Management of hazardous waste: a case study in India

A study of identification of hazardous waste generators, quantification and classification of hazardous wastes in accordance with Indian hazardous waste classification system in the five major industrial districts of Gujarat (covering 15 industrial estates) was carried for the purpose of hazardous waste management planning in the region. The contribution of hazardous waste generation by different sizes of generators is estimated. The total quantity of hazardous waste generated in these districts was about 0.44 million tonne per annum. On the basis of waste classification, it was found that waste category number 12 (sludge from effluent treatment plant) and waste category number 9 (waste from dye and dye intermediate units) were dominant among the other categories of wastes generation in each district. In order to reduce burden on land, the hazardous wastes suitable for recovery and recycling in the industrial regions have also been quantified at about 45% of the total quantity generated. Among this the maximum proportion of recyclable waste is from dye and dye intermediate units as sludge and residue which were being disposed off in low lying area in the country.

The study also provides information on the quantity of hazardous wastes which were suitable for secure landfill, with or without pre‐treatment, and for incineration. A plan for hazardous waste management for the region is proposed for implementation.     

Underground disposal of hazardous waste in Israel – Design principles and conceptual approach

The careless or unprofessional handling of hazardous wastes in many places around the world led to severe damage of nature, concurrent with considerable long-term health risks to human beings. This motivated several countries to develop new secure and sustainable waste management strategies in order to enhance the future quality of nature and life. The process of world globalization and the coalescence of its markets increased the importance of formulation and implementation of accepted environmental standards. The rising environmental and ecological awareness in Israel puts the contemporary and common waste handling practices under close scrutiny. An intensive exchange of experiences with other countries is called for, so that the responsible authorities can formulate improved and sustainable waste management strategies, which are specifically tailored to the particular environmental, demographic, economic and political conditions of Israel.The German environmental protection and waste legislation demands an underground disposal of highly contaminated wastes, in order to guarantee that harmful substances are excluded durably from the biosphere. In view of its size and the political situation in Israel, this way of waste disposal seems to be an appropriate waste management strategy aimed at minimising the environmental risks, and the harmful effect of hostile actions against deposits of hazardous wastes. The German waste management policies and practices, which are based on many years of experience, are reviewed first as a guideline for safe long-term underground disposal of hazardous wastes in Israel. Using these guidelines, potentially suitable locations in Israel are selected with special reference to their geohydrological, geological and geomechanical conditions, and then they were evaluated using environmental criteria derived from German standards of waste disposal. The results of this preliminary environmental evaluation, and some relevant geomechanical designs, are presented and discussed. Finally, economic aspects, and further steps, which are needed to safeguard future implementation of the underground disposal system, are considered.     

Hazardous waste disposal in New Zealand

The quantities of hazardous wastes generated in New Zealand are relatively small, both in total volume and on a per capita basis: they consist principally of liquids and solids derived from primary industries such as horticulture and forestry, and from the Petroleum, chemical and manufacturing industries. There is no satisfactory inventory of hazardous waste quantities or relative toxicity at the national level, nor is there any central coordinating organisation responsible for the implementation of sound management strategies. Current legislation involves several Government departments in statutory or advisory roles connected with hazardous waste management, but administration of disposal practices devolves to regional and local authorities. The occasional uncontrolled discharge of chemical wastes, unsatisfactory past practices regarding landfill siting and leachate management, and the development of major petrochemical industries, together require better coordinated and enforced policies concerning hazardous waste disposal. The most widely advocated method of hazardous waste disposal for New Zealand is codisposal in appropriately sited and controlled landfills, with particular emphasis on protection of freshwater resources, both surface and subsurface. The secure landfill solution adopted for the Waireka chemical dump site near New Plymouth demonstrates that containment is a necessary management strategy in particular situations: alternative methods of disposal such as incineration of certain intractable wastes should also be promoted as technically feasible and environmentally acceptable. Greater use of replacement, recycling or reprocessing must be encouraged in order to minimise the quantities, and toxicity of hasardous wastes requiring disposal in New Zealand.     

