Association of PCB, PBDE and PCDD/F body burdens with hormone levels for children in an e-waste dismantling area of Zhejiang Province, China.

PubMed

Xu, Peiwei; Lou, Xiaoming; Ding, Gangqiang; Shen, Haitao; Wu, Lizhi; Chen, Zhijian; Han, Jianlong; Han, Guangen; Wang, Xiaofeng

2014-11-15

Increased electronic waste (e-waste) has raised public concerns regarding exposure to numerous toxic contaminants, particularly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). In China, the body burdens of PCBs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs are associated with thyroid hormones in populations from e-waste dismantling sites; however, it is unclear whether this association occurs in children. In this study, we determined the serum levels of PCBs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs and the endocrine hormones including free triiodothyronine (FT3), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), total thyroxine (TT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and growth hormone (GH) in 21 children from an e-waste dismantling area and 24 children from a control area. The results showed that the mean levels of ∑PCBs and ∑PBDEs in the exposure group were significantly higher than in the control group (40.56 and 32.09 ng g(-1) lipid vs. 20.69 and 8.43 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively, p<0.01 for each), and the mean level of ∑PCDD/Fs in the exposure group was higher than in the control group, but the difference was not significant (206.17 vs. 160.27 pg g(-1) lipid, p>0.05). For the endocrine hormones, we did not find significant differences between the exposed and control groups, although the mean levels of FT3, TT3, TT4, ACTH, cortisol and GH were higher, whereas the mean levels of FT4 and TSH were lower in the exposed group. The mean level of ∑PBDEs was positively correlated with the mean levels of ∑PCBs (r=0.60, p<0.05) and ∑PCDD/Fs (r=0.61, p<0.05). Furthermore, the mean level of ∑PBDEs was positively correlated with ACTH (r=0.61, p<0.05). In conclusion, our data suggested that exposure to e-waste dismantling environment increased the body burdens of PCBs and PBDEs in local children and that these contaminants released from the e-waste might contribute to

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in e-waste: Level and transfer in a typical e-waste recycling site in Shanghai, Eastern China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Yue; Duan, Yan-Ping, E-mail: duanyanping@tongji.edu.cn; Huang, Fan

Highlights: • PBDEs were detected in the majority of e-waste. • PBDEs were found in TVs made in China after 1990. • The levels of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Japan far exceed the threshold limit of RoHS. • The inappropriate recycling and disposal of e-waste is an important source of PBDEs. - Abstract: Very few data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were available in the electronic waste (e-waste) as one of the most PBDEs emission source. This study reported concentrations of PBDEs in e-waste including printer, rice cooker, computer monitor, TV, electric iron and water dispenser, as well asmore » dust from e-waste, e-waste dismantling workshop and surface soil from inside and outside of an e-waste recycling plant in Shanghai, Eastern China. The results showed that PBDEs were detected in the majority of e-waste, and the concentrations of ΣPBDEs ranged from not detected to 175 g/kg, with a mean value of 10.8 g/kg. PBDEs were found in TVs made in China after 1990. The mean concentrations of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Korea, Japan, Singapore and China were 1.84 g/kg, 20.5 g/kg, 0.91 g/kg, 4.48 g/kg, respectively. The levels of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Japan far exceed the threshold limit of RoHS (1.00 g/kg). BDE-209 dominated in e-waste, accounting for over 93%. The compositional patterns of PBDEs congeners resembled the profile of Saytex 102E, indicating the source of deca-BDE. Among the samples of dust and surface soil from a typical e-waste recycling site, the highest concentrations of Σ{sub 18}PBDEs and BDE-209 were found in dust in e-waste, ranging from 1960 to 340,710 ng/g and from 910 to 320,400 ng/g, which were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than other samples. It suggested that PBDEs released from e-waste via dust, and then transferred to surrounding environment.« less

The Best-of-2-Worlds philosophy: developing local dismantling and global infrastructure network for sustainable e-waste treatment in emerging economies.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Huisman, Jaco; Meskers, Christina E M; Schluep, Mathias; Stevels, Ab; Hagelüken, Christian

2012-11-01

E-waste is a complex waste category containing both hazardous and valuable substances. It demands for a cost-efficient treatment system which simultaneously liberates and refines target fractions in an environmentally sound way. In most developing countries there is a lack of systems covering all steps from disposal until final processing due to limited infrastructure and access to technologies and investment. This paper introduces the 'Best-of-2-Worlds' philosophy (Bo2W), which provides a network and pragmatic solution for e-waste treatment in emerging economies. It seeks technical and logistic integration of 'best' pre-processing in developing countries to manually dismantle e-waste and 'best' end-processing to treat hazardous and complex fractions in international state-of-the-art end-processing facilities. A series of dismantling trials was conducted on waste desktop computers, IT equipment, large and small household appliances, in order to compare the environmental and economic performances of the Bo2W philosophy with other conventional recycling scenarios. The assessment showed that the performance of the Bo2W scenario is more eco-efficient than mechanical separation scenarios and other local treatment solutions. For equipment containing substantial hazardous substances, it demands the assistance from domestic legislation for mandatory removal and safe handling of such fractions together with proper financing to cover the costs. Experience from Bo2W pilot projects in China and India highlighted key societal factors influencing successful implementation. These include market size, informal competitors, availability of national e-waste legislation, formal take-back systems, financing and trust between industrial players. The Bo2W philosophy can serve as a pragmatic and environmentally responsible transition before establishment of end-processing facilities in developing countries is made feasible. The executive models of Bo2W should be flexibly differentiated

[Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Risk of PBDEs in Water and Sediment from an Electronic Waste Dismantling Area in Taizhou].

PubMed

Chen, Xiang-ping; Peng, Bao-qi; Lü, Su-ping; Chen, Qiang; Zhang, Yong; Huang, Chang-jiang; Dong, Qiao-xiang

2016-05-15

An e-waste dismantling industrial park of Taizhou was selected as the sampling center, within a radius of 16 km, and a total of 30 sampling sites were designed in three circles as follows: C (3 km), S (5-10 km) and R (10-16 km). Pollution characteristics and ecological risk of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in water and sediments were investigated. The concentrations of PBDEs in water ranged from 9.4 to 57.2 ng · L⁻¹, with a mean value of 25.9 ng · L⁻¹; and 3.7 to 38,775 ng · g⁻¹, with an average of 2 779 ng · g⁻¹ in sediments. BDE-209 was the predominant congener. The spatial distribution patterns of PBDE levels in water and sediment were both in the following order: C > S > R. Furthermore, the concentrations of PBDEs in sediments showed significant negative correlation against the distance from the industrial park (P < 0.01). Compared with other regions around the world, the PBDEs contamination was more serious in the area, which indicated that e-waste dismantling activity was one of the significant sources for PBDEs pollution. It was estimated that a total of 30. 7 t PBDEs (including 28. 9 t BDE- 209) was discharged into surrounding environment as a result of dismantling industrial activities in last 40 years. A preliminary ecological risk assessment for PBDEs in water and sediments was conducted by hazard quotient method. The results demonstrated that the Penta-BDEs in the center of e-waste dismantling area ( a radius of 1.5 km) was at particularly high risk level and could cause serious influence on the ecological safety and human health.

Effect of E-waste Recycling on Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Plasticizers and Their Association with Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Lu, Shao-You; Li, Yan-Xi; Zhang, Tao; Cai, Dan; Ruan, Ju-Jun; Huang, Ming-Zhi; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Jian-Qing; Qiu, Rong-Liang

2017-02-21

In this study, three chlorinated (Cl-mOPs) and five nonchlorinated (NCl-mOPs) organophosphate metabolites were determined in urine samples collected from participants living in an electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling area (n = 175) and two reference areas (rural, n = 29 and urban, n = 17) in southern China. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate [BCEP, geometric mean (GM): 0.72 ng/mL] was the most abundant Cl-mOP, and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP, 0.55 ng/mL) was the most abundant NCl-mOP. The GM concentrations of mOPs in the e-waste dismantling sites were higher than those in the rural control site. These differences were significant for BCEP (p < 0.05) and DPHP (p < 0.01). Results suggested that e-waste dismantling activities contributed to human exposure to OPs. In the e-waste sites, the urinary concentrations of bis(2-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate (r = 0.484, p < 0.01), BCEP (r = 0.504, p < 0.01), dibutyl phosphate (r = 0.214, p < 0.05), and DPHP (r = 0.440, p < 0.01) were significantly increased as the concentration of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a marker of DNA oxidative stress, increased. Our results also suggested that human exposure to OPs might be correlated with DNA oxidative stress for residents in e-waste dismantling areas. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the urinary levels of mOPs in China and examine the association between OP exposure and 8-OHdG in humans.

Radioactive Waste Management and Environmental Contamination Issues at the Chernobyl Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napier, Bruce A.; Schmieman, Eric A.; Voitsekhovitch, Oleg V.

2007-11-01

The destruction of the Unit 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant resulted in the generation of radioactive contamination and radioactive waste at the site and in the surrounding area (referred to as the Exclusion Zone). In the course of remediation activities, large volumes of radioactive waste were generated and placed in temporary near surface waste-storage and disposal facilities. Trench and landfill type facilities were created from 1986 to 1987 in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone at distances 0.5 to 15 km from the NPP site. This large number of facilities was established without proper design documentation, engineered barriers, ormore » hydrogeological investigations and they do not meet contemporary waste-safety requirements. Immediately following the accident, a Shelter was constructed over the destroyed reactor; in addition to uncertainties in stability at the time of its construction, structural elements of the Shelter have degraded as a result of corrosion. The main potential hazard of the Shelter is a possible collapse of its top structures and release of radioactive dust into the environment. A New Safe Confinement (NSC) with a 100-years service life is planned to be built as a cover over the existing Shelter as a longer-term solution. The construction of the NSC will enable the dismantlement of the current Shelter, removal of highly radioactive, fuel-containing materials from Unit 4, and eventual decommissioning of the damaged reactor. More radioactive waste will be generated during NSC construction, possible Shelter dismantling, removal of fuel containing materials, and decommissioning of Unit 4. The future development of the Exclusion Zone depends on the future strategy for converting Unit 4 into an ecologically safe system, i.e., the development of the NSC, the dismantlement of the current Shelter, removal of fuel containing material, and eventual decommissioning of the accident site. To date, a broadly accepted strategy for radioactive

Polychlorinated biphenyls and their hydroxylated metabolites in the serum of e-waste dismantling workers from eastern China.

PubMed

Ma, Shengtao; Ren, Guofa; Zeng, Xiangying; Yu, Zhiqiang; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2017-05-05

A number of studies have reported on the exposure of e-waste dismantling workers to significantly high concentrations of halogenated organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Such exposure can have adverse health effects. However, little information on the metabolites of these contaminants exists. In this study, we investigated PCBs levels and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCB) in the serum of e-waste workers in Taizhou in eastern China. Our results indicate elevated PCB and OH-PCB levels in the serum of the workers, with medians of 443.7 and 133.9 ng/g lw, respectively. Tri- to hexachlorinated PCB congeners were the dominant homologue groups in all of the samples. 4-OH-CB107 was the predominant homologue among the hydroxylated metabolites, accounting for 88.9% of the total OH-PCB concentrations. While dietary sources (e.g., fish) appear to be an important route for PCB accumulation in non-occupational exposure groups, exposure via ingestion of house dust and inhalation of pollutants derived from the recycling of PCB-containing e-wastes may primarily contribute to the high body burden observed in the occupational groups. Since we found concentrations of metabolites higher than those of their parent compounds, further studies need to pay more attention to their bioaccumulation and toxicity.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils and vegetation near an e-waste recycling site in South China: concentration, distribution, source, and risk assessment.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Tian, Zhongjing; Zhu, Haolin; Cheng, Zhineng; Kang, Meiling; Luo, Chunling; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan

2012-11-15

This study determined the concentrations of PAHs generated from e-waste recycling activities and their potential impacts on soil, vegetation, and human health. The total PAH concentrations in soils and plants ranged from 127 to 10,600 and 199 to 2420 ng/g, respectively. Samples from an e-waste burning site had higher PAH concentrations than samples from adjacent locations. The PAHs in plants varied with plant species and tissue, and Lactuca sativa L. contained the highest PAHs of all the vegetable species. Various land use types showed different PAH concentrations in soils, with vegetable fields showing higher concentrations than paddy fields. Low molecular weight PAHs, such as phenanthrene, were the predominant congeners in soils, whereas high molecular weight PAHs, such as fluoranthene, pyrene, and benzo[a]anthracene, were enriched in plants relative to soils. Dissimilar PAH profiles in soil and the corresponding vegetation indicated that the uptake of PAHs by plants was selective. A source analysis showed that the contamination by PAHs originated primarily from the open burning of e-waste. The total daily intakes of PAHs and carcinogenic PAHs through vegetables at the e-waste dismantling site were estimated to be 279 and 108 ng/kg/d, respectively, indicating that the consumption of vegetables grown near e-waste recycling sites is risky and should be completely avoided. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The cytotoxic and genetoxic effects of dust and soil samples from E-waste recycling area on L02 cells.

PubMed

Wang, Liulin; Hou, Meiling; An, Jing; Zhong, Yufang; Wang, Xuetong; Wang, Yangjun; Wu, Minghong; Bi, Xinhui; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2011-10-01

Electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) has now become the fastest growing solid waste around the world. Primitive recycling operations for E-waste have resulted in severe contamination of toxic metals and organic chemicals in the related areas. In this study, six dust and soil samples collected from E-waste recycling workshops and open-burning sites in Longtang were analyzed to investigate their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on L02 cells. These six samples were: dust No. 1 collected at the gate of the workshop; dust No. 2 collected from air conditioning compressor dismantling site; dust No. 3 collected from where some motors, wires, and aluminium products since the 1980s were dismantled; soil No. 1 collected at the circuit board acid washing site; soil No. 2 collected from a wire open-burning site; soil No. 3 collected near a fiber open-burning site. At the same time, two control soil samples were collected from farmlands approximately 8 km away from the dismantling workshops. The results showed that all of these samples could inhibit cell proliferation and cause cell membrane lesion, among which dust No. 3 and soil No. 2 had the strongest toxicity. Moreover, the comet assay showed that the dust No. 3 had the most significant capability to cause DNA single-strand beaks (SSB), while the road dust (dust No. 1) collected at the gate of the workshop, a relatively farer site, showed the slightest capability to induce DNA SSB. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection showed that ROS level was elevated with the increase of dust and soil samples concentration. Dust No. 3 and soil No. 2 had the highest ROS level, followed by dust No. 2 and 1, soil No. 3 and 1. All of the above results indicated that polluted soil and dust from the E-waste area had cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on L02 cells, the mechanism might involve the increased ROS level and consequent DNA SSB.

Contamination by trace elements at e-waste recycling sites in Bangalore, India.

PubMed

Ha, Nguyen Ngoc; Agusa, Tetsuro; Ramu, Karri; Tu, Nguyen Phuc Cam; Murata, Satoko; Bulbule, Keshav A; Parthasaraty, Peethmbaram; Takahashi, Shin; Subramanian, Annamalai; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2009-06-01

The recycling and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is causing an increasing concern due to its effects on the environment and associated human health risks. To understand the contamination status, we measured trace elements (TEs) in soil, air dust, and human hair collected from e-waste recycling sites (a recycling facility and backyard recycling units) and the reference sites in Bangalore and Chennai in India. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Hg, Pb, and Bi were higher in soil from e-waste recycling sites compared to reference sites. For Cu, Sb, Hg, and Pb in some soils from e-waste sites, the levels exceeded screening values proposed by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Concentrations of Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, In, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pb and Bi in air from the e-waste recycling facility were relatively higher than the levels in Chennai city. High levels of Cu, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, Tl, and Pb were observed in hair of male workers from e-waste recycling sites. Our results suggest that e-waste recycling and its disposal may lead to the environmental and human contamination by some TEs. To our knowledge, this is the first study on TE contamination at e-waste recycling sites in Bangalore, India.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins in soil, paddy seeds (Oryza sativa) and snails (Ampullariidae) in an e-waste dismantling area in China: Homologue group pattern, spatial distribution and risk assessment.

