Hazardous waste management and weight-based indicators--the case of Haifa Metropolis

The quantity control of hazardous waste in Israel relies primarily on the Environmental Services Company (ESC) reports. With limited management tools, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) has no applicable methodology to confirm or monitor the actual amounts of hazardous waste produced by various industrial sectors. The main goal of this research was to develop a method for estimating the amounts of hazardous waste produced by various sectors. In order to achieve this goal, sector-specific indicators were tested on three hazardous waste producing sectors in the Haifa Metropolis: petroleum refineries, dry cleaners, and public hospitals. The findings reveal poor practice of hazardous waste management in the dry cleaning sector and in the public hospitals sector. Large discrepancies were found in the dry cleaning sector, between the quantities of hazardous waste reported and the corresponding indicator estimates. Furthermore, a lack of documentation on hospitals' pharmaceutical and chemical waste production volume was observed. Only in the case of petroleum refineries, the reported amount was consistent with the estimate.     

Estimating potential disaster waste generation for pre-disaster waste management

The paper discusses development of a method for estimating disaster waste that can be potentially generated by a natural disaster in the future for pre-disaster waste management. In particular, this research focuses on micro-disaster waste originating from household consumer durables. We documented the number of household consumer durables and built a mass per unit database of major consumer durables using web-based and statistical surveys. We also estimated present and future figures of disaster waste that can be generated in the study area. The estimated total amount of disaster waste that could be generated in 2015 was 24.1 kt (18.1–29.8 kt) and 108 kt (81.8–133 kt) for Kobe City and Ise-Shima region, respectively. The total quantities of TV sets, air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines generated in Kobe and Ise-Shima will range between 10.9 and 22.8 kt (247,000–545,000 units) in 2015, and 10.7 kt to 22.8 kt (249,000–550,000 units) in 2035. The quantity estimated for 2015 is equal to 61 % of the annual processing capacity of Plant A, Japan’s leading home appliances recycling plant. Finally, we discussed the contribution of the estimation results and geographic information systems in future recycling planning.     

Profiling hazardous waste generation for management planning

Results of a survey of the hazardous wastes generated by the industrial sector of the United States' economy are presented. Although data availabilityA method is also presented for building the results of waste generation surveys into hazardous waste management models. This requires the creation of a     

Hazardous organic compounds in urban municipal solid waste from a developing country

Fresh and partially decomposed municipal solid waste (MSW) collected from three places in Chennai city, viz., a residential collection point and two dumping grounds (Kodungaiyur and Perungudi) were screened for hazardous organic pollutants. Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) using a Zero Headspace Extractor (ZHE) followed by further extraction by solvent separation using n-hexane containing 15% di-ethyl ether was performed and the organic extract obtained was qualitatively screened by GC-MS. 28 different types of higher alkanes and their derivatives, 7 types of C6-C8 fatty acids and their esters, 7 different phenolic compounds including alkylated phenols and degradation products and 5 phthalate compounds occurred in a majority of the analysed samples. 17 other organic compounds such as carboxylic acids, chloroform, phosphate, pharmaceutical chemicals etc. were also detected. Among these compounds, phenolics and phthalates are highly hazardous in nature and occurred in relatively higher concentrations. Hazardous compounds like p-cresol, di-butyl, mono butyl and di-ethyl pthalates were found in concentrations more than 200mg/kg in MSW.     

Recycling of waste printed circuit boards: a review of current technologies and treatment status in China

From the use of renewable resources and environmental protection viewpoints, recycling of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) receives wide concerns as the amounts of scrap PCBs increases dramatically. However, treatment for waste PCBs is a challenge due to the fact that PCBs are diverse and complex in terms of materials and components makeup as well as the original equipment's manufacturing processes. Recycle technology for waste PCBs in China is still immature. Previous studies focused on metals recovery, but resource utilization for nonmetals and further separation of the mixed metals are relatively fewer. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a proper recycle technology for waste PCBs. In this paper, current status of waste PCBs treatment in China was introduced, and several recycle technologies were analyzed. Some advices against the existing problems during recycling process were presented. Based on circular economy concept in China and complete recycling and resource utilization for all materials, a new environmental-friendly integrated recycling process with no pollution and high efficiency for waste PCBs was provided and discussed in detail.     