香港建筑废物再生骨料混凝土的研究进展

减少,回收和再利用各种废物是当今世界可持续发展的战略之一.香港的建筑工业每天都要产生大量的建筑废物,处理和管理这些建筑废物已经成为严重的社会问题和环境问题.随着经济的快速增长,国内的一些大城市中建筑废物的处理和管理同样成为主要的环境和社会问题之一.回收和再利用建筑废物,不仅可以节约处理建筑废物的土地,减少管理和处理建筑废物的成本,而且可以节约大量的自然资源.香港政府已经建立了回收和筛选建筑废物的设施.香港理工大学在回收和再利用建筑废物领域开展了近十年的研究工作,取得了一定的成果并向香港政府推荐了再生骨料回收再利用的规范.笔者介绍香港理工大学在研究建筑废物再生骨料混凝土方面取得的成果,包括建筑废物再生骨料环保砖、粉煤灰再生骨料混凝土、蒸汽养护再生骨料混凝土等.并介绍再生骨料混凝土在香港湿地公园的应用情况.这些技术成果将对回收和利用建筑废物起到促进作用.     

Hazardous Waste Facility Siting A Role for Planners

Hazardous wastes present a critical environmental challenge for the United States in the 1980s. Part of the challenge involves cleaning up or containing abandoned and uncontrolled waste disposal sites. The larger part of the challenge is to properly manage the hazardous wastes that are keyed to the productivity of the national economy. This article briefly overviews what the wastes are and how much exists; what their potential is for adverse human health effects and environmental degradation; federal legislation designed to regulate hazardous wastes; and the nature of public opposition toward siting new facilities. This summary precedes a more in-depth discussion of research designed to assess land use suitability for siting new hazardous waste facilities based on water supply, and other physical and cultural siting criteria. Results indicate that initially suitable sites do exist for siting new facilities. Planners can play an important role by identifying suitable sites through their knowledge of land use, environment regulation, and with the aid of the screening process reported here.     

Solid wastes generation in India and their recycling potential in building materials

Presently in India, about 960 million tonnes of solid waste is being generated annually as by-products during industrial, mining, municipal, agricultural and other processes. Of this ∼350 million tonnes are organic wastes from agricultural sources; ∼290 million tonnes are inorganic waste of industrial and mining sectors and ∼4.5 million tonnes are hazardous in nature. Advances in solid waste management resulted in alternative construction materials as a substitute to traditional materials like bricks, blocks, tiles, aggregates, ceramics, cement, lime, soil, timber and paint. To safeguard the environment, efforts are being made for recycling different wastes and utilise them in value added applications. In this paper, present status on generation and utilization of both non-hazardous and hazardous solid wastes in India, their recycling potentials and environmental implication are reported and discussed in details.     

Land Disposal Practices in Europe and North America

This paper compares the land-based disposal of municipal and hazardous waste in Europe and North America, and the various disposal options are examined for each type of waste. It is concluded that landfill is still the most widely practised disposal method for most wastes in both continents. Other methods include composting, land farming, trenching/spraying, and deep underground disposal. More stringent controls on waste disposal are being introduced and a trend to seek greater uniformity of practice and standards is developing. However, local conditions, such as the nature of the wastes and the availability and nature of disposal sites, continue to work against this trend. There is no single method which is suitable for all wastes and for all conditions. The best environmental option for waste management will vary from place to place and waste to waste, therefore an imposed uniformity of practice is not in the best environmental interest.     

Geotechnical requirements of subsurface repositories in mines,rock and salt caverns for interim or final disposal of hazardous wastes

The storage of hazardous wastes in subsurface facilities, i.e. in mines, salt caverns and hard rock caverns, offers a high degree of security potential. This is because the contaminants are entombed in geological formations of the deep underground a long way from the biosphere. In order not to prejudice the security offered by the geological barriers certain geotechnical demands have to be met with respect to stability, tightness and sealing in the construction of these subsurface waste repositories. Furthermore, prior to their emplacement, wastes have to be conditioned to exclude the possibility of reactions between the wastes and between the wastes and the surrounding material, e.g. rock or lining. Depending upon the intended function of the subsurface facility, i.e. for interim or final storage, different demands are pertinent with respect to the emplacement technology and the facility seal. In the following paper the geotechnical security objectives for subsurface repositories for interim and final storage are discussed and technical concepts for the construction and operation of mined, salt and hard rock caverns presented. The possibilities for using current mine operations and abandoned underground spaces for the storage of hazardous wastes are discussed.     

