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PubMed2006

Dioxin emissions from thermal waste management in Medellín, Colombia: present regulation status and preliminary results.

Preliminary results of a study undertaken to characterize dioxin and furan releases from waste incineration plants operating in Medellín-Colombia are presented. Emission and fly ash samples were collected from representative plants burning medical and industrial residues to characterize PCDD/PCDF levels. Analyses were carried out following European standards for stationary gas emissions EN-1948:1996 and US EPA 1613 (fly ashes). Final extracts 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 tandem mass spectrometry (HRGC-ITMS/MS). Preliminary results revealed emission levels of 1-30.3 ng I-TEQ/Nm3 depending on whether or not an air pollution control system (APCS) was installed. Fly ashes contained 8.5-68 ng I-TEQ/g. Critical issues that should be addressed in an assessment and in developing waste management plans in Colombia are discussed.

Carbon↗
PubMed2006

Developing a master plan for hospital solid waste management: a case study.

Disposal of about 1750tons of solid wastes per day is the result of a rapid population growth in the province of Khuzestan in the south west of Iran. Most of these wastes, especially hospital solid wastes which have contributed to the pollution of the environment in the study area, are not properly managed considering environmental standards and regulations. In this paper, the framework of a master plan for managing hospital solid wastes is proposed considering different criteria which are usually used for evaluating the pollution of hospital solid waste loads. The effectiveness of the management schemes is also evaluated. In order to rank the hospitals and determine the share of each hospital in the total hospital solid waste pollution load, a multiple criteria decision making technique, namely analytical hierarchy process (AHP), is used. A set of projects are proposed for solid waste pollution control and reduction in the proposed framework. It is partially applied for hospital solid waste management in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. The results have shown that the hospitals located near the capital city of the province, Ahvaz, produce more than 43% of the total hospital solid waste pollution load of the province. The results have also shown the importance of improving management techniques rather than building new facilities. The proposed methodology is used to formulate a master plan for hospital solid waste management.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1980

Hazardous waste management; Environmental Protection Agency. Final rule.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, provides for the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to protect human health and the environment from the improper management of hazardous waste. A fundamental premise of the statute is that human health and the environment will best be protected by careful management of the transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, in accordance with standards developed under the Act. In today's Federal Register, the Environmental Protection Agency is publishing several documents setting in motion a series of events which will culminate in full implementation of the hazardous waste control program. This document sets forth definitions of words and phrases which appear in the subsequent Parts as well as general guidance for the use of these regulations and provisions which are generally applicable to all Parts.

Environmental Health↗
PubMed1991

Environmental Protection Act: waste provisions. Waste Management Division, Department of the Environment.

This paper is a guide to the waste management provisions in Part II of the Environmental Protection Act relating to England and Wales. It is not an exhaustive guide; many of the provisions dealing with waste collection and recycling are excluded. Nor should it be treated as definitive; it contains simplifications, and for further clarification the Act itself should be consulted. With reference to LAWDCs, the paper expresses the current view, which may be subject to modification.

England↗
PubMed2000

Pollution of water sources due to poor waste management--the case of Dar-es-Salaam.

Pollution of water sources for the city of Dar-es-Salaam originates from haphazard disposal of solid wastes, discharge of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater to water sources, lack of standard sanitary facilities and poor hygienic practices. Contaminated water used for human consumption can lead to serious health problems e.g. cholera, typhoid, skin diseases, etc., which, in turn, leads to reduced working hours/manpower. This has a direct effect to production output which can lead to a deterioration of local community welfare. Having realised this as a problem, the Government of Tanzania stipulated, in its water policy of 1991, the need for protection of water sources. In achieving this goal, proper waste management was singled out to be of vital importance. Due to economic hardships, however, budget allocation by the central Government could not cover the costs needed for proper handling of waste. This left Tanzania with no alternative other than heavy reliance on donor and bilateral organisations for financial support of programmes. Nevertheless, these sources of funds proved to be unreliable for many different reasons. To deal with these problems, the Government currently emphasises involving local community and NGOs, the formation of stakeholder funds and organisations, and involvement of the private sector. Other efforts are intensification of education programmes to create more awareness to the local communities on the need for protection of water sources. Although at its infancy level, the system is showing some signs of improvement.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2000

Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs. Biohazardous waste management: what the physician needs to know. American Medical Association.

Sources of biohazardous waste include not only large hospitals and laboratories, but also physicians' offices, dental offices, clinics, research facilities, surgery centers, veterinary offices, funeral homes, and a growing number of settings where home health care is delivered. State and local municipality definitions and regulations on biohazardous waste vary widely. Most regulations exempt home health care settings, but include physicians' offices. Although the infectious public health risk posed by medical waste is exceedingly low, this fact is not well understood by the general public. Physicians should develop biohazardous waste management programs that fulfill their county, state, and municipal regulations and that consider the difference between health risks to employees and risks to the general public. Physicians can considerably reduce the amount and costs of biohazardous waste disposal by proper identification and segregation of waste in a manner that meets their state's criteria. Using products that can be recycled may reduce the amount and costs of disposal of biohazardous waste. Processing costs also may be reduced by cooperative arrangements among medical groups or health care facilities to negotiate group disposal rates with vendors.