PubMed

Yuan, Bo; Fu, Jianjie; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2017-01-01

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in multi-environmental matrices are studied in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China, which is a notorious e-waste dismantling area. The investigated matrices consist of paddy field soil, paddy seeds (Oryza sativa, separated into hulls and rice unpolished) and apple snails (Ampullariidae, inhabiting the paddy fields). The sampling area covered a 65-km radius around the contamination center. C 10 and C 11 are the two predominant homologue groups in the area, accounting for about 35.7% and 33.0% of total SCCPs, respectively. SCCPs in snails and hulls are generally higher than in soil samples (30.4-530 ng/g dw), and SCCPs in hulls are approximate five times higher than in corresponding rice samples (4.90-55.1 ng/g dw). Homologue pattern analysis indicates that paddy seeds (both hull and rice) tend to accumulate relatively high volatile SCCP homologues, especially the ones with shorter carbon chain length, while snails tend to accumulate relatively high lipophilic homologues, especially the ones with more substituted chlorines. SCCPs in both paddy seeds and snails are linearly related to those in the soil. The e-waste dismantling area, which covers a radius of approximate 20 km, shows higher pollution levels for SCCPs according to their spatial distribution in four matrices. The preliminary assessment indicates that SCCP levels in local soils pose no significant ecological risk for soil dwelling organisms, but higher risks from dietary exposure of SCCPs are suspected for people living in e-waste dismantling area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Pollution characteristics of PCBs in electronic waste dismantling areas of Zhejiang province].

PubMed

Wang, Xiaofeng; Lou, Xiaoming; Han, Guangen; Shen, Haitao; Ding, Gangqiang

2011-09-01

To study the pollution level and distribution pattern of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment media in electronic waste dismantling area of Zhejiang province. Water, soil and PM10 were sampled in electronic waste dismantling areas. The contents, distribution characteristics and toxic equivalents (TEQs) of PCBs in local environment were evaluated by ultra-trace detection methods. The PCBs contents of water, soil and PM10 in Luqiao and Zhenhai, the relatively high polluted areas, were higher than those in Longyou, the control area. The dominant PCBs detected from the environment in Luqiao were hexa-CBs (PCB138 and PCB153), while penta-CBs were dominant in Zhenhai and Longyou. TEQs in electronic waste recycling area were higher than those in control areas. The TEQs of PCBs in water and soil were the highest in Zhenhai, while the TEQs of PM10 were the highest in Luqiao. The local environment has been polluted by PCBs emitted from electronic waste recycling. PCBs pollution monitoring in electronic waste recycling area should be strengthened to prevent PCBs-induced health effects.

Using SAFRAN Software to Assess Radiological Hazards from Dismantling of Tammuz-2 Reactor Core at Al-tuwaitha Nuclear Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abed Gatea, Mezher; Ahmed, Anwar A.; jundee kadhum, Saad; Ali, Hasan Mohammed; Hussein Muheisn, Abbas

2018-05-01

The Safety Assessment Framework (SAFRAN) software has implemented here for radiological safety analysis; to verify that the dose acceptance criteria and safety goals are met with a high degree of confidence for dismantling of Tammuz-2 reactor core at Al-tuwaitha nuclear site. The activities characterizing, dismantling and packaging were practiced to manage the generated radioactive waste. Dose to the worker was considered an endpoint-scenario while dose to the public has neglected due to that Tammuz-2 facility is located in a restricted zone and 30m berm surrounded Al-tuwaitha site. Safety assessment for dismantling worker endpoint-scenario based on maximum external dose at component position level in the reactor pool and internal dose via airborne activity while, for characterizing and packaging worker endpoints scenarios have been done via external dose only because no evidence for airborne radioactivity hazards outside the reactor pool. The in-situ measurements approved that reactor core components are radiologically activated by Co-60 radioisotope. SAFRAN results showed that the maximum received dose for workers are (1.85, 0.64 and 1.3mSv/y) for activities dismantling, characterizing and packaging of reactor core components respectively. Hence, the radiological hazards remain below the low level hazard and within the acceptable annual dose for workers in radiation field

Dissolution Behaviour of Metal Elements from Several Types of E-waste Using Leaching Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nor, Nik Hisyamudin Muhd; Amira Nordin, Nurul; Mohamad, Fariza; Jaibee, Shafizan; Ismail, Al Emran; Omar, Badrul; Fauzi Ahmad, Mohd; Rahim, Abd Khalil Abd; Kamaruddin, Muhamad Khalif Ikhwan Mohd; Turan, Faiz Mohd; Abu Bakar, Elmi; Yokoyama, Seiji

2017-08-01

Rapid development of the electrical and electronic was increasing annually due to the demand by the human being. Increasing production of electrical and electronic product led to the increasing of electric and electronic waste or can be called as the e-waste. The UN Environment Programme estimates that the world generates 20-50 million tons of the e-waste each year and the amount is raising three times faster than other forms of municipal waste. This study is focusing on the investigation of the dissolution behaviour of metal element from several types of e-waste by hydrometallurgical process. Leaching test was conducted on the e-waste by using acid as the reagent solution. Prior to the leaching test, manual dismantling, separation, and crushing process were carried out to the e-waste. The e-waste were characterized by Scanning Electron Microcopy (SEM) and the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) to define the elements inside the sample of e-waste. While the liquid residue from leaching test was analyzed by using Inductively Couple Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) to define the dissolution behaviour of the metal element that contain in the e-waste. It was found that the longest time for dismantling process was the dismantling of laptop. The dissolution behaviour of Fe, Al, Zn and Pb elements in the e-waste has affected to the increase of pH. The increasing pH led to the reduction of the metals element during leaching process.

Chooz A, First Pressurized Water Reactor to be Dismantled in France - 13445

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boucau, Joseph; Mirabella, C.; Nilsson, Lennart

2013-07-01

Nine commercial nuclear power plants have been permanently shut down in France to date, of which the Chooz A plant underwent an extensive decommissioning and dismantling program. Chooz Nuclear Power Station is located in the municipality of Chooz, Ardennes region, in the northeast part of France. Chooz B1 and B2 are 1,500 megawatt electric (MWe) pressurized water reactors (PWRs) currently in operation. Chooz A, a 305 MWe PWR implanted in two caves within a hill, began operations in 1967 and closed in 1991, and will now become the first PWR in France to be fully dismantled. EDF CIDEN (Engineering Centermore » for Dismantling and Environment) has awarded Westinghouse a contract for the dismantling of its Chooz A reactor vessel (RV). The project began in January 2010. Westinghouse is leading the project in a consortium with Nuvia France. The project scope includes overall project management, conditioning of the reactor vessel (RV) head, RV and RV internals segmentation, reactor nozzle cutting for lifting the RV out of the pit and seal it afterwards, dismantling of the RV thermal insulation, ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) forecast to ensure acceptable doses for the personnel, complementary vacuum cleaner to catch the chips during the segmentation work, needs and facilities, waste characterization and packaging, civil work modifications, licensing documentation. The RV and RV internals will be segmented based on the mechanical cutting technology that Westinghouse applied successfully for more than 13 years. The segmentation activities cover the cutting and packaging plan, tooling design and qualification, personnel training and site implementation. Since Chooz A is located inside two caves, the project will involve waste transportation from the reactor cave through long galleries to the waste buffer area. The project will end after the entire dismantling work is completed, and the waste storage is outside the caves and ready to be shipped either to the ANDRA

Urinary Concentrations of Bisphenols and Their Association with Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in People Living Near E-Waste Recycling Facilities in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Tao; Xue, Jingchuan; Gao, Chuan-zi; Qiu, Rong-liang; Li, Yan-xi; Li, Xiao; Huang, Ming-zhi; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

2016-04-05

In this study, concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and seven other bisphenols (BPs) were measured in urine samples collected from people living in and around e-waste dismantling facilities, and in matched reference population from rural and urban areas in China. BPA, bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol F (BPF) were frequently detected (detection frequencies: > 90%) in urine samples collected from individuals who live near e-waste facilities, with geometric mean (GM) concentrations of 2.99 (or 3.75), 0.361 (or 0.469), and 0.349 (or 0.435) ng/mL (or μg/g Cre), respectively; the other five BPs were rarely found in urine samples, regardless of the sampling location. The urinary concentrations of BPA and BPF, but not BPS, were significantly higher in individuals from e-waste recycling locations than did individuals from a rural reference location. Our findings indicated that e-waste dismantling activities contribute to human exposure to BPA and BPF. 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured in urine as a marker of oxidative stress. In the e-waste dismantling location, urinary 8-OHdG was significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.001) with urinary BPA and BPS, but not BPF; a similar correlation was also observed in reference sites. These findings suggest that BPA and BPS exposures are associated with elevated oxidative stress.

Environmental and human exposure to persistent halogenated compounds derived from e-waste in China.

PubMed

Ni, Hong-Gang; Zeng, Hui; Tao, Shu; Zeng, Eddy Y

2010-06-01

Various classes of persistent halogenated compounds (PHCs) can be released into the environment due to improper handling and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste), which creates severe environmental problems and poses hazards to human health as well. In this review, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), polybrominated phenols (PBPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs), and chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs) are the main target contaminants for examination. As the world's largest importer and recycler of e-waste, China has been under tremendous pressure to deal with this huge e-waste situation. This review assesses the magnitude of the e-waste problems in China based on data obtained from the last several years, during which many significant investigations have been conducted. Comparative analyses of the concentrations of several classes of toxic compounds, in which e-waste recycling sites are compared with reference sites in China, have indicated that improper e-waste handling affects the environment of dismantling sites more than that of control sites. An assessment of the annual mass loadings of PBDEs, PBBs, TBBPA, PBPs, PCDD/Fs, and ClPAHs from e-waste in China has shown that PBDEs are the dominant components of PHCs in e-waste, followed by ClPAHs and PCDD/Fs. The annual loadings of PBDEs, ClPAHs, and PCDD/Fs emission were estimated to range from 76,200 to 182,000, 900 to 2,000 and 3 to 8 kg/year, respectively. However, PCDD/Fs and ClPAHs should not be neglected because they are also primarily released from e-waste recycling processes. Overall, the magnitude of human exposure to these toxics in e-waste sites in China is at the high end of the global range. Copyright 2010 SETAC.

Building dismantlement and site remediation at the Apollo Fuel Plant: When is technology the answer?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walton, L.

1995-01-01

The Apollo fuel plant was located in Pennsylvania on a site known to have been used continuously for stell production from before the Civil War until after World War II. Then the site became a nuclear fuel chemical processing plants. Finally it was used to convert uranium hexafluoride to various oxide fuel forms. After the fuel manufacturing operations were teminated, the processing equipment was partially decontaminated, removed, packaged and shipped to a licensed low-level radioactive waste burial site. The work was completed in 1984. In 1990 a detailed site characterization was initiated to establishe the extent of contamination and tomore » plan the building dismantlement and soil remediation efforts. This article discusses the site characterization and remedial action at the site in the following subsections: characterization; criticality control; mobile containment; soil washing; in-process measurements; and the final outcome of the project.« less

PCBs and PCDD/Fs in soil from informal e-waste recycling sites and open dumpsites in India: Levels, congener profiles and health risk assessment.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Paromita; Selvaraj, Sakthivel; Nakamura, Masafumi; Prithiviraj, Balasubramanian; Cincinelli, Alessandra; Bang, John J

2018-04-15

Growth of informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sector is an emerging problem for India. The presence of halogenated compounds in e-wastes may result in the formation of persistent organic pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during recycling processes. We therefore investigated PCBs and PCDD/Fs in surface soils explicitly from the informal e-waste recycling sites and nearby open dumpsites of major metropolitan cities from four corners of India, viz., New Delhi (North), Kolkata (East), Mumbai (West) and Chennai (South). In the informal e-waste recycling sites, the range of Σ 26 PCBs (0.4-488ng/g) and ƩPCDD/Fs (1.0-10.6ng/g) were higher than Ʃ 26 PCBs (0.3-21ng/g) and ƩPCDD/Fs (0.15-7.3ng/g) from open dumpsites. In the e-waste sites, ƩPCDDs were found with increasing trend from ƩTetraCDD to OctaCDD, whereas ƩPCDFs showed a reverse trend. The dominance of PCDF congeners and maximum toxicity equivalents (TEQ) for both PCDDs (17pg TEQ/g) and PCDFs (82pg TEQ/g) at Mandoli in New Delhi has been related to intensive precious metal recovery process using acid bath. Among dumpsites, highest TEQ for PCDD/Fs was observed at Kodangaiyur dumpsite of Chennai (CN DS -02, 45pg TEQ/g). Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified distinct congener pattern based on the functional activities, such as e-waste dismantling, shredding, precious metal recovery and open burning in dumpsites. E-waste metal recovery factor was loaded with 86-91% of PCB-77, -105, -114, -118 and 30% of PCB-126, possibly associated with the burning of wires during the copper extraction process. Almost 70% of the Ʃ 26 PCB concentrations was comprised of the dioxin-like PCB congeners with a maximum concentration of 437ng/g at New Moore market in Chennai, followed by Wire Lane (102ng/g), in Mumbai. We speculate that PCB-126 might have resulted from combustion of plastic materials in e-waste stream and dumped waste

E-waste interventions in Ghana.

PubMed

Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Pwamang, John A; Amoyaw-Osei, Yaw; Ampofo, Joseph Addo

2016-03-01

Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has become an emerging environmental and human health problem in the world in the 21st century. Recently, the developing nations of West Africa (e.g. Ghana and Nigeria) have become a major destination for e-waste worldwide. In Ghana, the e-waste recyclers use primitive methods (mechanical shredding and open burning) to remove plastic insulation from copper cables. This technique can release highly toxic chemicals and severely affect the environment and human health if improperly managed. It is as a result of the adverse impact on human health that some interventions are being made in Ghana to reduce exposure. The present mode of recycling/dismantling, which happens at Agbogbloshie must be replaced by official receiving/recycling centers to be established. Currently, equipment to strip both large and small cables are available in the country via the Blacksmith Institute (USA) and it is expected that the e-waste workers will embrace the use of these machines. This technology will go a long way to help prevent the burning of e-waste and will be replicated in other smaller e-waste centers in the country.

Impact of informal electronic waste recycling on metal concentrations in soils and dusts.

PubMed

Ohajinwa, Chimere May; van Bodegom, Peter M; Vijver, Martina G; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

2018-07-01

Electronic and electrical equipment contains over 1000 different substances, including metals. During informal e-waste recycling some of these substances such as metals, are released into the environment causing environmental pollution. This study assessed the impact of different informal e-waste recycling activities (burning, dismantling, and repairing) on metal concentrations in top soils and various dust. A comparative cross-sectional study design was adopted to assess metal concentrations in top soils and in various dust samples from multiple e-waste recycling sites. Metal concentrations at e-waste recycling sites were compared to the concentrations at control sites in three study locations in Nigeria (Lagos, Ibadan, and Aba). In the three study locations, mean metal concentrations at the e-waste recycling sites exceeded the concentrations at the control sites and the Nigerian standard guideline values by 100 s to 1000 s times. Burning sites showed the highest pollution level, followed by dismantling sites, then repair sites. Our findings show serious environmental and public health concerns. The metal concentrations were also higher than levels reported in other studies at the same locations in Nigeria, indicating that the situation is worsening. This study provides scientific evidence for an urgent need to develop effective strategies to strengthen enforcement of existing e-waste regulations in Nigeria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transformation of heavy metal fractionation under changing environments: a case study of a drainage system in an e-waste dismantling community.