The effects of a hazardous and a domestic waste landfill on the trace organic quality of chalk groundwater at a site in East Anglia

As part of a research project to assess the effects of landfill leachates on groundwater quality thirteen boreholes within, around and down groundwater gradient from two adjacent domestic and hazardous wastes sites were sampled for trace organic quality.Results so far show that significant inorganic and gross organic (TOC) groundwater contamination does not occur more than a few metres from the landfill boundaries. Trace organic analyses indicate that the mineral oils, phenolic wastes and chlorinated solvents, known to have been tipped into the hazardous waste landfill, have now reached the water table, although only at low concentrations.     

危险废物固化体存储设施的抗震性能分析

危险废物由于自身的危害性,对存储设施有着严苛的要求.为了研究危险废物固化体存储设施的抗震性能,本文利用ABAQUS软件建立危险废物固化体存储设施有限元模型,并分析其在地震作用下的结构强度.模型分为单管模型和整体模型,单管模型由单个存储管和多个危险废物固化体组成,整体模型由48根存储管、支撑架、立柱和脚柱组成.对于单管模...     

Use of Cement Kilns in Managing Solid and Hazardous Wastes: Implementation in Australia

The use of cement kilns for managing solid and hazardous wastes is facilitated by the high temperature, long gas retention periods, natural alkaline environment, minimum amount of waste produced and high thermal capacity. The main benefits include energy recovery, conservation of fossil fuels, reduction in cement production costs and the use of already existing facilities.
The test burns conducted in cement kilns worldwide have demonstrated very high destruction efficiencies for most stable organic compounds, with toxic contaminants barely above the background levels.
There are several cement plants in the US and Europe presently using solid and hazardous wastes as supplementary fuel. The application of this technology in Australia has been ignored in the past. An international conference (Kilnburn'92) on the role of cement kilns in waste management was held recently in Australia and has enhanced the implementation of this technology in Australia.     

建筑固体废弃物再生骨料的分类及其物理性能研究

我国的城市建设和旧城改造每年都要产生大量的建筑固体废弃物,处理和堆放这类建筑固体废弃物,不仅要花费较多的资金,而且还严重影响环境。将建筑固体废弃物回收利用符合我国的可持续发展战略,并有着社会、经济、环境多种效益。本文对再生骨料的表观密度、吸水率、压碎指标等物理性能进行试验和分析。并对再生骨料的利用提出建议,以期实现建筑固体废弃物的“零排放”以及全部资源化。     

可移动智能危险废物贮存设施的安全环保防护设计及应用展望

本文分析了我国危险废物现状和危险废物贮存管理面临的问题。通过融合智能化和信息化技术,可移动智能危险废物贮存设施成为解决我国危险废物贮存难题的重要手段。本文从一般要求、主体结构设计要求、智能管控硬件配置要求、智能管控软件系统要求等方面提出了可移动智能危险废物存储设施的安全环保防护设计要求。本文还对可移动智能危险废物贮存设施的应用前景进行了展望。     

Quality control of flexible membrane liners for waste disposal facilities

Flexible membrane liner systems have become required by law in many parts of the world for hazardous waste landfills and surface impoundments. Although a number of liner types can be considered in waste containment, there is a rapidly increasing trend toward the use of polymeric liners of the high-density polyethylene variety.

With such emphasis and confidence given to flexible membrane liners, how can we be sure that the liner will provide maximum security for containment of hazardous wastes? Comprehensive quality control of the membranes provides the answer. A comprehensive quality control program is outlined in this paper in the light of recent developments in membrane liner selection and regulatory actions.     

工程物探方法在危废埋设物调查中的应用

土壤污染危害人民生命及财产安全,因此治理土壤污染问题尤其重要.本次以某化工厂危废埋设物为研究对象,运用工程物探方法圈定了埋设物的平面位置及深度范围.此次危废埋设物主要为有机物,根据其物理特性,选择多频电磁探测法、高密度电法及探地雷达方法探测埋设物的分布范围.文中简要介绍了多频电磁探测法、高密度电法及探地雷达方法的工作原...     

