardous, and all combined ashes are disposed in landfills. European countries have utilized MSWI BA as beneficial construction materials by separating it from FA. The FA is mostly limited to landfill disposal as hazardous material due to its high content of toxic elements and salts. BA has been actively recycled in the areas of roadbed, asphalt paving, and concrete products in many of European and Asian countries. In those countries, recycling programs (including required physical properties and environmental criteria) of ash residue management have been developed so as to encourage and enforce the reuse of MSWI ashes instead of landfill disposal. Moreover, many studies have demonstrated the beneficial use of MSWI ashes as engineering materials with minimum environmental impacts. On the other hand, the U.S. has shown a lack of consistent and effective management plans, as well as environmental regulations for the use of MSWI ashes., Due to persistent uncertainty of engineering properties and inconsistency in the Federal and State regulations in the U.S., however, the recycling of the MSWI ashes has been hindered and they are mostly disposed in landfills. In this research work, current management practice, existing regulations, and environmental consequences of MSWI ashes utilization are comprehensively reviewed worldwide and nationwide with an emphasis of the potential area of its utilization in asphalt paving and concrete product. This research also entails a detailed chemical and microstructural characterization of MSWI BA and FA produced from a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility in Florida so that the MSWI ash is well characterized for its beneficial uses as construction materials. The material characterization includes Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. In addition, leaching experiments have been conducted to investigate the environmental properties (e.g. leachate concentration) of BA and ash-mixed hot mix asphalt (HMA) and Portland cement concrete (PCC). Leaching results reveals the reduced leaching potential of toxic material from MSWI ashes while incorporated in HMA and PCC. Lastly, a preliminary experimental approach has been devised for the vitrification of FA which is a promising thermal process of transferring material into glassy state with higher physical and chemical integrity to reduce toxicity so that utilization of FA can be possible.

Livscykelanalys används som metod för att undersöka produkter eller tjänster från ”vaggan tillgraven”. Med hjälp av mjukvaruprogrammet SimaPro utförs en livscykelanalys på förbränning av avfall med energiutvinning. Resultatet jämförs med en livscykelanalys som utförs på biogasproduktion från matavfall, för att visa vilken av processerna som har mer positiv påverkan på miljön. Resultatet visar att förbränning av avfall bidrar till minskad miljöpåverkan med 63,9 kg CO2-ekvivalenter per ton avfall. Biogasproduktionen minskar miljöpåverkan med 11,6 kg CO2-ekvivalenter per ton matavfall. Förbränning av avfall är den behandlingsmetod som har mer positiv inverkan på växthuseffekten. Energiproduktion med avfall som bränsle är inte hållbart på lång sikt. Avfall är ett ohållbart bränsle, inom EU utförs ett aktivt arbete för att minska uppkomsten av avfall. / Life cycle assessment as a method is used to evaluate products or services from “cradle to grave”. A life cycle assessment of municipal waste incineration with energy recovery is conducted with the software SimaPro. The result is compared with life cycle assessment conducted on biogas production from food waste, the comparison shows the process with the least impact on the environment. Incineration of municipal waste contributes to reduced environmental impact with 63.9 kg CO2-equivalents per ton waste. Biogas production reduces the environmental impact with 11.6 kg CO2-equivalents per ton food waste. Incineration of municipal waste is the treatment with the least environmental impact. Power generation with waste as fuel is unsustainable long term, waste is an unsustainable fuel and the European Union is actively working to reduce the generation of waste.

Millions of tons of ash and slag are produced each year as a result of energy production. This study looks at the mineralogy and textures in the ash resulting from the gasification of a 25% Passaic Valley sewage sludge, 75% Pittsburgh #8 coal slurry in a Texaco gasification facility and at ash resulting from the incineration of municipal solid waste at several facilities in Virginia and North Carolina. This information is then compared with similar studies done on ash and slag from coal-burning power plants and a study done on petroleum coke slag which was produced at a Texaco gasification facility. Lastly, a comparison of bulk chemistries of ashes to those of soil and crustal rocks is made. A general understanding of the stability of elements, especially metals, in terms of the phases in which they are contained as well as the textures, was hoped to be gained from this study. Samples for this study were polished sections which were 2.54 em in diameter that were set in cold-setting epoxy then ground and polished. Samples were then studied under a reflected light microscope before being carbon coated for study on a SEM and an electron microprobe. Photos of textures and analyses were made throughout. At least 50% of the ash from all sources was a Si-Al oxide rich glass which had varying amounts of Fe, Ca, K, P, Mg, and Ti and other trace elements. Fe oxides and spinels were common phases found. Pb and Zn were rarely encountered, but were found as both oxides and sulfides. Cr was found in the form of spinels, often covered by a protective AI enriched outer rim. The heavy metals found were successfully bound as mineral analogs or as a glass phase. The only phase found to be reactive was an AIC matrix containing subhedral SiC crystals. The AI phase effervesced when placed in contact with water, changing from tan to greenlblue/violet in color, releasing a gas (probably CO₂, C2H2, or CH4) in the process. / Master of Science