Mechanical recycling of waste electric and electronic equipment: a review

The production of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing areas. This development has resulted in an increase of waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE). In view of the environmental problems involved in the management of WEEE, many counties and organizations have drafted national legislation to improve the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of such wastes so as to reduce disposal. Recycling of WEEE is an important subject not only from the point of waste treatment but also from the recovery of valuable materials.WEEE is diverse and complex, in terms of materials and components makeup as well as the original equipment's manufacturing processes. Characterization of this waste stream is of paramount importance for developing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly recycling system. In this paper, the physical and particle properties of WEEE are presented. Selective disassembly, targeting on singling out hazardous and/or valuable components, is an indispensable process in the practice of recycling of WEEE. Disassembly process planning and innovation of disassembly facilities are most active research areas. Mechanical/physical processing, based on the characterization of WEEE, provides an alternative means of recovering valuable materials. Mechanical processes, such as screening, shape separation, magnetic separation, Eddy current separation, electrostatic separation, and jigging have been widely utilized in recycling industry. However, recycling of WEEE is only beginning.For maximum separation of materials, WEEE should be shredded to small, even fine particles, generally below 5 or 10mm. Therefore, a discussion of mechanical separation processes for fine particles is highlighted in this paper.Consumer electronic equipment (brown goods), such as television sets, video recorders, are most common. It is very costly to perform manual dismantling of those products, due to the fact that brown goods contain very low-grade precious metals and copper. It is expected that a mechanical recycling process will be developed for the upgrading of low metal content scraps.     

Metallurgical recovery of metals from electronic waste: a review

Waste electric and electronic equipment, or electronic waste, has been taken into consideration not only by the government but also by the public due to their hazardous material contents. In the detailed literature survey, value distributions for different electronic waste samples were calculated. It is showed that the major economic driver for recycling of electronic waste is from the recovery of precious metals. The state of the art in recovery of precious metals from electronic waste by pyrometallurgical processing, hydrometallurgical processing, and biometallurgical processing are highlighted in the paper. Pyrometallurgical processing has been a traditional technology for recovery of precious metals from waste electronic equipment. However, state-of-the-art smelters are highly depended on investments. Recent research on recovery of energy from PC waste gives an example for using plastics in this waste stream. It indicates that thermal processing provides a feasible approach for recovery of energy from electronic waste if a comprehensive emission control system is installed. In the last decade, attentions have been removed from pyrometallurgical process to hydrometallurgical process for recovery of metals from electronic waste. In the paper, hydrometallurgical processing techniques including cyanide leaching, halide leaching, thiourea leaching, and thiosulfate leaching of precious metals are detailed. In order to develop an environmentally friendly technique for recovery of precious metals from electronic scrap, a critical comparison of main leaching methods is analyzed for both economic feasibility and environmental impact. It is believed that biotechnology has been one of the most promising technologies in metallurgical processing. Bioleaching has been used for recovery of precious metals and copper from ores for many years. However, limited research was carried out on the bioleaching of metals from electronic waste. In the review, initial researches on the topic are presented. In addition, mechanisms and models of biosorption of precious metal ions from solutions are discussed.     

Factors affecting hazardous waste solidification/stabilization: a review

Solidification/stabilization is accepted as a well-established disposal technique for hazardous waste. As a result many different types of hazardous wastes are treated with different binders. The S/S products have different property from waste and binders individually. The effectiveness of S/S process is studied by physical, chemical and microstructural methods. This paper summarizes the effect of different waste stream such as heavy metals bearing sludge, filter cake, fly ash, and slag on the properties of cement and other binders. The factors affecting strength development is studied using mix designs, including metal bearing waste alters the hydration and setting time of binders. Pore structure depends on relative quantity of the constituents, cement hydration products and their reaction products with admixtures. Carbonation and additives can lead to strength improvement in waste-binder matrix.     

Heavy metal adsorption onto agro-based waste materials: a review

Adsorption has been proved to be an excellent way to treat industrial waste effluents, offering significant advantages like the low-cost, availability, profitability, easy of operation and efficiency. Biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions is a relatively new process that has proven very promising in the removal of contaminants from aqueous effluents. Biosorption is becoming a potential alternative to the existing technologies for the removal and/or recovery of toxic metals from wastewater. The major advantages of biosorption technology are its effectiveness in reducing the concentration of heavy metal ions to very low levels and the use of inexpensive biosorbent materials. Metal adsorption and biosorption onto agricultural wastes is a rather complex process affected by several factors. Mechanisms involved in the biosorption process include chemisorption, complexation, adsorption-complexation on surface and pores, ion exchange, microprecipitation, heavy metal hydroxide condensation onto the biosurface, and surface adsorption.     

A review of current challenges and legal advances in the global management of plastic waste

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Plastic waste is an ever-growing global challenge, perhaps second only to climate change in its scope and impact. Unmanaged plastic waste can be found...     

Modelling and analysis of a symbiotic waste management system

A municipal solid waste management system is symbiotic when there exists physical exchange of material or by-products between different treatment units. We propose a mathematical model for studying the interactive behaviour of different waste treatment operators in a symbiotic environment. Each operator is a self-interested entity, who sets his gate fee charge to maximise his own payoff. We study the properties and gate fee strategies of the operators, and also perform sensitivity analysis on various model parameters to discuss the local operator behaviour and the effects of various intervention strategies. We also propose a numerical algorithm to solve the model, yielding the optimal equilibrium gate fee charges, payoff and market share levels of different operators. Finally, computational studies based on a two-unit scenario in a case study of organic waste recycling is performed to demonstrate the interactive and dynamic behaviours of different operators. Our results strongly suggest that, to improve new treatment technology utilisation, subsidising the operating cost of the new treatment unit is more effective in the long-run than exerting control on the gate fee upper bounds of the operators by the system regulator. Furthermore, providing residual post-treatment discounts for treatment units can benefit the service users, rather than the waste treatment operators.     