PubMed

Damrongsiri, Seelawut

2018-04-01

The change in environmental conditions during the transportation of contaminated soil and sediment was expected to affect the transformation of heavy metal fractionation. This study disclosed the serious contamination of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the sewer sediment of an e-waste dismantling community in Thailand which may be caused by flushed contaminated soil and e-waste fragments. Two environmental conditions were simulated to observe the transformation of heavy metal fractionation. The anoxic sewer condition was induced using high substrate and sulfate in a closed container. The aeration of anoxic contaminated sediment was applied to simulate the transformation to an oxidative environment. The BCR sequential extraction was applied for heavy metal fractionation in this study. The study results exhibited that when heavy metal contaminated soil was transferred into this induced anoxic condition, fractionation was redistributed based on the chemical change of system that tends to be associated into F3 (oxidizable fraction) > F2 (reducible fraction) > F1 (acid soluble/exchangeable fraction). Cu exhibited the outstanding capability association to F3. The iron sulfide was not observed as usual due to its lower capability than Cu, Pb, and Zn. When contaminated sediment was transported to a more oxidative environment, the heavy metals fractionation would be redistributed again among those new environment media. It is noteworthy that F3 of Cu was stable even in oxic conditions. F2 of Fe was not developed by this oxic condition, possibly because its dehydration process was limited. The redistribution under an oxic environment became F1 > F2 > F3 indicating their more available form. This transformation was imperative and should be taken into account in heavy metal contaminated site management and control.

Spatial distribution of heavy metal contamination in soils near a primitive e-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Quan, Sheng-Xiang; Yan, Bo; Yang, Fan; Li, Ning; Xiao, Xian-Ming; Fu, Jia-Mo

2015-01-01

The total concentrations of 12 heavy metals in surface soils (SS, 0-20 cm), middle soils (MS, 30-50 cm) and deep soils (DS, 60-80 cm) from an acid-leaching area, a deserted paddy field and a deserted area of Guiyu were measured. The results showed that the acid-leaching area was heavily contaminated with heavy metals, especially in SS. The mean concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Sb and Pb in SS from the acid-leaching area were 278.4, 684.1, 572.8, 1.36, 3,472, 1,706 and 222.8 mg/kg, respectively. Heavy metal pollution in the deserted paddy field was mainly concentrated in SS and MS. The average values of Sb in SS and MS from the deserted paddy field were 16.3 and 20.2 mg/kg, respectively. However, heavy metal contamination of the deserted area was principally found in the DS. Extremely high concentrations of heavy metals were also observed at some special research sites, further confirming that the level of heavy metal pollution was very serious. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values revealed that the acid-leaching area was severely polluted with heavy metals in the order of Sb > Sn > Cu > Cd > Ni > Zn > Pb, while deserted paddy field was contaminated predominately by metals in the order of Sb > Sn > Cu. It was obvious that the concentrations of some uncommon contaminants, such as Sb and Sn, were higher than principal contaminants, such as Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb, suggesting that particular attention should be directed to Sn and Sb contamination in the future research of heavy metals in soils from e-waste-processing areas. Correlation analysis suggested that Li and Be in soils from the acid-leaching area and its surrounding environment might have originated from other industrial activities and from batteries, whereas Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Sn and Sb contamination was most likely caused by uncontrolled electronic waste (e-waste) processing. These results indicate the significant need for optimisation of e-waste-dismantling technologies and remediation of polluted soil

Heavy metal contamination characteristic of soil in WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) dismantling community: a case study of Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Damrongsiri, Seelawut; Vassanadumrongdee, Sujitra; Tanwattana, Puntita

2016-09-01

Sue Yai Utit is an old community located in Bangkok, Thailand which dismantles waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The surface soil samples at the dismantling site were contaminated with copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) higher than Dutch Standards, especially around the WEEE dumps. Residual fractions of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni in coarse soil particles were greater than in finer soil. However, those metals bonded to Fe-Mn oxides were considerably greater in fine soil particles. The distribution of Zn in the mobile fraction and a higher concentration in finer soil particles indicated its readily leachable character. The concentration of Cu, Pb, and Ni in both fine and coarse soil particles was mostly not significantly different. The fractionation of heavy metals at this dismantling site was comparable to the background. The contamination characteristics differed from pollution by other sources, which generally demonstrated the magnification of the non-residual fraction. A distribution pathway was proposed whereby contamination began by the deposition of WEEE scrap directly onto the soil surface as a source of heavy metal. This then accumulated, corroded, and was released via natural processes, becoming redistributed among the soil material. Therefore, the concentrations of both the residual and non-residual fractions of heavy metals in WEEE-contaminated soil increased.

A novel dismantling process of waste printed circuit boards using water-soluble ionic liquid.

PubMed

Zeng, Xianlai; Li, Jinhui; Xie, Henghua; Liu, Lili

2013-10-01

Recycling processes for waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) have been well established in terms of scientific research and field pilots. However, current dismantling procedures for WPCBs have restricted the recycling process, due to their low efficiency and negative impacts on environmental and human health. This work aimed to seek an environmental-friendly dismantling process through heating with water-soluble ionic liquid to separate electronic components and tin solder from two main types of WPCBs-cathode ray tubes and computer mainframes. The work systematically investigates the influence factors, heating mechanism, and optimal parameters for opening solder connections on WPCBs during the dismantling process, and addresses its environmental performance and economic assessment. The results obtained demonstrate that the optimal temperature, retention time, and turbulence resulting from impeller rotation during the dismantling process, were 250 °C, 12 min, and 45 rpm, respectively. Nearly 90% of the electronic components were separated from the WPCBs under the optimal experimental conditions. This novel process offers the possibility of large industrial-scale operations for separating electronic components and recovering tin solder, and for a more efficient and environmentally sound process for WPCBs recycling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle-bound PCDD/Fs in the atmosphere of an electronic waste dismantling area in China.

PubMed

Wen, Sheng; Gong, Yan; Li, Jingguang; Shi, Tingming; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

2011-04-01

Particulate samples from the atmosphere in an electronic waste dismantling area were collected to investigate the levels and sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Particulate samples including total suspended particulates (TSP) and particulate matter <2.5 μm diameter (PM(2.5)) were collected on selected non-rainy days in summer (Jul 10-12, 2006) and winter (Jan 11-13, 2007) from Fengjiang (FJ), an electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling area in eastern China, and an adjacent area Luqiao (LQ). The samples were analyzed by isotope dilution - high resolution gas chromatography / high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). In FJ, the mean PCDD/F concentrations (mean TEQ values) were 280.6 pg Nm(-3) (3.432 pg WHO-TEQ Nm(-3)) for the TSP samples and 223.3 pg Nm(-3) (3.180 pg WHO-TEQ Nm(-3)) for the PM(2.5) samples. The total PCDD/F concentrations and TEQs in the PM(2.5) samples were about 66.8%-108.0% of the TSP samples, indicating that the fine particles contained higher levels of PCDD/Fs than coarse particles. The PCDD/F levels in FJ were much higher than those detected in common urban areas around the world, suggesting that the study area was heavily polluted by PCDD/Fs. Furthermore, the total average daily PCDD/F intake in FJ was estimated at 62.11 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)·day(-1) for adults and 110.11 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)·day(-1) for children, which greatly exceeds the WHO (1998) tolerable daily intake of 1-4 pg of WHO-TEQ kg(-1)·day(-1). The PCDD/F homologues and congener profiles confirmed that the PCDD/Fs in FJ originated from crude e-waste recycling activities. The severe dioxin pollution present in FJ has also substantially influenced the adjacent area of LQ through atmospheric transport. Open burning of medical waste was another source of PCDD/Fs identified in LQ. Copyright © 2011 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining the technology acceptance for dismantling of waste printed circuit boards in light of recycling and environmental concerns.

PubMed

Duan, Huabo; Hou, Kun; Li, Jinhui; Zhu, Xiaodong

2011-03-01

The dismantling of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and the recovery of their useful materials can lead to serious environmental impacts mainly due to their complicated physical structure and the variety of toxic elements contained in their material composition. So far, less attention has been paid to their responsible recycling compared to that of bare printed circuit boards. Combined with other materials recovery process, proper dismantling of PCBAs is beneficial to conserve scarce resources, reuse the components, and eliminate or safely dispose of hazardous materials. In analyzing the generation, resources potential and hazardous risk of scrap PCBAs, technologies used for the dismantling of waste PCBAs have been widely investigated and reviewed from the aspects of both industrial application and laboratory-scale studies. In addition, the feasibility of PCBA dismantling has been discussed, the determinants of which, including the heating conditions and mechanical properties have been identified. Moreover, this paper evaluates the environmental consequences caused by the dismantling of PCBAs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal variation, source profile, and formation mechanisms of PCDD/FS in the atmosphere of an e-waste recycling area, south China.

PubMed

Xiao, Xiao; Hu, Jianfang; Chen, Pei; Chen, Deyi; Huang, Weilin; Peng, Ping'an; Ren, Man

2014-03-01

The present study investigated the impact of typical electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling activities on the distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the adjacent atmospheric environment. The target areas included the town of Longtang, a well known e-waste recycling site, and 2 affected neighborhoods, all of which were within the city of Qingyuan,Guangdong Province, China. Air samples were collected from the 3 locations and analyzed following the standard methods. The results showed that the atmospheric PCDD/F level in Longtang was 159.41 pg m(-3), which was approximately 16 to 17 times higher than its neighborhoods and 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than baseline levels reported for urban cities of the world. The homologue profiles were quite different from the typical urban air patterns, as de novo synthesis was likely to be the dominant formation pathway of the detected PCDD/Fs. The seasonal variations were minor, and the concentration change of PCDD/Fs between day and night did not follow a clear pattern. Given the unique atmospheric PCDD/F concentrations, similar homologue profiles, and the elemental carbon/organic carbon relationships of the 3 sampling sites, the relatively high dioxin levels in its 2 neighborhoods were most likely the result of the primitive e-waste dismantling activities undertaken in the town of Longtang. A simple risk assessment also showed that the residents of Qingyuan were at high risk of exposure to PCDD/Fs.

E-Waste and Harm to Vulnerable Populations: A Growing Global Problem

PubMed Central

Heacock, Michelle; Kelly, Carol Bain; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Bergman, Åke Lennart; Bruné, Marie-Noel; Buka, Irena; Carpenter, David O.; Chen, Aimin; Huo, Xia; Kamel, Mostafa; Landrigan, Philip J.; Magalini, Federico; Diaz-Barriga, Fernando; Neira, Maria; Omar, Magdy; Pascale, Antonio; Ruchirawat, Mathuros; Sly, Leith; Sly, Peter D.; Van den Berg, Martin; Suk, William A.

2015-01-01

Background: Electronic waste (e-waste) is produced in staggering quantities, estimated globally to be 41.8 million tonnes in 2014. Informal e-waste recycling is a source of much-needed income in many low- to middle-income countries. However, its handling and disposal in underdeveloped countries is often unsafe and leads to contaminated environments. Rudimentary and uncontrolled processing methods often result in substantial harmful chemical exposures among vulnerable populations, including women and children. E-waste hazards have not yet received the attention they deserve in research and public health agendas. Objectives: We provide an overview of the scale and health risks. We review international efforts concerned with environmental hazards, especially affecting children, as a preface to presenting next steps in addressing health issues stemming from the global e-waste problem. Discussion: The e-waste problem has been building for decades. Increased observation of adverse health effects from e-waste sites calls for protecting human health and the environment from e-waste contamination. Even if e-waste exposure intervention and prevention efforts are implemented, legacy contamination will remain, necessitating increased awareness of e-waste as a major environmental health threat. Conclusion: Global, national, and local levels efforts must aim to create safe recycling operations that consider broad security issues for people who rely on e-waste processing for survival. Paramount to these efforts is reducing pregnant women and children’s e-waste exposures to mitigate harmful health effects. With human environmental health in mind, novel dismantling methods and remediation technologies and intervention practices are needed to protect communities. Citation: Heacock M, Kelly CB, Asante KA, Birnbaum LS, Bergman AL, Bruné MN, Buka I, Carpenter DO, Chen A, Huo X, Kamel M, Landrigan PJ, Magalini F, Diaz-Barriga F, Neira M, Omar M, Pascale A, Ruchirawat M, Sly L, Sly PD

E-Waste and Harm to Vulnerable Populations: A Growing Global Problem.

PubMed

Heacock, Michelle; Kelly, Carol Bain; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Birnbaum, Linda S; Bergman, Åke Lennart; Bruné, Marie-Noel; Buka, Irena; Carpenter, David O; Chen, Aimin; Huo, Xia; Kamel, Mostafa; Landrigan, Philip J; Magalini, Federico; Diaz-Barriga, Fernando; Neira, Maria; Omar, Magdy; Pascale, Antonio; Ruchirawat, Mathuros; Sly, Leith; Sly, Peter D; Van den Berg, Martin; Suk, William A

2016-05-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is produced in staggering quantities, estimated globally to be 41.8 million tonnes in 2014. Informal e-waste recycling is a source of much-needed income in many low- to middle-income countries. However, its handling and disposal in underdeveloped countries is often unsafe and leads to contaminated environments. Rudimentary and uncontrolled processing methods often result in substantial harmful chemical exposures among vulnerable populations, including women and children. E-waste hazards have not yet received the attention they deserve in research and public health agendas. We provide an overview of the scale and health risks. We review international efforts concerned with environmental hazards, especially affecting children, as a preface to presenting next steps in addressing health issues stemming from the global e-waste problem. The e-waste problem has been building for decades. Increased observation of adverse health effects from e-waste sites calls for protecting human health and the environment from e-waste contamination. Even if e-waste exposure intervention and prevention efforts are implemented, legacy contamination will remain, necessitating increased awareness of e-waste as a major environmental health threat. Global, national, and local levels efforts must aim to create safe recycling operations that consider broad security issues for people who rely on e-waste processing for survival. Paramount to these efforts is reducing pregnant women and children's e-waste exposures to mitigate harmful health effects. With human environmental health in mind, novel dismantling methods and remediation technologies and intervention practices are needed to protect communities. Heacock M, Kelly CB, Asante KA, Birnbaum LS, Bergman AL, Bruné MN, Buka I, Carpenter DO, Chen A, Huo X, Kamel M, Landrigan PJ, Magalini F, Diaz-Barriga F, Neira M, Omar M, Pascale A, Ruchirawat M, Sly L, Sly PD, Van den Berg M, Suk WA. 2016. E-waste and harm to

Dismantling of Loop-Type Channel Equipment of MR Reactor in NRC 'Kurchatov Institute' - 13040

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volkov, Victor; Danilovich, Alexey; Zverkov, Yuri