American Medical Association↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Biomedical waste management in the Regional Hospital Center of Ziguinchor].

To make the hospital environment healthier for those it serves, the management of biomedical waste (BMW) was studied in the Ziguinchor Regional Hospital Center (RHC) in Senegal from 1 March through 15 March, 2000. The RHC incinerator had stopped operating in 1993. Problems in BMW management were observed at all levels. Neither identification nor sorting took place during collection. Waste bins were exposed everywhere. Workers, rather than carrying waste bins on their back or head, used rolling tables. BMW ended up in a shallow open pit where they were periodically burned. Workers collected, stored, and transported BMW without any type of protection (gloves, boots, masks, aprons, etc.). The principal determinants of this poor management appear to be inadequate funding and training for the cleaning staff, the staff's failure to realize the dangers, and their use of non-standardized practices, due to the absence of BMW policies. BMW management at Ziguinchor RHC must be corrected. Protective equipment must be used systematically. Similarly, standardized practices must be applied to the decontamination of used objects, the identification and sorting at the source, the recovery and recycling of all objects with any remaining value, and the correct storage of BMW. This waste must be transported under high security from its place of storage to its final disposal site. Deep burial has been selected as the most feasible method of disposal under current conditions. A year-long program has been proposed towards this end. Strategies include training, information, motivation, equipment, supervision and evaluation. The budget to implement this program is CFA 5,423,454 francs, distributed between training (22%), equipment (40%), construction of the pit, and follow-up (38%). The tasks are distributed between a public health doctor, department supervisors, and cleaning staff. The follow-up will include three quarterly inspections, at 3, 6, and 9 months and an evaluation at the end of the program. The effect of the program will be judged by the disappearance of unlawful dumping due to the disposal of all BMW in the RHS's deep burial pit.

Hospitals↗
PubMed2003

Solid waste management in Indian Himalayan tourists' treks: a case study in and around the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib.

Solid waste generation in sensitive tourist areas of the Indian Himalayan region is approaching that of some metro cities of the country. The present study showed approximately 288 g waste generation visitor(-1) day(-1) compared with the nation-wide average of 350 g capita(-1) day(-1). About 29 metric tonnes (MT) solid waste is generated along a distance of about 19-km trek (a stretch of land or distance between two or more places covered by a walk) during a 4-month tourist season every year. Treks and trek stalls are the two major places where the visitors generate solid waste. Waste estimated from stalls accounted for about 51% by weight of the total waste generation in the trekking region. The native villagers generally construct stalls every year to meet the requirement of visitors going to Valley of Flowers (VOF) and Hemkund Sahib. The average annual results of 2 years (or equivalent to the average of one, 4-month tourist season for the region) showed non-biodegradable waste (NBW) to be 96.3% by weight whereas biodegradable waste (BW) amounted to merely 3.7%. From management point of view of the government, 96% NBW could easily be reused and recycled. Nevertheless, the need is to manage this waste by bringing it from the trekking areas to the road head (Govind Ghat) first and then to transport it to adjacent recycling centers. Cold drink glass bottles (68%), plastic (26%) and metal (2%) were the major items contributing to non-biodegradable waste. The remaining organic waste could be used as feedstock for composting. A well coordinated effort of public participation is necessary at all the levels for managing waste. There is a need to educate the visitors to instill in them the habit of considering discarded waste as potentially valuable and manageable.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Waste management: three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) reduce waste, save money.

This article outlines the problems of waste disposal in health care facilities and offers practical ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost waste in the health care setting. The author presents data on medical waste, gives alternatives to incineration, and describes recycling practices at various hospitals.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed1992

Hazardous waste management system; identification and listing of hazardous waste--EPA. Final rule and response to comments.

On May 19, 1980, as part of its regulations implementing section 3001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA promulgated a series of criteria for listing wastes as hazardous. On July 19, 1991, the Agency proposed to conform the language of the regulation to reflect the Agency's intent and consistent interpretation of that regulation. Today's rule finalizes the proposed rule.

Hazardous Waste↗
PubMed1994

Medical waste disposal. Medical Waste Committee (WT-3). Technical Council Air & Waste Management Association.

Medical (biomedical) wastes pose numerous potential health and safety hazards. In addition to their infectious and toxic characteristics, the highly variable and inconsistent nature of medical waste streams has increased public concern about storage, treatment, transportation, and ultimate disposal. In recent years, techniques have been developed to reduce human exposure to the toxic and infectious components of medical wastes. The most commonly used techniques include internal segregation, containment, and incineration. Other common techniques include grinding, shredding, and disinfection, e.g., autoclaving and chemical treatment followed by landfilling. Of all the available technologies for medical waste treatment and disposal, incineration has been found to be the most effective method overall for destroying infectious and toxic material, volume reduction, and weight reduction in the medical waste stream. Incineration destroys the broadest variety of medical waste constituents and can recover energy from the medical waste stream. Incineration also is an appropriate alternative to burial of human pathological remains.

Humans↗
PubMed1998

National waste management infrastructure in Ghana.