Nuclear waste management: shifting the paradigm

In planning the management of nuclear waste, the U.S. has emphasized performance assessments and compliance with regulations, and has under-utilized processes for facilitating public understanding and public acceptance. A paradigm shift is needed. Motivation for this viewpoint comes from the author's five years of service on the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) and from his experience in assessing risks associated with the Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons complex.     

Harmonic generation in laser-produced plasmas containing atoms,ions and clusters: a review

A review of studies of the high-order harmonic generation of laser radiation in laser-produced plasma revealed recent developments in this field. These include new approaches in application of two-colour pumps, generation of extremely broadened harmonics, further developments in harmonic generation in clusters (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes), destructive interference of harmonics from different emitters, new approaches in resonance-induced enhancement of harmonics, applications of high pulse repetition rate lasers for the enhancement of average power of generating harmonics and observation of quantum path signatures, etc. We show that this method of frequency conversion of laser radiation towards the extreme ultraviolet range became mature during multiple sets of studies carried out in many laboratories worldwide and demonstrated new approaches in the generation of strong coherent short-wavelength radiation for various applications.     

Utilization of low-grade waste heat-to-energy technologies and policy in Indian industrial sector: a review

This article emphasizes on waste heat recovery for the implementation of organic Rankine cycle technology in the Indian industrial sector. A large proportion of energy is consumed by various industries, which leads to environmental pollution in multiple ways. Since the past few years, research is going on for re-using this low-grade waste energy utilizing organic Rankine cycle technology. In this report, a thorough review has been carried out to find the significant scope for recovering low-grade waste energy, primarily in cement, iron and steel and glass industries. Case studies based on the data collected from the associated plants have also been reported. A summary of different waste heat recovery cycles mechanism and working fluid selection procedure is also included. In the succeeding stage, various technological and legal aspects of using the recovered energy through power grid lines have been discussed. The review sketches a potential scope of using the low-grade waste energy in fulfilling the high energy demand of Indian commercial sector as well as domestic energy industry.     

Supply chain risk management: a literature review

Risk management plays a vital role in effectively operating supply chains in the presence of a variety of uncertainties. Over the years, many researchers have focused on supply chain risk management (SCRM) by contributing in the areas of defining, operationalising and mitigating risks. In this paper, we review and synthesise the extant literature in SCRM in the past decade in a comprehensive manner. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we present and categorise SCRM research appearing between 2003 and 2013. Second, we undertake a detailed review associated with research developments in supply chain risk definitions, risk types, risk factors and risk management/mitigation strategies. Third, we analyse the SCRM literature in exploring potential gaps.     

Long-term nuclear waste management: Present status and alternatives

Long-term nuclear waste management deals with the final and irreversible stage of waste disposal, on surface and in deep geological formations (according to the waste type), when institutional surveillance is over. There are presently two main options available to deal with the wastes generated by spent nuclear fuel unloaded from reactors and containing most of the radiotoxicity produced all along the nuclear fuel cycle. Since the end of Word War II, spent-fuel reprocessing technology has gone through three different stages, ending up with considerable technical achievements and large investments (construction of large facilities, UP3 in France and THORP in the UK). However, having to face spent-fuel risings and lack of reprocessing capacities, since the mid-seventies some countries are considering the possibility of direct spent-fuel disposal without reprocessing. These two options are discussed in terms of long-term waste management. Because of the types of waste conditioning and packaging adopted with present reprocessing technology, in that case long-term safety, after a few centuries, relies completely on the geological barriers. On the other hand, long-term safety with the second option is based essentially on the retention properties of uranium oxide with respect to actinides. Finally, alternatives such as chemical partitioning of minor actinides followed by their transmutation, either in reactors or using high-energy particle accelerators, are under discussion. Apart from the standard reprocessing (after a cooling period of 3–5 years), all the other options called for a long period (50 years) of interim storage, preventing the adoption of irreversible, costly and not well proved waste management solutions, and leaving time to develop and assess these alternative methods.     

National culture and operations management: a structured literature review

National culture has received a substantial amount of interest in the operations management literature. We present the first structured review of articles studying national culture in operations management. Our search returned 51 papers published in ten leading journals between 2000 and 2017. We sort and analyse the papers according to three focus areas of operations management (strategy, execution and improvement). We also analyse the papers according to whether they address the relevance of national culture, the impact of national culture or the actions managers can use to manage or mitigate the effects of national culture. We find that national culture appears as a relevant variable in all focus areas of operations management research but that the direction and strength of its impact remain undetermined. Only a handful of papers address how managers can actively deal with challenges related to national culture. We propose a research agenda and a guiding framework for future research.