2013-07-01

In 2009 the project of decommissioning of MR and RTF reactors was developed and approved by the Expert Authority of the Russian Federation (Gosexpertiza). The main objective of the decommissioning works identified in this project: - complete dismantling of reactor equipment and systems; - decontamination of reactor premises and site in accordance with the established sanitary and hygienic standards. At the preparatory stage (2008-2010) of the project the following works were executed: loop-type channels' dismantling in the storage pool; experimental fuel assemblies' removal from spent fuel repositories in the central hall; spent fuel assembly removal from the liquid-metal-cooled loop-type channelmore » of the reactor core and its placement into the SNF repository; and reconstruction of engineering support systems to the extent necessary for reactor decommissioning. The project assumes three main phases of dismantling and decontamination: - dismantling of equipment/pipelines of cooling circuits and loop-type channels, and auxiliary reactor equipment (2011-2012); - dismantling of equipment in underground reactor premises and of both MR and RTF in-vessel devices (2013-2014); - decontamination of reactor premises; rehabilitation of the reactor site; final radiation survey of reactor premises, loop-type channels and site; and issuance of the regulatory authorities' de-registration statement (2015). In 2011 the decommissioning license for the two reactors was received and direct MR decommissioning activities started. MR primary pipelines and loop-type facilities situated in the underground reactor hall were dismantled. Works were also launched to dismantle the loop-type channels' equipment in underground reactor premises; reactor buildings were reconstructed to allow removal of dismantled equipment; and the MR/RTF decommissioning sequence was identified. In autumn 2011 - spring 2012 results of dismantling activities performed are: - equipment from underground rooms (No

Radiochemistry Lab Decommissioning and Dismantlement. AECL, Chalk River Labs, Ontario, Canada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenny, Stephen

2008-01-15

Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) was originally founded in the mid 1940's to perform research in radiation and nuclear areas under the Canadian Defense Department. In the mid 50's The Canadian government embarked on several research and development programs for the development of the Candu Reactor. AECL was initially built as a temporary site and is now faced with many redundant buildings. Prior to 2004 small amounts of Decommissioning work was in progress. Many reasons for deferring decommissioning activities were used with the predominant ones being: 1. Reduction in radiation doses to workers during the final dismantlement, 2. Development ofmore » a long-term solution for the management of radioactive wastes in Canada, 3. Financial constraints presented by the number of facilities shutdown that would require decommissioning funds and the absence of an approved funding strategy. This has led to the development of a comprehensive decommissioning plan that is all inclusive of AECL's current and legacy liabilities. Canada does not have a long-term disposal site; therefore waste minimization becomes the driving factor behind decontamination for decommissioning before and during dismantlement. This decommissioning job was a great learning experience for decommissioning and the associated contractors who worked on this project. Throughout the life of the project there was a constant focus on waste minimization. This focus was constantly in conflict with regulatory compliance primarily with respect to fire regulations and protecting the facility along with adjacent facilities during the decommissioning activities. Discrepancies in historical documents forced the project to treat every space as a contaminated space until proven differently. Decommissioning and dismantlement within an operating site adds to the complexity of the tasks especially when it is being conducted in the heart of the plant. This project was very successful with no lost time accidents in over one

[PHAHs levels in soil samples from the E-waste disassembly sites and their sources allocation].

PubMed

Zhao, Gao-Feng; Wang, Zi-Jian

2009-06-15

Soil samples (each with 3 replicates of - 1 kg, at the top 0-5 cm layer) were collected from each of the e-waste disassembly sites and the control site. Also obtained from each disassembly site were samples (each weighing - 0.2 kg) of cable coating,stuffing powder, and circuit boards chipping. The contents of 23 PBB congeners, 12 PBDE congeners, and 27 PCB congeners in soil and in their potential sources, including e-waste residues, were measured using the GC-MS5975B technique. The highest level of PBBs was found in the cable coating among the three e-waste residues, with a concentration of 35.25 ng x g(-1). The contents of low-brominated PBBs (including monobromobiphenyls and dibromobiphenyls) accounted for 38% of the total PBBs concentration observed in cable coating sample. The highest levels of PBDEs and PBDE209 were found in the stuffing powder for electronic component among the collected e-waste residues, with a concentration of 29.71 and 4.19 x 10(3) ng x g(-1). PBDE153 and PBDE183 were the most predominant PBDE congeners, with their concentration accounting for 43% and 24% of the total PBDEs concentration observed in the stuffing powder sample, respectively. Levels of PCBs in cable coating were the highest in these e-waste residues, with a concentration of 680.02 ngx g(-1). The observed values of the three PHAHs in soils from the disassembly site were considerably higher than their corresponding values observed in the control site (p < 0.05), which indicates that these PHAHs from e-waste is the pollution source of local environment.

Systematic characterization of generation and management of e-waste in China.

PubMed

Duan, Huabo; Hu, Jiukun; Tan, Quanyin; Liu, Lili; Wang, Yanjie; Li, Jinhui

2016-01-01

Over the last decade, there has been much effort to promote the management of e-waste in China. Policies have been affected to prohibit imports and to control pollution. Research has been conducted in laboratories and on large-scale industrial operations. A subsidy system to support sound e-waste recycling has been put in place. However, the handling of e-waste is still a concern in China and the issue remains unresolved. There has been relatively little work to follow up this issue or to interpret continuing problems from the perspective of sustainable development. This paper first provides a brief overview of conventional and emerging environmental pollution in Chinese "famous" e-waste dismantling areas, including Guiyu in Guangdong and Wenling in Zhejiang. Environmentalists have repeatedly proven that these areas are significantly polluted. Importing and backyard recycling are decreasing but are ongoing. Most importantly, no work is being done to treat or remediate the contaminated environmental media. The situation is exacerbated by the rising tide of e-waste generated by domestic update of various electronics. This study, therefore, employs a Sales Obsolescence Model approach to predict the generation of e-waste. When accounting for weight, approximately 8 million tons of e-waste will be generated domestically in 2015, of which around 50% is ferrous metals, followed by miscellaneous plastic (30%), copper metal and cables (8%), aluminum (5%), and others (7%). Of this, 3.6% will come from scrap PCBs and 0.2% from lead CRT glass. While more and more end-of-life electronics have been collected and treated by formal or licensed recyclers in China in terms of our analysis, many of them only have dismantling and separation activities. Hazardous e-wastes, including those from PCBs, CRT glass, and brominated flame retardant (BFR) plastics, have become problematic and probably flow to small or backyard recyclers without environmentally sound management. Traditional

Major pollutants in soils of abandoned agricultural land contaminated by e-waste activities in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lopez, Brenda Natalia; Man, Yu Bon; Zhao, Yin Ge; Zheng, Jin Shu; Leung, Anna Oi Wah; Yao, Jun; Wong, Ming Hung

2011-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) compounds and five heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and zinc) were determined in soil samples collected from six sites of abandoned agricultural land affected by electronic-waste: e-waste dismantling workshop [EW (DW)], e-waste open burning site [EW (OBS)], e-waste storage [EW (S)], and agricultural (A) in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals were detected in all soil samples. EW (DW) contained the highest concentrations of PAHs, Cr, Cu, and Zn, whereas EW (OBS) had the highest concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs, Cd, and Pb. PAH at EW (DW) and EW (OBS) and PCB concentrations at EW (OBS) exceeded the target values of the New Dutch list, whereas Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn levels exceeded the Chinese legislation for the protection of agricultural production and safeguarding of human health, by 3-11 times at EW (OBS) and 5-8 times at EW (DW). Lead at EW (OBS) and EW (DW) and Cr at EW (DW) greatly exceeded the Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines by 46 and 20 times and 27 times, respectively. Concentrations of POPs and heavy metals at EW (DW) and EW (OBS) were significantly higher than at EW (S) and A. It was concluded that e-waste activities led to increases of toxic chemicals at these abandoned agricultural land, which would hinder the redevelopment of the land.

VOCs elimination and health risk reduction in e-waste dismantling workshop using integrated techniques of electrostatic precipitation with advanced oxidation technologies.

PubMed

Chen, Jiangyao; Huang, Yong; Li, Guiying; An, Taicheng; Hu, Yunkun; Li, Yunlu

2016-01-25

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during the electronic waste dismantling process (EWDP) were treated at a pilot scale, using integrated electrostatic precipitation (EP)-advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs, subsequent photocatalysis (PC) and ozonation). Although no obvious alteration was seen in VOC concentration and composition, EP technology removed 47.2% of total suspended particles, greatly reducing the negative effect of particles on subsequent AOTs. After the AOT treatment, average removal efficiencies of 95.7%, 95.4%, 87.4%, and 97.5% were achieved for aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, as well as nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compounds, respectively, over 60-day treatment period. Furthermore, high elimination capacities were also seen using hybrid technique of PC with ozonation; this was due to the PC unit's high loading rates and excellent pre-treatment abilities, and the ozonation unit's high elimination capacity. In addition, the non-cancer and cancer risks, as well as the occupational exposure cancer risk, for workers exposed to emitted VOCs in workshop were reduced dramatically after the integrated technique treatment. Results demonstrated that the integrated technique led to highly efficient and stable VOC removal from EWDP emissions at a pilot scale. This study points to an efficient approach for atmospheric purification and improving human health in e-waste recycling regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of brominated flame retardants from e-waste components in China.

PubMed

Yu, Danfeng; Duan, Huabo; Song, Qingbin; Liu, Yicheng; Li, Ying; Li, Jinhui; Shen, Weijun; Luo, Jiahui; Wang, Jinben

2017-10-01

Many studies show that high levels of many toxic metals and persistent and bio-accumulative chemicals have been found in electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling sites and their surrounding environmental media. Both flame-retardant plastic housing materials and printed circuit boards (PCBs) could be the major contributors. However, relatively little work has focused on the use or content of toxic substances and their changing in scrap housing materials and PCBs from home appliances. This study evaluated the existence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA)) in housing plastics and PCBs from home appliances collected from various e-waste recyclers in China. These were then analyzed for the potential migration of BFRs from the e-waste components into their recycled products. The results show that both PBDEs and TBBPA were found with high level in most of e-waste samples, indicating that the widespread use of BFRs in home appliances are entering into the end-of-life stage. For the plastics samples, CRT TVs and LCD monitors should be given priority for the control of BFRs. Regarding PBDEs, the dominant congeners of BDE-209 in the plastics samples contributed 90.72-93.54% to the total concentrations of PBDEs, yet there are large variations for PCBs samples: BDE-28, -47, -99, and -153 were also important congeners compositions, except for BDE-209. Compared with previous studies, the BFRs concentrations in current Chinese e-waste are trending to decline. This study also found that BFRs in housing plastics and PCBs will be transferred into the recycled products with other purpose use, and the new products could have highly enriched capacities for BFRs. The obtained results could be helpful to manage e-waste and their components properly in order to minimize associated environmental and health risks of BFRs, particularly for their further reuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil contamination by brominated flame retardants in open waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries.

PubMed

Eguchi, Akifimi; Isobe, Tomohiko; Ramu, Karri; Tue, Nguyen Minh; Sudaryanto, Agus; Devanathan, Gnanasekaran; Viet, Pham Hung; Tana, Rouch Seang; Takahashi, Shin; Subramanian, Annamalai; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2013-03-01

In Asian developing countries, large amounts of municipal wastes are dumped into open dumping sites each day without adequate management. This practice may cause several adverse environmental consequences and increase health risks to local communities. These dumping sites are contaminated with many chemicals including brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). BFRs may be released into the environment through production processes and through the disposal of plastics and electronic wastes that contain them. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the status of BFR pollution in municipal waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries. Soil samples were collected from six open waste dumping sites and five reference sites in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam from 1999 to 2007. The results suggest that PBDEs are the dominant contaminants in the dumping sites in Asian developing countries, whereas HBCD contamination remains low. Concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDs ranged from ND to 180 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 1.4 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the reference sites and from 0.20 to 430 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 2.5 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the dumping sites. Contamination levels of PBDEs in Asian municipal dumping sites were comparable with those reported from electronic waste dismantling areas in Pearl River delta, China. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immobilization of metals in contaminated soil from E-waste recycling site by dairy-manure-derived biochar.

PubMed

Chen, Zhiliang; Zhang, Jianqiang; Liu, Minchao; Wu, Yingxin; Yuan, Zhihui

2017-08-24

E-waste is a growing concern around the world and varieties of abandoned E-waste recycling sites, especially in urban area, need to remediate immediately. The impacts of dairy-manure-derived biochars (BCs) on the amelioration of soil properties, the changes in the morphologies as well as the mobility of metals were studied to test their efficacy in immobilization of metals for a potential restoration of vegetation landscape in abandoned E-waste recycling site. The amendment with BCs produced positive effects on bioavailability and mobility reduction for Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu depending on BC ratio and incubation time. The BCs promoted the transformation of species of heavy metals to a more stable fraction, and the metals concentrations in Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure extract declined significantly, especially Pb and Cu. Besides, the BCs ameliorated the substrate with increasing the soil pH, cations exchangeable capacity and available phosphorous, which suggested BC as a potential amendment material for abandoned E-waste recycling sites before restoration of vegetation landscape. Generally, the BC modified by alkaline treatment has a higher efficacy, probably due to increase of specific surface area and porosity as well as the functional groups after alkaline treatment.

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil, sediment and dust samples collected from various electronic waste recycling sites within Guiyu town, southern China.

PubMed

Labunska, Iryna; Harrad, Stuart; Santillo, David; Johnston, Paul; Brigden, Kevin

2013-02-01

Electronic waste recycling operations in some parts of Asia are conducted using rudimentary techniques which result in workplace and environmental contamination with toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants. This study reports concentrations of 14 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), from tri- to deca-brominated, in 31 samples of soil, sediment, dust or ash collected in the vicinity of e-waste recycling sites in Guiyu (southeast China) which were engaged in common activities such as dismantling, shredding, solder recovery, acid processing and open burning. The concentrations detected in this study far exceed those reported previously in urban soil and sediment and are consistent with or exceed those reported in previous studies around e-waste processing facilities. Some of the highest PBDE concentrations reported to date (e.g. 390 000 ng g (-1) dw (∑ 14 PBDEs)) were found in a sample collected from a site used for open-burning of e-waste, while an average concentration of 220 000 ng g (-1) dw (∑ 14 PBDEs) occurred in sediments impacted by circuit board shredding. A decrease in PBDE concentrations observed with increasing distance from workshops in samples associated with acid processing of wastes provides evidence that such operations are a significant source of PBDEs to the environment. Principal components analysis reveals a complex PBDE congener distribution, suggesting contamination by two or even three commercial formulations consistent with the diverse range of wastes processed.

Human dietary intake of organohalogen contaminants at e-waste recycling sites in Eastern China.