This thesis deals with perceptions of refuse as an asset or as a liability and the questions of waste management practices. The aim has been to gain new insights into Stockholm’s waste management in the period 1900–1975 by studying change and continuity in municipal practices and the notions that governed the municipal actors’ actions. The central questions are what factors determined the city’s waste management, and how an urban and local (environmental) problem was formulated and addressed by local authorities and political bodies. In answering, I have applied a theory of inertia in large technical–administrative systems and an analytical framework based on the concept of waste management regimes. During the period a resource recovery regime was replaced by an incineration regime. At the turn of the last century, the quantity and type of refuse produced by Stockholm’s rising population was compounded by increasing consumption. In order to modernize the capital’s waste disposal the city invested in resource recovery by introducing source separation. The fall in demand for fertilizer and a changing composition of the waste in the 1920s made it more difficult to get rid of refuse and led to an end of waste separation. Incineration came to be seen as the modern option and in 1938 Sweden’s first modern incineration plant for municipal waste was built outside Stockholm. The amount of waste produced by Stockholm nearly tripled between 1922, when it was at its lowest levels, and the mid-1960s. The late 1960s saw an even more dramatic increase. In the 1960s waste was discussed as an important environmental issue and in the 1970s recycling was implemented in small scale. At the national level recycling was adopted as a waste management aim in 1975.

<p>In this study potential health risks for employees in connection with handling of bottom ash and bottom ash water at a Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) plant have been investigated. Air surrounding the bottom ash and the bottom ash water has been examined. MWI is one of the primary ways to manage solid household waste, and bottom ash is the main solid residue produced by the incineration process. Bottom ash constitutes about 15-20% of the original waste. The bottom ash is extinguished in a water bath (bottom ash water).</p><p>The study was carried out in a MWI plant in Karlstad, Sweden. The plant is equipped with a grate furnace with a capacity of 7 tonnes per hour. Annually about 50 000 tonnes are incinerated at the plant.</p><p>Levels of airborne particles, metals present in the airborne particles, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and phosphine were measured in the air. Analysis of the bottom ash water including: pH, total phosphorus, ammonium, chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids, and bacteria were also carried out. Further, a questionnaire was distributed to investigate how the workers at the MWI plant re°ected on health when working.</p><p>The results showed that the levels of airborne particles, metals and VOC did not pose any major health risks. The bacterial analysis demonstrated very low concentrations of bacteria in the water and thus that the bacteria posed no risk for the workers. The phosphine measurements did not result in levels exceeding the Swedish threshold limit value. However, the method used in this study was not well-tested in these sorts of environments and the results implied that higher levels of phosphine might be present. The conclusion from the questionnaire was that there is a concern about health risks in connection with certain tasks at the plant.</p> / <p>På Hedenverket, Karlstads Energi AB, förbränner man årligen cirka 50 000 ton hushålls- och verksamhetsavfall. En av restprodukterna av förbränningen kallas slagg (bottenaska) och utgör ca 15-20% av det inmatade avfallet. Slaggen släcks i ett vattenbad under själva pannan (slaggsläckningsbad) och matas sedan ut, via ett skakbord för reduktion av vatten, till containrar innan det slutligen körs på deponi.</p><p>Syftet med det här projekt var att utreda om det föreligger några hälsorisker vid arbete kring slaggen och slaggsläckningsvattnet. För att skapa en bild av möjliga hälsorisker gjordes en inledande studie av tidigare utredningar, mätningar gjorda på avfallsförbränningsanläggningar runt om i Svergie och vad kemiska och biologiska hälsorisker innebär. Även lagstiftning på området har berörts.</p><p>Med tidigare utredningar och mätningar samt diskussioner som grund utfördes mätningar av damm, metallhalter i damm, VOC och fosfin i luften samt en analys av slaggvattnet och bakterier i slaggvattnet. För att skapa en uppfattning av hur personalen, som arbetar med driften, upplever sin arbetssituation ur hälsorisksynpunkt genomfördes även en enkätundersökning.</p><p>Resultaten av undersökningarna på Karlstads Energi AB visade att varken damm, metaller eller VOC utgör någon hälsorisk. Bakterieprovtagningen av slaggsläckningsvattnet visade på mycket låga halter av bakterier och bakterier kan därför inte sägas utgöra någon hälsorisk.</p><p>Undersökningar av slaggvatten på andra anläggningar i Sverige visar däremot på höga metallhalter i slaggvattnet och det vore således inte särskilt hälsosamt att få i sig större mängder av detta. Resultaten av fosfinmätningen visar inte heller på några alarmerande nivåer, men metoden som användes är inte väl beprövad i den här typen av miljö. Resultaten kan tyda på att högre halter av fosfin förekommer, men hur höga de är inte möjligt att svara på. Fosfin är ett ämne som i små mängder kan ge upphov till bland annat illamående. I enkätundersökningen påtalades att obehag och illamående uppstºar vid längre arbeten över skakbordet och det är möjligt att fosfin kan vara en orsak till detta. Enkätundersökningen visade även att det finns en oro för hälsan vid vissa typer av arbeten på anläggningen och oro för att hälsan ska påverkas negativt på längre sikt.</p>