Radioactive materials have been used in Ghana for more than four decades. Radioactive waste generated from their applications in various fields has been managed without adequate infrastructure and any legal framework to control and regulate them. The expanded use of nuclear facilities and radiation sources in Ghana with the concomitant exposure to human population necessitates effective infrastructure to deal with the increasing problems of waste. The Ghana Atomic Energy Act 204 (1963) and the Radiation Protection Instrument LI 1559 (1993) made inadequate provision for the management of waste. With the amendment of the Atomic Energy Act, PNDCL 308, a radioactive waste management centre has been established to take care of all waste in the country. To achieve the set objectives for an effective waste management regime, a waste management regulation has been drafted and relevant codes of practice are being developed to guide generators of waste, operators of waste management facilities and the regulatory authority.

Ghana↗
PubMed1989

Solid waste management and bioelements in soil.

Two studies are reported in the field of solid waste management. The first concerns heavy metal migration below a landfill site. The results show that total and leachable heavy metal concentrations are more variable in refuse than in soil samples, as refuse is not homogeneous but can be influenced by local conditions and the seasons. In the soil below refuse, the concentration of total metals is low and similar to control soil samples, whereas leachable metals behaved differently in the two drillings, their mobility depending on soil characteristics. The bulk of heavy metals, however, remains immobile. The second study regards the utilization of compost as a filter bed for pig slurry to reduce its pollution load hence enriching the compost of the nutrients it lacks. A pilot plant was installed utilizing pressed straw bale containers filled with compost through which pig slurry was filtered. The filtering tests demonstrated a reduction of the pollution load of slurry and at the same time evidenced the possibility of utilizing the entire filtering system as a fertilizer to improve compost, with heavy metal concentration tolerance limits lower than the ones proposed at a national level to prevent environmental pollution.

Italy↗
PubMed2006

Impact assessment of waste management options in Singapore.

This paper describes the application of life cycle assessment for evaluating various waste management options in Singapore, a small-island city state. The impact assessment method by SimaPro is carried out for comparing the potential environmental impacts of waste treatment options including landfilling, incineration, recycling, and composting. The inventory data include gases and leachate from landfills, air emissions and energy recovery from incinerators, energy (and emission) savings from recycling, composting gases, and transport pollution. The impact assessment results for climate change, acidification, and ecotoxicity show that the incineration of materials imposes considerable harm to both human health and the environment, especially for the burning of plastics, paper/cardboard, and ferrous metals. The results also show that, although some amount of energy can be derived from the incineration of wastes, these benefits are outweighed by the air pollution (heavy metals and dioxins/furans) that incinerators produce. For Singapore, landfill gases and leachate generate minimal environmental damage because of the nation's policy to landfill only 10% of the total disposed wastes. Land transportation and separation of waste materials also pose minimal environmental damage. However, sea transportation to the landfill could contribute significantly to acidification because of the emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from barges. The composting of horticultural wastes hardly imposes any environmental damage. Out of all the waste strategies, the recycling of wastes offers the best solution for environmental protection and improved human health for the nation. Significant emission savings can be realized through recycling.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2000

Plasma chemistry as a tool for green chemistry, environmental analysis and waste management.

The applications of plasma chemistry to environmental problems and to green chemistry are emerging fields that offer unique opportunities for advancement. There has been substantial progress in the application of plasmas to analytical diagnostics and to waste reduction and waste management. This review discusses the chemistry and physics necessary to a basic understanding of plasmas, something that has been missing from recent technical reviews. The current status of plasmas in environmental chemistry is summarized and emerging areas of application for plasmas are delineated. Plasmas are defined and discussed in terms of their properties that make them useful for environmental chemistry. Information is drawn from diverse fields to illustrate the potential applications of plasmas in analysis, materials modifications and hazardous waste treatments.

Chemistry Techniques, Analytical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Planning for hazardous waste management.

Various responsibilities and issues must be considered when becoming involved in the management of hazardous wastes. A basic understanding of the problem and control methodologies including the regulatory provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery act (RCRA) is necessary in order to begin the initial phase of the planning process. The roles of industry, the public and the federal government are discussed as well as various management options which can be pursued by state and local authorities. Special attention is focused on the issues of site selection, existing and abandoned sites and the application of "Superfund," disposition of exempt waste quantities and emergency response.

Industrial Waste↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Spanish dioxin inventory part I: Incineration as municipal waste management system.

The main objectives of the Spanish dioxin inventory and the incidence of municipal waste incinerators in the PCDD/Fs releases in the period from January 1997-November 1999 are presented. Preliminary data about the stack emission levels, fly ashes and slags as solid residues and the PCDD/Fs input in the USW are also presented to elaborate an initial balance for the incineration sector. A great decrease, from 20 to 1.2 g I-TEQ/y, from incineration gas emissions has been observed since 1996. The preliminary balance in the MWI sector suggests an overall PCDD/Fs destruction. The calculated emission factor, 1.06 microg I-TEQ/Mg, indicates a high quality of the air pollution control systems. The assumption of PCDD/Fs in the USW permits an initial evaluation of other waste management systems.

Air Pollutants↗