PubMed

Labunska, Iryna; Abdallah, Mohamed Abou-Elwafa; Eulaers, Igor; Covaci, Adrian; Tao, Fang; Wang, Mengjiao; Santillo, David; Johnston, Paul; Harrad, Stuart

2015-01-01

This study reports concentrations and human dietary intake of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as selected "novel" brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) and organochlorine pesticides, in ten staple food categories. Samples were sourced from areas in Taizhou City, eastern China, where rudimentary recycling and disposal of e-waste is commonplace, as well as from nearby non-e-waste impacted control areas. In most instances, concentrations in foods from e-waste recycling areas exceeded those from control locations. Concentrations of 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB) and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TBP) in samples from e-waste sites were 3.09-62.2ng/g and 0.81-16.3ng/g lipid weight (lw), respectively; exceeding consistently those in foods acquired from control sites by an order of magnitude in many cases. In contrast, while concentrations of HBCD in some foods from e-waste impacted areas exceed those from control locations; concentrations in pork, shrimp, and duck liver are higher in control samples. This highlights the potential significance of non-e-waste sources of HBCD (e.g. building insulation foam) in our study areas. While concentrations of DDT in all foods examined except pork were higher in e-waste impacted samples than controls; our exposure estimates were well below the provisional tolerable daily intake of 0.01mg/kgbw/day derived by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues. Concentrations of ΣPCBs resulted in exposures (650 and 2340ng/kgbw/day for adults and children respectively) that exceed substantially the Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) for ΣPCBs of 20ng/kgbw/day derived by the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Moreover, when expressed in terms of dioxin-like toxicity equivalency based on the four dioxin-like PCBs monitored in this study (DL-PCBs) (PCB-105, 118, 156, and 167); concentrations in e-waste impacted foods exceed limits set by the European Union in

Do bird assemblages predict susceptibility by e-waste pollution? A comparative study based on species- and guild-dependent responses in China agroecosystems.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiang; Wu, Jiangping; Sun, Yuxin; Zhang, Min; Mai, Bixian; Mo, Ling; Lee, Tien Ming; Zou, Fasheng

2015-01-01

Indirect effects of electronic waste (e-waste) have been proposed as a causal factor in the decline of bird populations, but analyses of the severity impacts on community assembly are currently lacking. To explore how population abundance/species diversity are influenced, and which functional traits are important in determining e-waste susceptibility, here we surveyed breeding and overwintering birds with a hierarchically nested sampling design, and used linear mixed models to analyze changes in bird assemblages along an exposure gradient in South China. Total bird abundance and species diversity decreased with e-waste severity (exposed < surrounding < reference), reflecting the decreasing discharge and consequent side effects. Twenty-five breeding species exclusively used natural farmland, and nine species decreased significantly in relative abundance at e-waste polluted sites. A high pairwise similarity between exposed and surrounding sites indicates a diffuse effect of pollutants on the species assembly at local scale. We show that sensitivity to e-waste severity varies substantially across functional guild, with the prevalence of woodland insectivorous and grassland specialists declining, while some open farmland generalists such as arboreal frugivores, and terrestrial granivores were also rare. By contrast, the response of waterbirds, omnivorous and non-breeding visitors seem to be tolerable to a wide range of pollution so far. These findings underscore that improper e-waste dismantling results in a severe decline of bird diversity, and the different bird assemblages on polluted and natural farmlands imply species- and guild-dependent susceptibility with functional traits. Moreover, a better understanding of the impact of e-waste with different pollution levels, combined multiple pollutants, and in a food-web context on bird is required in future.

Do Bird Assemblages Predict Susceptibility by E-Waste Pollution? A Comparative Study Based on Species- and Guild-Dependent Responses in China Agroecosystems

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qiang; Wu, Jiangping; Sun, Yuxin; Zhang, Min; Mai, Bixian; Mo, Ling; Lee, Tien Ming; Zou, Fasheng

2015-01-01

Indirect effects of electronic waste (e-waste) have been proposed as a causal factor in the decline of bird populations, but analyses of the severity impacts on community assembly are currently lacking. To explore how population abundance/species diversity are influenced, and which functional traits are important in determining e-waste susceptibility, here we surveyed breeding and overwintering birds with a hierarchically nested sampling design, and used linear mixed models to analyze changes in bird assemblages along an exposure gradient in South China. Total bird abundance and species diversity decreased with e-waste severity (exposed < surrounding < reference), reflecting the decreasing discharge and consequent side effects. Twenty-five breeding species exclusively used natural farmland, and nine species decreased significantly in relative abundance at e-waste polluted sites. A high pairwise similarity between exposed and surrounding sites indicates a diffuse effect of pollutants on the species assembly at local scale. We show that sensitivity to e-waste severity varies substantially across functional guild, with the prevalence of woodland insectivorous and grassland specialists declining, while some open farmland generalists such as arboreal frugivores, and terrestrial granivores were also rare. By contrast, the response of waterbirds, omnivorous and non-breeding visitors seem to be tolerable to a wide range of pollution so far. These findings underscore that improper e-waste dismantling results in a severe decline of bird diversity, and the different bird assemblages on polluted and natural farmlands imply species- and guild-dependent susceptibility with functional traits. Moreover, a better understanding of the impact of e-waste with different pollution levels, combined multiple pollutants, and in a food-web context on bird is required in future. PMID:25811881

Risk mitigation by waste-based permeable reactive barriers for groundwater pollution control at e-waste recycling sites.

PubMed

Beiyuan, Jingzi; Tsang, Daniel C W; Yip, Alex C K; Zhang, Weihua; Ok, Yong Sik; Li, Xiang-Dong

2017-02-01

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) have proved to be a promising passive treatment to control groundwater contamination and associated human health risks. This study explored the potential use of low-cost adsorbents as PRBs media and assessed their longevity and risk mitigation against leaching of acidic rainfall through an e-waste recycling site, of which Cu, Zn, and Pb were the major contaminants. Batch adsorption experiments suggested a higher adsorption capacity of inorganic industrial by-products [acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) and coal fly ash (CFA)] and carbonaceous recycled products [food waste compost (FWC) and wood-derived biochar] compared to natural inorganic minerals (limestone and apatite). Continuous leaching tests of sand columns with 10 wt% low-cost adsorbents were then conducted to mimic the field situation of acidic rainfall infiltration through e-waste-contaminated soils (collected from Qingyuan, China) by using synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) solution. In general, Zn leached out first, followed by Cu, and finally delayed breakthrough of Pb. In the worst-case scenario (e.g., at initial concentrations equal to 50-fold of average SPLP result), the columns with limestone, apatite, AMDS, or biochar were effective for a relatively short period of about 20-40 pore volumes of leaching, after which Cu breakthrough caused non-cancer risk concern and later-stage Pb leaching considerably increased both non-cancer and lifetime cancer risk associated with portable use of contaminated water. In contrast, the columns with CFA or FWC successfully mitigated overall risks to an acceptable level for a prolonged period of 100-200 pore volumes. Therefore, with proper selection of low-cost adsorbents (or their mixture), waste-based PRBs is a technically feasible and economically viable solution to mitigate human health risk due to contaminated groundwater at e-waste recycling sites.

Spatial distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in soil and combusted residue at Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site in southeast China.

PubMed

Leung, Anna O W; Luksemburg, William J; Wong, Anthony S; Wong, Ming H

2007-04-15

Surface soils and combusted residue from a village located in southeast China, which has been intensely involved in the dismantling and "recycling" of computer parts (e-waste) for the past decade, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Total PBDE concentrations were highest in combusted residue of plastic chips and cables collected from a residential area (33,000-97,400 ng/g, dry wt), in soils from an acid leaching site (2720-4250 ng/g, dry wt), and a printer roller dump site (593-2890 ng/g, dry wt). BDE-209 was the most dominant congener (35-82%) among the study sites indicating the prevalence of commercial Deca-BDE, however signature congeners from commercial Penta- and Octa-BDE were also found. PCDD/F concentrations were also highest in soil from the acid leaching site (12,500-89,800 pg/g, 203-1100 pg WHO-TEQ/g, dry wt) and in combusted residue (13,500-25,300 pg/g, 84.3-174 pg WHO-TEQ/g, dry wt) and were comparable to PCDD/F levels of some open dumping sites in Asian developing countries. Of the e-waste activities, acid leaching and open burning emitted the highest concentrations of PBDEs and PCDD/Fs. This study is among the very few studies dealing with the important issue of pollution generated from crude e-waste recycling. Our results showthatthe crude processing of e-waste has become one of the major contributors of PBDEs and PCDD/Fs to the terrestrial environment.

Profiles, sources, and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils affected by electronic waste recycling in Longtang, south China.

PubMed

Huang, De-Yin; Liu, Chuan-Ping; Li, Fang-Bai; Liu, Tong-Xu; Liu, Cheng-Shuai; Tao, Liang; Wang, Yan

2014-06-01

We studied the profiles, possible sources, and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from the Longtang area, which is an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling center in south China. The sum of 16 PAH concentrations ranged from 25 to 4,300 ng/g (dry weight basis) in the following order: pond sediment sites (77 ng/g), vegetable fields (129 ng/g), paddy fields (180 ng/g), wastelands (258 ng/g), dismantling sites (678 ng/g), and former open burning sites (2,340 ng/g). Naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene were the dominant PAHs and accounted for approximately 75 % of the total PAHs. The similar composition characteristics of PAHs and the significant correlations among individual, low molecular weight, high molecular weight, and total PAHs were found in all six sampling site types, thus indicating that PAHs originated from similar sources. The results of both isomeric ratios and principal component analyses confirmed that PAHs were mainly derived from the incomplete combustion of e-waste. The former open burning sites and dismantling sites were the main sources of PAHs. Soil samples that were taken closer to the point sources had high PAH concentrations. PAHs are transported via different soil profiles, including those in agricultural fields, and have been detected not only in 0- to 40-cm-deep soil but also in 40 cm to 80 cm-deep soil. PAH concentrations in soils in Longtang have been strongly affected by primitive e-waste recycling, particularly by former open burning activities.

Technology for Waste Treatment at Remote Army Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

Management "AD-A.17 6 801 i echnology for Waste Treatment at Remote Army Sites by * Richard J. Scholze James E. Alleinan Steve R. Struss EdD. Smith This...62720 IA896 A 1039 IT TITLE (include Security Classification) Technology for Waste Treatment at Remote Army Sites (Unclassified) 12 PERSONAL...management human wastes 13 02 waste treatment remote sites I I wastes (sanitary engineering)~ 19 ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by

Evaluating and planning the radioactive waste options for dismantling the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rule, K.; Scott, J.; Larson, S.

1995-12-31

The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is a one-of-a kind tritium fusion research reactor, and is planned to be decommissioned within the next several years. This is the largest fusion reactor in the world and as a result of deuterium-tritum reactions is tritium contaminated and activated from 14 Mev neutrons. This presents many unusual challenges when dismantling, packaging and disposing its components and ancillary systems. Special containers are being designed to accommodate the vacuum vessel, neutral beams, and tritium delivery and processing systems. A team of experienced professionals performed a detailed field study to evaluate the requirements and appropriate methodsmore » for packaging the radioactive materials. This team focused on several current and innovative methods for waste minimization that provides the oppurtunmost cost effective manner to package and dispose of the waste. This study also produces a functional time-phased schedule which conjoins the waste volume, weight, costs and container requirements with the detailed project activity schedule for the entire project scope. This study and project will be the first demonstration of the decommissioning of a tritium fusion test reactor. The radioactive waste disposal aspects of this project are instrumental in demonstrating the viability of a fusion power reactor with regard to its environmental impact and ultimate success.« less

Spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil, sediment, and combusted residue at an e-waste processing site in southeast China.

PubMed

Leung, Anna O W; Cheung, Kwai Chung; Wong, Ming Hung

2015-06-01

The environmental pollution and health impacts caused by the primitive and crude recycling of e-waste have become urgent global issues. Guiyu, China is a major hotspot of e-waste recycling. In this study, the levels and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil in Guiyu were determined to investigate the effect of e-waste activities on the environment and to identify possible sources of these pollutants. Sediment samples from a local duck pond, water gullies, a river tributary, and combusted residue from e-waste burning sites were also investigated. The general trend found in soil (Σ16 PAHs) was acid leaching site > duck pond > rice field > printer roller dump site > reservoir (control site) and ranged from 95.2 ± 54.2 to 5,210 ± 89.6 ng/g (dry wt). The highest average total PAH concentrations were found in combusted residues of wires, cables, and other computer electrical components located at two e-waste open burning sites (18,600 and 10,800 ± 3,940 ng/g). These were 195- and 113-fold higher than the PAH concentrations of soil at the control site. Sediment PAH concentrations ranged from 37.2 ± 6 to 534 ± 271 ng/g. Results of this study provide further evidence of significant input of PAHs to the environment attributed to crude e-waste recycling.

Variation and distribution of metals and metalloids in soil/ash mixtures from Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Accra, Ghana.

PubMed

Itai, Takaaki; Otsuka, Masanari; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Muto, Mamoru; Opoku-Ankomah, Yaw; Ansa-Asare, Osmund Duodu; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2014-02-01

Illegal import and improper recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) are an environmental issue in developing countries around the world. African countries are no exception to this problem and the Agbogbloshie market in Accra, Ghana is a well-known e-waste recycling site. We have studied the levels of metal(loid)s in the mixtures of residual ash, formed by the burning of e-waste, and the cover soil, obtained using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (P-XRF) coupled with determination of the 1M HCl-extractable fraction by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The accuracy and precision of the P-XRF measurements were evaluated by measuring 18 standard reference materials; this indicated the acceptable but limited quality of this method as a screening tool. The HCl-extractable levels of Al, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, In, Sb, Ba, and Pb in 10 soil/ash mixtures varied by more than one order of magnitude. The levels of these metal(loid)s were found to be correlated with the color (i.e., soil/ash ratio), suggesting that they are being released from disposed e-waste via open burning. The source of rare elements could be constrained using correlation to the predominant metals. Human hazard quotient values based on ingestion of soil/ash mixtures exceeded unity for Pb, As, Sb, and Cu in a high-exposure scenario. This study showed that along with common metals, rare metal(loid)s are also enriched in the e-waste burning site. We suggest that risk assessment considering exposure to multiple metal(loid)s should be addressed in studies of e-waste recycling sites. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward a More Sustainable Trajectory for E-Waste Policy: A Review of a Decade of E-Waste Research in Accra, Ghana.

PubMed

Daum, Kurt; Stoler, Justin; Grant, Richard J

2017-01-29

Global flows of e-waste from the Global North to the Global South continue to damage local environments and harm human health. Weak e-waste regulations and limited use of safety measures for e-waste workers in Accra, Ghana, foster an exploitative environment within the industry, and pose health risks for those working and living near e-waste processing sites. This paper presents an integrated review of over 40 e-waste studies specific to Accra, with particular emphasis on the well-studied e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, and synthesizes the existing research base across interdisciplinary themes of human health, environmental health, globalization, trade and informalization, and public policy. Despite significant international attention to Accra's e-waste problem, loopholes within international environmental regulations and treaties provide few incentives and resources for Ghana to strengthen protections for human and environmental health. After a decade of e-waste research in Accra, the crisis continues to intensify; we present a renewed vision for sustainable e-waste policy reform in Ghana and beyond.

Toward a More Sustainable Trajectory for E-Waste Policy: A Review of a Decade of E-Waste Research in Accra, Ghana

PubMed Central

Daum, Kurt; Stoler, Justin; Grant, Richard J.

2017-01-01

Global flows of e-waste from the Global North to the Global South continue to damage local environments and harm human health. Weak e-waste regulations and limited use of safety measures for e-waste workers in Accra, Ghana, foster an exploitative environment within the industry, and pose health risks for those working and living near e-waste processing sites. This paper presents an integrated review of over 40 e-waste studies specific to Accra, with particular emphasis on the well-studied e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, and synthesizes the existing research base across interdisciplinary themes of human health, environmental health, globalization, trade and informalization, and public policy. Despite significant international attention to Accra’s e-waste problem, loopholes within international environmental regulations and treaties provide few incentives and resources for Ghana to strengthen protections for human and environmental health. After a decade of e-waste research in Accra, the crisis continues to intensify; we present a renewed vision for sustainable e-waste policy reform in Ghana and beyond. PMID:28146075

Factors influencing the atmospheric concentrations of PCBs at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Wu, Xiaowei; Hou, Minmin; Zhao, Hongxia; Chen, Ruize; Luo, Chunling; Zhang, Gan

2017-02-01

The diurnal atmospheric concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China during winter and summer. Total PCB concentrations during winter and summer were 27.6-212 and 368-1704pg/m 3 in the particulate phase and 270-697 and 3000-15,500pg/m 3 in the gaseous phase, respectively. Both gaseous and particulate PCB concentrations and compositions exhibited significant difference between winter and summer samples, but no diurnal variations during the measurement period. The correlation analysis between PCB concentrations and meteorological conditions, including atmospheric temperature, humidity, and mixing layer height, suggested that the seasonal variability of atmospheric PCB concentrations was strongly temperature-dependent, while the diurnal variability was probably source-dependent. The temperature-driven variations can also be proved by the significant linear correlation between ln P and 1/T in the Clausius-Clapeyron plot. Although government has implemented controls to reduce e-waste pollution, both the relatively high concentrations of PCBs and the diurnal variation in the air suggested that emissions from occasional e-waste recycling activities may still exist in this recycling area. These results underline the importance of continuing e-waste recycling site management long after abandonment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial assessment of potential ecological risk of heavy metals in soils from informal e-waste recycling in Ghana.