The regulation and impact of eight Australian coal mine waste water discharges on downstream river water quality: a regional comparison of active versus closed mines

Water quality of rivers that received coal mine wastes from four active and three closed mines were investigated, focusing on ecologically hazardous pollutants. Zinc and nickel concentrations were highest downstream of two closed mines, particularly from the Canyon mine that closed 20 years earlier. Coal mine wastes increased nickel concentrations in waterways by an average of 25 times. The average concentration of zinc increased below mines waste discharges from 8.6 µg/L (upstream) to 83.4 µg/L (downstream). All coal mine discharges increased river salinity. Salinity increased by more than 6 times (upstream mean 101.4–741.7 µS/cm downstream). This study provides a reminder that water pollution from coal mines is a major environmental issue for both active and closed mines. The study highlights the need for more stringent and consistent environmental regulation for all mines, including key hazardous pollutants from wastes emerging from both active and closed mines.     

Groundwater Pollution and the Disposal of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes

T he demand for 'R olls -R oyce' solutions to the disposal of hazardous and radioactive wastes has seen a continuing move towards more sophisticated disposal concepts. If a disposal site for radioactive wastes meets the strict requirements laid down by Government departments it is difficult to see why there should be any impact to groundwater of concern to the water industry. Hazardous wastes are a much more significant problem, and the large size of many landfills, other pressures on groundwater quality and current EC directives are all contributing to a move away from the use of 'dilute and disperse' sites. It is argued that the long-term performance of containment sites needs to be carefully evaluated over timescales of 2-3 decades, as over such periods a correctly-managed policy of 'dilute and disperse' may result in less of an overall impact to the environment than a policy of 'concentrate and contain'.     

Public acceptance and siting of hazardous waste disposal facilities

During the late 1970's the Love Canal hazardous waste site in New York State, U.S.A. became a benchmark for negative feelings towards the siting of future hazardous waste landfills and facilities. At the present time social and political factors often dominate the siting process. There is growing anxiety being shown by the public about the location of waste facilities, and especially for hazardous materials. There are repeatable socio-political patterns associated with siting events and disposal agencies need to identify the appropriate «cast of characters» in the siting «play». There is an increasing need for the communication of disposal information to the community as well as their inclusion in the decision making process. More sympathetic consideration needs to be given to compensation strategies.     

Environmental experts in the motor industry

Hazardous wastes are posing the greatest threat to the environment than ever before. Indiscriminate transfer of technology from the Developed Nations for the production of highly hazardous chemicals can lead to a frequent contamination of the environment with the hazardous wastes. The situation appears to be very serious in many of the Third World Nations, where basic problems of water supply and sanitation still need a solution. Contamination of the ground and surface waters with hazardous materials is likely to increase in the developing countries, owing to lack of suitable monitoring techniques. Location of the industries producing hazardous chemicals in the crowded cities has to be prevented to obviate recurrence of serious catastrophes in future. The situation appears to be equally alarming in the developed countries, where ground and surface waters are at a greater risk of contamination with the hazardous wastes. Co disposal of solid chemical wastes with the municipal solid wastes will result in a greater contamination of the ground and surface waters, with longer lasting environmental effects. Hazardous gaseous spills can have serious environmental effects, particularly if the spills contain radioactive contaminants. The intensity of a hazardous gaseous spill can be greatly enhanced under abnormal meteorological conditions.     

Regional development and climate change mitigation modelling of municipal solid waste emissions in the middle east

This study adapts a climate change mitigation model to assess impacts of municipal solid wastes in the Middle East and North Africa region, taking into account the future development of integrated waste management infrastructure involving collection, treatment and disposal. Mitigated and unmitigated disposal scenarios including waste growth reduction are used to estimate disposal methane emission changes at regional and subregional level. This study shows that unmitigated regional emissions by 2050 could rise to 296 542 GgCO_2eq from a current level in 2015 of 128 184 GgCO_2eq additionally decreasing annually by up to 8.75% falling to 10.16% due to waste characterisation changes as developing countries in the region progress to developed country status. A further annual rise, due to hotter drier climate conditions experienced as desertification, of up to a range of 1.70% increasing to 2.29% is also demonstrated. The findings enable regional planners to better assess and develop plans for implementation of integrated waste management policies.