PubMed

Kyere, Vincent Nartey; Greve, Klaus; Atiemo, Sampson Manukure; Ephraim, James

2017-01-01

The rapidly increasing annual global volume of e-waste, and of its inherently valuable fraction, has created an opportunity for individuals in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana to make a living by using unconventional, uncontrolled, primitive and crude procedures to recycle and recover valuable metals from this waste. The current form of recycling procedures releases hazardous fractions, such as heavy metals, into the soil, posing a significant risk to the environment and human health. Using a handheld global positioning system, 132 soil samples based on 100 m grid intervals were collected and analysed for cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). Using geostatistical techniques and sediment quality guidelines, this research seeks to assess the potential risk these heavy metals posed to the proposed Korle Ecological Restoration Zone by informal e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. Analysis of heavy metals revealed concentrations exceeded the regulatory limits of both Dutch and Canadian soil quality and guidance values, and that the ecological risk posed by the heavy metals extended beyond the main burning and dismantling sites of the informal recyclers to the school, residential, recreational, clinic, farm and worship areas. The heavy metals Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn had normal distribution, spatial variability, and spatial autocorrelation. Further analysis revealed the decreasing order of toxicity, Hg>Cd>Pb> Cu>Zn>Cr, of contributing significantly to the potential ecological risk in the study area.

Spatial assessment of potential ecological risk of heavy metals in soils from informal e-waste recycling in Ghana

PubMed Central

Greve, Klaus; Atiemo, Sampson Manukure

2017-01-01

The rapidly increasing annual global volume of e-waste, and of its inherently valuable fraction, has created an opportunity for individuals in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana to make a living by using unconventional, uncontrolled, primitive and crude procedures to recycle and recover valuable metals from this waste. The current form of recycling procedures releases hazardous fractions, such as heavy metals, into the soil, posing a significant risk to the environment and human health. Using a handheld global positioning system, 132 soil samples based on 100 m grid intervals were collected and analysed for cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). Using geostatistical techniques and sediment quality guidelines, this research seeks to assess the potential risk these heavy metals posed to the proposed Korle Ecological Restoration Zone by informal e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. Analysis of heavy metals revealed concentrations exceeded the regulatory limits of both Dutch and Canadian soil quality and guidance values, and that the ecological risk posed by the heavy metals extended beyond the main burning and dismantling sites of the informal recyclers to the school, residential, recreational, clinic, farm and worship areas. The heavy metals Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn had normal distribution, spatial variability, and spatial autocorrelation. Further analysis revealed the decreasing order of toxicity, Hg>Cd>Pb> Cu>Zn>Cr, of contributing significantly to the potential ecological risk in the study area. PMID:29056034

Characterisation and materials flow management for waste electrical and electronic equipment plastics from German dismantling centres.

PubMed

Arends, Dagmar; Schlummer, Martin; Mäurer, Andreas; Markowski, Jens; Wagenknecht, Udo

2015-09-01

Waste electrical and electronic equipment is a complex waste stream and treatment options that work for one waste category or product may not be appropriate for others. A comprehensive case study has been performed for plastic-rich fractions that are treated in German dismantling centres. Plastics from TVs, monitors and printers and small household appliances have been characterised extensively. Based on the characterisation results, state-of-the-art treatment technologies have been combined to design an optimised recycling and upgrade process for each input fraction. High-impact polystyrene from TV casings that complies with the European directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) was produced by applying continuous density separation with yields of about 60%. Valuable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polycarbonate can be extracted from monitor and printer casings by near-infrared-based sorting. Polyolefins and/or a halogen-free fraction of mixed styrenics can be sorted out by density separation from monitors and printers and small household appliances. Emerging separation technologies are discussed to improve recycling results. © The Author(s) 2015.

Plant selective uptake of halogenated flame retardants at an e-waste recycling site in southern China.

PubMed

Wang, Shaorui; Wang, Yan; Luo, Chunling; Li, Jun; Yin, Hua; Zhang, Gan

2016-07-01

The concentrations and homolog patterns of halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in vegetables grown at an e-waste contaminated site were investigated. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were the dominant HFRs in vegetable tissues, with concentrations ranging from 10.3 to 164 ng g(-1) and 1.16-107 ng g(-1) in shoots and roots, respectively, followed by novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) and dechlorane plus (DPs). This is an indication that PBDE contamination in vegetables grown around e-waste recycling sites may pose a risk to the local terrestrial ecosystem and residents. In addition, this is the first report on the concentrations and compositions of NBFRs in vegetables around e-waste recycling sites. The HFRs concentrations in vegetables varied greatly with the vegetable species, with the highest concentrations observed in Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Root concentration factors (RCF) decreased with increasing log Kow of HFRs, which indicated that the uptake of HFRs was controlled mainly by log Kow. Dissimilar HFRs profiles in shoots and roots suggested that the uptake and translocation of HFRs by plants were selective, with lower halogenated congeners prone to accumulation in vegetable tissues. Positive relationships between PBDEs and their substitutes were observed in vegetable tissues, suggesting that the replacement of PBDEs by NBFRs has not resulted in an obvious transition in plants within the study area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

End-of-Life Vehicle Dismantling and Recycling Enterprises: Developing Directions in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lu; Chen, Ming

2013-08-01

End-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantling and recycling enterprises are the final disposer of the life-cycle process of vehicles. ELV collecting, dismantling technology, and waste disposal directly affect the recovery rate and the friendliness of vehicles toward the environment. China law stipulates that, by 2017, the recovery rate of vehicles should not be less than 95%, and the recycling rate of materials should not be less than 85%. Therefore, knowing the practical running state of such enterprises is needed. This study investigated four ELV dismantling and recycling enterprises in the Yangzi delta district in China and surveyed the ELV collecting, dismantling technology, policy implementation, and running difficulties. After the comparison with the developed countries, the relevant experiences were drawn, and effective measures were put forward to meet the aims stipulated in the law based on the current practical ELV market in China.

Children with health impairments by heavy metals in an e-waste recycling area.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiang; Xu, Xijin; Boezen, H Marike; Huo, Xia

2016-04-01

E-waste recycling has become a global environmental health issue. Pernicious chemicals escape into the environment due to informal and nonstandard e-waste recycling activities involving manual dismantling, open burning to recover heavy metals and open dumping of residual fractions. Heavy metals derived from electronic waste (e-waste), such as, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al) and cobalt (Co), differ in their chemical composition, reaction properties, distribution, metabolism, excretion and biological transmission. Our previous studies showed that heavy metal exposure have adverse effects on children's health including lower birth weight, lower anogenital distance, lower Apgar scores, lower current weight, lower lung function, lower hepatitis B surface antibody levels, higher prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and higher DNA and chromosome damage. Heavy metals influence a number of diverse systems and organs, resulting in both acute and chronic effects on children's health, ranging from minor upper respiratory irritation to chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, urinary and reproductive disease, as well as aggravation of pre-existing symptoms and disease. These effects of heavy metals on children's health are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human health risk assessment based on trace metals in suspended air particulates, surface dust, and floor dust from e-waste recycling workshops in Hong Kong, China.

PubMed

Lau, Winifred Ka Yan; Liang, Peng; Man, Yu Bon; Chung, Shan Shan; Wong, Ming Hung

2014-03-01

This study investigated health risks exerted on electronic waste (e-waste) recycling workers exposed to cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn) in Hong Kong. E-waste recycling workshops were classified into eight working areas: 1 = office, 2 = repair, 3 = dismantling, 4 = storage, 5 = desoldering, 6 = loading, 7 = cable shredding, and 8 = chemical waste. The aforementioned metal concentrations were analyzed in suspended air particulates, surface dust and floor dust collected from the above study areas in five workshops. Elevated Pb levels were measured in dismantling and desoldering areas (582 and 486 μg/100 cm(2) in surface and 3,610 and 19,172 mg/kg in floor dust, respectively). Blood lead levels of 10 and 39.5 μg/dl were estimated using United States Environmental Protection Agency's Adult Lead Model as a result of exposure to the floor dust from these two areas. Human health risk assessments were conducted to evaluate cancer and noncancer risks resulting from exposure to floor dust through the combined pathways of ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. Findings indicated that workers may be exposed to cancer risks above the acceptable range at 147 in a million at the 95th percentile in the dismantling area. Workers should be informed of associated risks to safeguard their health.

E-waste: the growing global problem and next steps.

PubMed

Heacock, Michelle; Kelly, Carol Bain; Suk, William A

2016-03-01

In many low- and middle-income countries, handling and disposal of discarded electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) is frequently unregulated. e-Waste contains hazardous constituents such as lead, mercury, and chromium, certain chemicals in plastics, and flame retardants. There is increasing concern about health effects related to contamination in air, soil, and water for people working and living at or near informal e-waste processing sites, especially to the most vulnerable populations, pregnant women and children. The observed adverse health effects and increasing number of e-waste sites make protecting human health and the environment from e-waste contamination an expanding challenge. Through international cooperation, awareness can be elevated about the harm that e-waste processing poses to human health. Here we discuss how international researchers, public health practitioners, and policymakers can employ solutions to reduce e-waste exposures.

[Polychlorinated biphenyls in house dust at an e-waste site and urban site in the Pearl River Delta, southern China: sources and human exposure and health risks].

PubMed

Zhu, Zhi-Cheng; Chen, She-Jun; Ding, Nan; Wang, Jing; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2014-08-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in house dust from an e-waste site and urban site in the Pearl River Delta, southern China. The PCB concentrations in house dust at the e-waste site ranged from 12.4 to 87 765 ng x g(-1), with an average of 10 167 ng x g(-1). There was no significant difference in the PCB concentrations between indoor and outdoor dust. The PCB homologue pattern was dominated by tri-, penta-, hexa-, and tetra-CBs, which was not similar to that in Chinese technical PCB product. There was also no significant difference in the PCB compositions between indoor and outdoor dust. PCB sources in house dust at the e-waste site were apportioned by chemical mass balance (CMB) model. The results showed that the PCBs were derived primarily from Aroclor 1262 (36.7% ), Aroclor 1254 (26.7%), Aroclor 1242 (21.4%), and Aroclor 1248 (18.5%). The daily exposure doses were 42, 17, and 2.9 ng x (kg x d)(-1) for toddlers, children/adolescents, and adults in the e-waste area, respectively. Risk assessment indicated that the hazard quotients were higher than 1 for toddlers and children/adolescents indicating adverse effects for them. The lifetime average excess carcinogenic risk for population in the e-waste area was 4.5 x 10(-5), within the acceptable range of U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. The mean concentrations of PCBs in house dust in Guangzhou was 48.7 ng x g(-1). The low PCB level is consistent with the fact that technical PCBs were not widely used in China in the past. The risks of exposure to PCBs via house dust in Guangzhou are very low.

Determination of the Extent of Trace Metals Pollution in Soils, Sediments and Human Hair at e-Waste Recycling Site in Ghana.

PubMed

Tokumaru, Takashi; Ozaki, Hirokazu; Onwona-Agyeman, Siaw; Ofosu-Anim, John; Watanabe, Izumi

2017-10-01

The concentrations of trace elements (Mg, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Tl, Pb, and Bi) in soils, sediment, human hair, and foodstuff collected around the electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites in Accra, Ghana were detected using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). High levels of Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, and Pb were observed in soils collected from the e-waste recycling sites. Four sequential extraction procedures were used to evaluate the mobility and bioavailability of metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Sb, and Pb). Especially, the results showed that Cd and Zn in soils were mostly recovered in exchangeable fraction (respectively 58.9 and 62.8%). Sediment collected from around the site had enrichment of Zn, Sn, Sb, Mo, In, Pb, and Bi. The concentrations of Cu, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Pb in human hair were significantly higher than those collected from the control site (p < 0.01). Additionally, hierarchical cluster analysis reviewed that these elements were derived from e-waste activities. The results of Pb isotopic ratios in the samples indicate that Pb in human hair possibly originated from contaminated soils, fish, and foodstuff.

Working conditions and environmental exposures among electronic waste workers in Ghana.

PubMed

Akormedi, Matthew; Asampong, Emmanuel; Fobil, Julius N

2013-01-01

To investigate and describe informal e-waste recycling and working conditions at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. We conducted in-depth interviews which were qualitatively analysed from a grounded theory perspective. Workers obtained e-waste from the various residential areas in Accra, then dismantled and burned them in open air to recover copper, aluminum, steel, and other products for sale to customers on-site or at the nearby Agbogbloshie market. The processers worked under unhealthy conditions often surrounded by refuse and human excreta without any form of protective gear and were thus exposed to frequent burns, cuts, and inhalation of highly contaminated fumes. We observed no form of social security/support system for the workers, who formed informal associations to support one another in times of difficulty. e-waste recycling working conditions were very challenging and presented serious hazards to worker health and wellbeing. Formalizing the e-waste processing activities requires developing a framework of sustainable financial and social security for the e-waste workers, including adoption of low-cost, socially acceptable, easy-to-operate, and cleaner technologies that would safeguard the health of the workers and the general public.

Hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase induction in the common kingfisher from an electronic waste recycling site.

PubMed

Wu, Jiang-Ping; Mo, Ling; Zhi, Hui; Peng, Ying; Tao, Lin; Ren, Zi-He; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2016-06-01

The health effects of exposure to electronic waste (e-waste)-derived pollutants are an important issue. The authors explored the association between the hepatic levels of e-waste-derived halogenated contaminants (including polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs], and polybrominated biphenyls [PBBs]) and hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) from an e-waste site and 2 reference sites in South China. The summed concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs, and PBBs ranged from 620 ng/g to 15 000 ng/g, 25 ng/g to 900 ng/g, and 14 ng/g to 49 ng/g wet weight, respectively, in the kingfishers from the e-waste site, and these values were significantly greater (2-3 orders of magnitude) than those obtained at the 2 reference sites. Correspondingly, significant hepatic EROD induction was observed in the kingfishers from the e-waste site compared with the reference sites. The EROD activity was significantly correlated to the levels of most of the PCB and PBDE congeners examined as well as PBB 153, suggesting that EROD induction may be evoked by these e-waste-derived pollutants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1594-1599. © 2015 SETAC. © 2015 SETAC.

Residue profiles of organohalogen compounds in human serum from e-waste recycling sites in North Vietnam: Association with thyroid hormone levels.

PubMed

Eguchi, Akifumi; Nomiyama, Kei; Minh Tue, Nguyen; Trang, Pham Thi Kim; Hung Viet, Pham; Takahashi, Shin; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2015-02-01

This study demonstrated the contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated PCBs (OH-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs), and bromophenols (BPhs), and their relationships with thyroid hormones (THs), in the serum of human donors from an e-waste recycling site and a rural site in Hung Yen province, Vietnam. Occupationally related exposure was indicated by significantly higher residue levels of PCBs, OH-PCBs, PBDEs, and BPhs in the serum of donors from the e-waste recycling site (median: 420, 160, 290, and 300pgg(-1) wet wt, respectively) than those in the serum of donors from the rural site (median: 290, 82, 230, and 200pgg(-)(1) wet wt, respectively). On the other hand, levels of OH-/MeO-PBDEs were significantly higher in serum of donors from the reference site (median: 160 and 20pgg(-1) wet wt, respectively) than in those from the e-waste recycling site (median: 43 and 0.52pgg(-1) wet wt, respectively). In addition, we implemented stepwise generalized linear models to assess the association between the levels of TH and PCBs, PBDEs, and their related compounds. In females, we found positive associations of PCBs and OH-PCB concentrations with total thyroxine, free thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, and free triiodothyronine, and a negative association with thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 61.62 - Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Section 61.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Financial Assurances § 61.62 Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization. (a) The... and stabilization, including: (1) Decontamination or dismantlement of land disposal facility...

10 CFR 61.62 - Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Section 61.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Financial Assurances § 61.62 Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization. (a) The... and stabilization, including: (1) Decontamination or dismantlement of land disposal facility...

10 CFR 61.62 - Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Section 61.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Financial Assurances § 61.62 Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization. (a) The... and stabilization, including: (1) Decontamination or dismantlement of land disposal facility...

10 CFR 61.62 - Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Section 61.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Financial Assurances § 61.62 Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization. (a) The... and stabilization, including: (1) Decontamination or dismantlement of land disposal facility...

10 CFR 61.62 - Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Section 61.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Financial Assurances § 61.62 Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization. (a) The... and stabilization, including: (1) Decontamination or dismantlement of land disposal facility...

NEVADA TEST SITE WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, NEVADA SITE OFFICE

This document establishes the U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive and mixed waste for disposal. Mixed waste generated within the State of Nevada by NNSA/NSO activities is accepted for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the Nevada Test Site Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site for storage or disposal.

Environmental contamination and human exposure to dioxin-related compounds in e-waste recycling sites of developing countries.

PubMed

Tue, Nguyen Minh; Takahashi, Shin; Subramanian, Annamalai; Sakai, Shinichi; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2013-07-01

E-waste recycling using uncontrolled processes is a major source of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs), including not only the regulated polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) but also non-regulated brominated and mixed halogenated compounds (PBDD/Fs and PXDD/Fs). Various studies at informal e-waste recycling sites (EWRSs) in Asian developing countries found the soil contamination levels of PCDD/Fs from tens to ten thousand picogram TCDD-equivalents (TEQ) per gram and those of DL-PCBs up to hundreds of picogram TEQ per gram. The air concentration of PCDD/Fs was reported as high as 50 pg TEQ per m(3) in Guiyu, the largest Chinese EWRS. Non-regulated compounds also contributed substantially to the total DL toxicity of the DRC mixtures from e-waste, as evidenced by the high TEQ levels estimated for the currently identifiable PBDD/Fs as well as the large portion of unexplained bioassay-derived TEQ levels in soils/dusts from EWRSs. Considering the high exposure levels estimated for EWRS residents, especially children, comprehensive emission inventories of DRCs from informal e-waste recycling, the identities and toxic potencies of unidentified DRCs released, and their impacts on human health need to be investigated in future studies.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus sp. GZT, a 2,4,6-Tribromophenol-Degrading Strain Isolated from the River Sludge of an Electronic Waste-Dismantling Region

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhishu; Li, Guiying; Das, Ranjit

2016-01-01

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Bacillus sp. strain GZT, a 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP)-degrading bacterium previously isolated from an electronic waste-dismantling region. The draft genome sequence is 5.18 Mb and has a G+C content of 35.1%. This is the first genome report of a brominated flame retardant-degrading strain. PMID:27257197

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in floor and road dust from a manual e-waste dismantling facility and adjacent communities in Thailand.

PubMed

Muenhor, Dudsadee; Moon, Hyo-Bang; Lee, Sunggyu; Goosey, Emma

2017-12-06

This study characterizes concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in floor and road dust from a manual e-waste dismantling facility and adjacent communities in Thailand. Levels of Σ22 PBDEs in floor dust from the facility varied between 1,200 and 43,000 ng g -1 , whereas those from adjacent communities were in the range 6.6-2,200 ng g -1 . Concentrations of Σ22 PBDEs (43,000 ng g -1 ) were highest in floor dust collected from the facility. Levels of Σ22 PBDEs and all congeners studied, except for BDE-66, BDE-71, BDE-85, BDE-119, BDE-138, BDE-190 and BDE-191 in facility dust were significantly greater than those in residential dust (P = <0.001-0.017). Moreover, PBDE contents decreased with increasing distance from the facility, revealing that the facility may represent a principal source of PBDEs to the surrounding environment. Levels of Σ22 PBDEs in road dust from the facility varied from 27 to 21,000 ng g -1 , while those from the adjacent residences were about 5.4-63 ng g -1 . Concentrations of Σ22 PBDEs (21,000 ng g -1 ) were highest in road dust taken at the facility. The PBDE congener profile for floor dust from the facility was dominated by BDEs 28, 47 and 209, whereas domestic floor dust was predominated by BDEs 206 and 209. Under various scenarios of occupational and environmental exposure to BDE-99 and BDE-209, workers in the facility as well as adults and children in the adjacent communities were exposed below the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)'s reference doses (RfDs) for BDE-99 (100 ng/kg bw/day) and BDE-209 (7,000 ng/kg bw/day).

Systems and methods for dismantling a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Heim, Robert R; Adams, Scott Ryan; Cole, Matthew Denver; Kirby, William E; Linnebur, Paul Damon

2014-10-28

Systems and methods for dismantling a nuclear reactor are described. In one aspect the system includes a remotely controlled heavy manipulator ("manipulator") operatively coupled to a support structure, and a control station in a non-contaminated portion of a workspace. The support structure provides the manipulator with top down access into a bioshield of a nuclear reactor. At least one computing device in the control station provides remote control to perform operations including: (a) dismantling, using the manipulator, a graphite moderator, concrete walls, and a ceiling of the bioshield, the manipulator being provided with automated access to all internal portions of the bioshield; (b) loading, using the manipulator, contaminated graphite blocks from the graphite core and other components from the bioshield into one or more waste containers; and (c) dispersing, using the manipulator, dust suppression and contamination fixing spray to contaminated matter.

Health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via fish consumption in Haimen bay (China), downstream of an e-waste recycling site (Guiyu).

PubMed

Shi, Jingchun; Zheng, Gene Jin-Shu; Wong, Ming-Hung; Liang, Hong; Li, Yuelin; Wu, Yinglin; Li, Ping; Liu, Wenhua

2016-05-01

Guiyu, China has been one of the largest e-waste recycling sites of the world for more than 20 years. Abundant data show that local dwellers there suffered from severe health risks from e-waste contaminants. In this study, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used as candidates to test the contamination levels and their possible adverse effects on residents in Haimen Bay, the estuary of Lian River (less than 30km from Guiyu), which has been totally neglected. The concentrations of 16PAHs were determined in collected marine fish with a median ΣPAH concentration of 1478ng/g (wet weight), and the contamination may be mainly influenced by Lian River runoff, specifically from Guiyu. The lifetime excess cancer risk for local dwellers was much higher than the serious risk level (10(-4)). More seriously, outflows of PAHs from the e-waste recycling site (Guiyu) seemed to exert health risks of a much larger scale of population downstream. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On-site or off-site treatment of medical waste: a challenge

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Treating hazardous-infectious medical waste can be carried out on-site or off-site of health-care establishments. Nevertheless, the selection between on-site and off-site locations for treating medical waste sometimes is a controversial subject. Currently in Iran, due to policies of Health Ministry, the hospitals have selected on-site-treating method as the preferred treatment. The objectives of this study were to assess the current condition of on-site medical waste treatment facilities, compare on-site medical waste treatment facilities with off-site systems and find the best location of medical waste treatment. To assess the current on-site facilities, four provinces (and 40 active hospitals) were selected to participate in the survey. For comparison of on-site and off-site facilities (due to non availability of an installed off-site facility) Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed. The result indicated that most on-site medical waste treating systems have problems in financing, planning, determining capacity of installations, operation and maintenance. AHP synthesis (with inconsistency ratio of 0.01 < 0.1) revealed that, in total, the off-site treatment of medical waste was in much higher priority than the on-site treatment (64.1% versus 35.9%). According to the results of study it was concluded that the off-site central treatment can be considered as an alternative. An amendment could be made to Iran’s current medical waste regulations to have infectious-hazardous waste sent to a central off-site installation for treatment. To begin and test this plan and also receive the official approval, a central off-site can be put into practice, at least as a pilot in one province. Next, if it was practically successful, it could be expanded to other provinces and cities. PMID:24739145

Waste management strategy for cost effective and environmentally friendly NPP decommissioning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Per Lidar; Arne Larsson; Niklas Bergh

2013-07-01

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants generates large volumes of radioactive or potentially radioactive waste. The proper management of the dismantling waste plays an important role for the time needed for the dismantling phase and thus is critical to the decommissioning cost. An efficient and thorough process for inventorying, characterization and categorization of the waste provides a sound basis for the planning process. As part of comprehensive decommissioning studies for Nordic NPPs, Westinghouse has developed the decommissioning inventories that have been used for estimations of the duration of specific work packages and the corresponding costs. As part of creating the designmore » basis for a national repository for decommissioning waste, the total production of different categories of waste packages has also been predicted. Studsvik has developed a risk based concept for categorization and handling of the generated waste using six different categories with a span from extremely small risk for radiological contamination to high level waste. The two companies have recently joined their skills in the area of decommissioning on selected market in a consortium named ndcon to further strengthen the proposed process. Depending on the risk for radiological contamination or the radiological properties and other properties of importance for waste management, treatment routes are proposed with well-defined and proven methods for on-site or off-site treatment, activity determination and conditioning. The system is based on a graded approach philosophy aiming for high confidence and sustainability, aiming for re-use and recycling where found applicable. The objective is to establish a process where all dismantled material has a pre-determined treatment route. These routes should through measurements, categorization, treatment, conditioning, intermediate storage and final disposal be designed to provide a steady, un-disturbed flow of material to avoid interruptions

Application for a Permit to Operate a Class III Solid Waste Disposal Site at the Nevada Test Site Area 5 Asbestiform Low-Level Solid Waste Disposal Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Programs

''Management Plan for the Disposal of Low-Level Waste with Regulated Asbestos Waste.'' A requirement of the authorization was that on or before October 9, 1999, a permit was required to be issued. Because of NDEP and NNSA/NSO review cycles, the final permit was issued on April 5, 2000, for the operation of the Area 5 Low-Level Waste Disposal Site, utilizing Pit 7 (P07) as the designated disposal cell. The original permit applied only to Pit 7, with a total design capacity of 5,831 cubic yards (yd{sup 3}) (157,437 cubic feet [ft{sup 3}]). NNSA/NSO is expanding the SWDS to include the adjacent Upper Cell of Pit 6 (P06), with an additional capacity of 28,037 yd{sup 3} (756,999 ft{sup 3}) (Figure 3). The proposed total capacity of ALLW in Pit 7 and P06 will be approximately 33,870 yd{sup 3} (0.9 million ft{sup 3}). The site will be used for the disposal of regulated ALLW, small quantities of low-level radioactive hydrocarbon-burdened (LLHB) media and debris, LLW, LLW that contains PCB Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water, and small quantities of LLHB demolition and construction waste (hereafter called permissible waste). Waste containing free liquids, or waste that is regulated as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or state-of-generation hazardous waste regulations, will not be accepted for disposal at the site. The only waste regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that will be accepted at the disposal site is regulated asbestos-containing materials (RACM). The term asbestiform is used throughout this document to describe this waste. Other TSCA waste (i.e., polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs]) will not be accepted for disposal at the SWDS. The disposal site will be used as a depository of permissible waste generated both on site and off site. All generators designated by NNSA/NSO will be eligible to dispose regulated ALLW at the Asbestiform Low

Organohalogen pollutants in surface particulates from workshop floors of four major e-waste recycling sites in China and implications for emission lists.

PubMed

Zeng, Yan-Hong; Tang, Bin; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Zheng, Xiao-Bo; Peng, Ping-An; Mai, Bi-Xian

2016-11-01

To examine the environmental pollution associated with e-waste recycling activities, the concentrations of organohologenated pollutants (OHPs), i.e., short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and several other halogenated flame retardants (OHFRs), were investigated in surface particulates from the workshop floors of four major e-waste recycling sites (Taizhou, Guiyu, Dali and Qingyuan) in China. The mean levels of SCCPs, MCCPs, PCBs, PBDEs and OHFRs in surface particulates ranged from 30,000-61,000, 170,000-890,000, 2700-27,000, 52,000-240,000, and 62,000-140,000ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. OHFRs, including decabromodiphenyl ethane, dechlorane plus, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane, tetrabromobisphenol A, hexabromocyclododecanes, polybrominated biphenyls, hexabromobenzene, pentabromotoluene, and pentabromoethylbenzene, were frequently (>50% detection frequency) detected in surface particulates with mean concentration ranges of 39,000-63,000, 310-2700, 98-16,000, 21,000-56,000, 55-5700, 1700-27,000, 42-1600, 3.2-220, and 5.8-12ng/g dw, respectively. The composition of OHPs varied depend on the e-waste items processing in different regions. Guiyu and Dali were typical sites contaminated by halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and CPs, respectively, while Qingyuan, and Taizhou were representative PCB-polluted regions. The evidence produced by this preliminary study indicated that electronic devices and plastics may account for the high content of HFRs and the metal products are likely the major source of CPs in these e-waste sites. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hanford Site Solid Waste Acceptance Criteria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-11-17

This manual defines the Hanford Site radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste acceptance criteria. Criteria in the manual represent a guide for meeting state and federal regulations; DOE Orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to acceptance of radioactive and hazardous solid waste at the Hanford Site. It is not the intent of this manual to be all inclusive of the regulations; rather, it is intended that the manual provide the waste generator with only the requirements that waste must meet in order to be accepted at Hanford Site TSD facilities.

Determination of Background Concentrations of Inorganics in Soils and Sediments at Hazardous Waste Sites

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this paper is to provide RPMs and others investigating hazardous waste sites a summary of the technical issues that need to be considered when determining if a site (i.e., hazardous waste site/area of concern) has elevated levels of ...

Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shearer, Jeffrey P.

2012-02-29

The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2012 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3389 sites and 540 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shearer, Jeffrey P.

2014-02-19

The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3438 sites and 569 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shearer, Jeffrey P.

2013-02-13

The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of themore » 3427 sites and 564 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.« less

Siting process for disposal site of low level radiactive waste in Thailand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamkate, P.; Sriyotha, P.; Thiengtrongjit, S.

The radioactive waste in Thailand is composed of low level waste from the application of radioisotopes in medical treatment and industry, the operation of the 2 MW TRIGA Mark III Research Reactor and the production of radioisotopes at OAEP. In addition, the high activity of sealed radiation sources i.e. Cs-137 Co-60 and Ra-226 are also accumulated. Since the volume of treated waste has been gradually increased, the general needs for a repository become apparent. The near surface disposal method has been chosen for this aspect. The feasibility study on the underground disposal site has been done since 1982. The sitemore » selection criteria have been established, consisting of the rejection criteria, the technical performance criteria and the economic criteria. About 50 locations have been picked for consideration and 5 candidate sites have been selected and subsequent investigated. After thoroughly investigation, a definite location in Ratchburi Province, about 180 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, has been selected as the most suitable place for the near surface disposal of radioactive waste in Thailand.« less

Spatial distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans (PCDDs/Fs) in dust, soil, sediment and health risk assessment from an intensive electronic waste recycling site in Southern China.

PubMed

Hu, Jianfang; Xiao, Xiao; Peng, Ping'an; Huang, Weilin; Chen, Deyi; Cai, Ying

2013-10-01

Workshop dust, soil and sediment samples were collected to investigate the level and spatial distribution of PCDDs/Fs at an intensive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site in Southern China, and also to characterize the dioxin emission in different e-waste recycling procedures. The concentrations of total PCDDs/Fs ranged from 1866 to 234292 ng kg(-1) for the dust samples, from 3187 to 63998 ng kg(-1) dry wt for the top soils, and 33718 ng kg(-1) for the surface sediment. All the samples were characterized by abnormally high concentrations of OCDD and an extremely low portion of PCDFs. Different e-waste recycling procedures may generate different congener profiles. Open burning and dismantling were the two procedures emitting relatively higher concentrations of PCDDs/Fs in this case, indicating that low-tech recycling operations were one of the major contributors of PCDDs/Fs to the environment. The variation and distinction of the concentrations and homologue/congener profiles among different environmental matrices reveal the characteristics of contaminant environmental behavior and fate during the transportation from "source" to "sink". Daily intake of PCDDs/Fs through soil ingestion and dermal absorption was negligible, but the rough estimated total PCDD/F intake dose far exceeded the tolerance daily intake value of 4 pg-TEQ per kg per day recommended by WHO, indicating that residents in Longtang were at a high risk of exposure to dioxins, especially children.

Size-dependent distribution and inhalation cancer risk of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a typical e-waste recycling and an urban site.

PubMed

Luo, Pei; Bao, Lian-Jun; Li, Shao-Meng; Zeng, Eddy Y

2015-05-01

Atmospheric particle size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a typical e-waste recycling zone and an urban site (Guangzhou) in southern China featured a unimodal peak in 0.56-1.8 μm for 4-6 ring PAHs but no obvious peak for 2-3 ring PAHs at both sites. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of PAHs were estimated at 5.4 ± 2.3 μg m(-2) d(-1) in the e-waste recycling zone and 3.1 ± 0.6 μg m(-2) d(-1) in Guangzhou. In addition, dry and wet deposition fluxes of PAHs were dominated by coarse (Dp > 1.8 μm) and fine particles (Dp < 1.8 μm), respectively. Fine particles predominated the deposition of PAHs in the lung. The results estimated by incremental inhalation cancer risk suggested that particle-bound PAHs posed serious threat to human health within the e-waste recycling zone and Guangzhou. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The major components of particles emitted during recycling of waste printed circuit boards in a typical e-waste workshop of South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Xinhui; Simoneit, Bernd R. T.; Wang, ZhenZhen; Wang, Xinming; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2010-11-01

Electronic waste from across the world is dismantled and disposed of in China. The low-tech recycling methods have caused severe air pollution. Air particle samples from a typical workshop of South China engaged in recycling waste printed circuit boards have been analyzed with respect to chemical constituents. This is the first report on the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) emitted in an e-waste recycling workshop of South China. The results show that the composition of PM from this recycling process was totally different from other emission sources. Organic matter comprised 46.7-51.6% of the PM. The major organic constituents were organophosphates consisting mainly of triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and its methyl substituted compounds, methyl esters of hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids, levoglucosan and bisphenol A. TPP and bisphenol A were present at 1-5 orders of magnitude higher than in other indoor and outdoor environments throughout the world, which implies that they might be used as potential markers for e-waste recycling. The elemental carbon, inorganic elements and ions had a minor contribution to the PM (<5% each). The inorganic elements were dominated by phosphorus and followed by crustal elements and metal elements Pb, Zn, Sn, and lesser Cu, Sb, Mn, Ni, Ba and Cd. The recycling of printed circuit boards was demonstrated as an important contributor of heavy metal contamination, particularly Cd, Pb and Ni, to the local environment. These findings suggest that this recycling method represents a strong source of PM associated with pollutants to the ambient atmosphere of an e-waste recycling locale.

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) Waste Stream at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shott, Gregory

This special analysis (SA) evaluates whether the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Waste Associated with the Unirradiated Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) waste stream (INEL167203QR1, Revision 0) is suitable for shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Disposal of the INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated LWBR waste meets all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Manual DOE M 435.1-1, “Radioactive Waste Management Manual,” Chapter IV, Section P performance objectives (DOE 1999). The INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated LWBR waste stream is recommended for acceptance with the conditionmore » that the total uranium-233 ( 233U) inventory be limited to 2.7E13 Bq (7.2E2 Ci).« less

Characterization of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans (PBDDs/Fs) in environmental matrices from an intensive electronic waste recycling site, South China.

PubMed

Xiao, Xiao; Hu, Jianfang; Peng, Ping'an; Chen, Deyi; Bi, Xinhui

2016-05-01

Information on environmental distribution and human exposures of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans (PBDDs/Fs) are little reported. In the present study, workshop dust, soil and sediment samples from Longtang and Shijiao, the intensive e-waste recycling sites within Qingyuan City, southern China, were collected and analyzed following the standard method. PBDD/F concentrations (sum of eight 2378-substituted PBDD/F congeners) in different environmental matrices were in the range of 122-4667 ng kg(-1) dry wt (dw) for workshop dust, 19.6-3793 ng kg(-1) dw for the top soils, and 527 ng kg(-1) dw for the surface sediment, which were substantially higher than those of reference sites. The long-distance transport of PBDDs/Fs also impacted the adjacent areas. Contribution of the most two toxic congeners (2,3,7,8-TBDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PeBDD) to the total toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) increased significantly from "source" (dust) to "sink" (sediment). Dismantling and open burning were the two procedures contributing relatively higher level PBDDs/Fs to the atmosphere, while acid leaching would contaminate soils and waters directly. The estimated daily intakes of eight PBDD/F congeners via soil/dust ingestion and dermal absorption for local residents were higher than those contributed by seventeen PCDD/F congeners in the same set of samples. Children and e-waste processing workers were the most affected groups by the low-tech recycling activities there. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Environmental risk assessment of CRT and PCB workshops in a mobile e-waste recycling plant.

PubMed

Song, Qingbin; Zeng, Xianlai; Li, Jinhui; Duan, Huabo; Yuan, Wenyi

2015-08-01

The mobile e-waste recycling equipment was chosen as the object of this study, including manual dismantling, mechanical separation of cathode ray tubes (CRTs), and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the two independent workshops. To determine the potential environmental contamination, the noise, the heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb), and the environmental impacts of the e-waste recycling processes in the two workshops of the mobile plant have been evaluated in this paper. This study determined that when control measures are employed, the noise within the two workshops (<80 dB) will meet the national standards. In the CRT workshop, Pb was the most polluting metal, with 2.3 μg/m(3) and 10.53 mg/g in the air and floor dust, respectively. The result of a health risk assessment shows that noncancerous effects are possible for Pb (hazard index (HI) = 3.54 in the CRT workshop and HI = 1.27 in the PCB workshop). The carcinogenic risks to workers for Cd are relatively light in both the workshops. From the results of life cycle assessment (LCA), it can be seen that there was an environmental benefit from the e-waste recycling process as a whole.

The assessment of source attribution of soil pollution in a typical e-waste recycling town and its surrounding regions using the combined organic and inorganic dataset.

PubMed

Luo, Jie; Qi, Shihua; Xie, Xianming; Gu, X W Sophie; Wang, Jinji

2017-01-01

Guiyu is a well-known electronic waste dismantling and recycling town in south China. Concentrations and distribution of the 21 mineral elements and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) collected there were evaluated. Principal component analyses (PCA) applied to the data matrix of PAHs in the soil extracted three major factors explaining 85.7% of the total variability identified as traffic emission, coal combustion, and an unidentified source. By using metallic or metalloid element concentrations as variables, five principal components (PCs) were identified and accounted for 70.4% of the information included in the initial data matrix, which can be denoted as e-waste dismantling-related contamination, two different geological origins, anthropogenic influenced source, and marine aerosols. Combining the 21 metallic and metalloid element datasets with the 16 PAH concentrations can narrow down the coarse source and decrease the unidentified contribution to soil in the present study and therefore effectively assists the source identification process.

A review on human health consequences of metals exposure to e-waste in China.

PubMed

Song, Qingbin; Li, Jinhui

2015-01-01

As the world's the largest dumping ground for e-waste, much of the population in China is exposed to heavy metals due to informal e-waste recycling processes. We reviewed recent studies on body burdens and human health effects of heavy metals from the major e-waste recycling sites in China. The results showed that the residents in the e-waste recycling sites are facing a potential higher daily intake of heavy metals. Moreover, heavy metals had entered subjects' bodies (the collected 5 tissue samples). Additionally,individual exposure to heavy metals in e-waste has also caused negative health outcomes,especially in neonates and children. We also recorded plausible outcomes associated with exposure to e wast (to heavy metals). A precautionary approach toward exposure, especially in neonates and children, therefore seems warranted.

2002 Hyperspectral Analysis of Hazardous Waste Sites on the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gladden, J.B.

2003-08-28

Hazardous waste site inspection is a labor intensive, time consuming job, performed primarily on the ground using visual inspection and instrumentation. It is an expensive process to continually monitor hazardous waste and/or landfill sites to determine if they are maintaining their integrity. In certain instances, it may be possible to monitor aspects of the hazardous waste sites and landfills remotely. The utilization of multispectral data was suggested for the mapping of clays and iron oxides associated with contaminated groundwater, vegetation stress, and methane gas emissions (which require longer wavelength detectors). The Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, S.C. is amore » United States Department of Energy facility operated by the Westinghouse Savannah River Company. For decades the SRS was responsible for developing weapons grade plutonium and other materials for the nation's nuclear defense. Hazardous waste was generated during this process. Waste storage site inspection is a particularly important issue at the SRS because there are over 100 hazardous waste sites scattered throughout the 300 mile complex making it difficult to continually monitor all of the facilities. The goal is to use remote sensing technology to identify surface anomalies on the hazardous waste sites as early as possible so that remedial work can take place rapidly to maintain the integrity of the storage sites. The anomalous areas are then targeted for intensive in situ human examination and measurement. During the 1990s, many of the hazardous waste sites were capped with protective layers of polyethelene sheeting and soil, and planted with bahia grass and/or centipede grass. This research investigated hyperspectral remote sensing technology to determine if it can be used to measure accurately and monitor possible indicators of change on vegetated hazardous waste sites. Specifically, it evaluated the usefulness of hyperspectral remote sensing to assess the condition of vegetation

High levels of antimony in dust from e-waste recycling in southeastern China.

PubMed

Bi, Xiangyang; Li, Zhonggen; Zhuang, Xiaochun; Han, Zhixuan; Yang, Wenlin

2011-11-01

Environmental contamination due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling is an emerging global issue. Antimony (Sb) is a toxic element used in semiconductor components and flame retardants for circuit board within electronic equipment. When e-waste is recycled, Sb is released and contaminates the surrounding environment; however, few studies have characterized the extent of this problem. In this study, we investigated Sb and arsenic (As) distributions in indoor dust from 13 e-waste recycling villages in Guiyu, Guangdong Province, southeastern China. Results revealed significantly elevated concentrations of Sb (6.1-232 mg/kg) in dust within all villages, which were 3.9-147 times higher than those from the non e-waste sites, indicating e-waste recycling was an important source of Sb pollution. On the contrary, As concentrations (5.4-17.7 mg/kg) in e-waste dusts were similar to reference values from the control sites. Therefore, dusts emitted from e-waste recycling may be characterized by high Sb/As ratios, which may help identify the contamination due to the e-waste recycling activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First time description of dismantling phenomenon

PubMed Central

Barrer, Laurence; Gimenez, Guy

2015-01-01

Dismantling is a complex psychic phenomenon, which is not easy to define, and little interest has been shown in the subject. The authors of this paper want to demonstrate that dismantling is the main defense mechanism in autism, bringing about de-consensus of senses. The effects perceived in a child with autistic disorder are passivity and lack of thought. The authors’ purpose here is to define the dismantled state and reveal its underlying process. This paper will therefore describe for the first time in literature, the dismantling phenomenon and will submit a metapsychological approach of this defense mechanism. PMID:25999871

Heavy metal contamination of soil and water in the vicinity of an abandoned e-waste recycling site: implications for dissemination of heavy metals.

PubMed

Wu, Qihang; Leung, Jonathan Y S; Geng, Xinhua; Chen, Shejun; Huang, Xuexia; Li, Haiyan; Huang, Zhuying; Zhu, Libin; Chen, Jiahao; Lu, Yayin

2015-02-15

Illegal e-waste recycling activity has caused heavy metal pollution in many developing countries, including China. In recent years, the Chinese government has strengthened enforcement to impede such activity; however, the heavy metals remaining in the abandoned e-waste recycling site can still pose ecological risk. The present study aimed to investigate the concentrations of heavy metals in soil and water in the vicinity of an abandoned e-waste recycling site in Longtang, South China. Results showed that the surface soil of the former burning and acid-leaching sites was still heavily contaminated with Cd (>0.39 mg kg(-1)) and Cu (>1981 mg kg(-1)), which exceeded their respective guideline levels. The concentration of heavy metals generally decreased with depth in both burning site and paddy field, which is related to the elevated pH and reduced TOM along the depth gradient. The pond water was seriously acidified and contaminated with heavy metals, while the well water was slightly contaminated since heavy metals were mostly retained in the surface soil. The use of pond water for irrigation resulted in considerable heavy metal contamination in the paddy soil. Compared with previous studies, the reduced heavy metal concentrations in the surface soil imply that heavy metals were transported to the other areas, such as pond. Therefore, immediate remediation of the contaminated soil and water is necessary to prevent dissemination of heavy metals and potential ecological disaster. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application for a Permit to Operate a Class III Solid Waste Disposal Site at the Nevada National Security Site Area 5 Asbestiform Low-Level Solid Waste Disposal Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Programs

2010-10-04

The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is located approximately 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) is the federal lands management authority for the NNSS and National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec) is the Management and Operations contractor. Access on and off the NNSS is tightly controlled, restricted, and guarded on a 24-hour basis. The NNSS is posted with signs along its entire perimeter. NSTec is the operator of all solid waste disposal sites on the NNSS. The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) ismore » the location of the permitted facility for the Solid Waste Disposal Site (SWDS). The Area 5 RWMS is located near the eastern edge of the NNSS (Figure 1), approximately 26 km (16 mi) north of Mercury, Nevada. The Area 5 RWMS is used for the disposal of low-level waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste. Many areas surrounding the RWMS have been used in conducting nuclear tests. The site will be used for the disposal of regulated Asbestiform Low-Level Waste (ALLW), small quantities of low-level radioactive hydrocarbon-burdened (LLHB) media and debris, LLW, LLW that contains Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water, and small quantities of LLHB demolition and construction waste (hereafter called permissible waste). Waste containing free liquids, or waste that is regulated as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or state-of-generation hazardous waste regulations, will not be accepted for disposal at the site. Waste regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that will be accepted at the disposal site is regulated asbestos-containing materials (RACM) and PCB Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water. The term

Existing data on the 216-Z liquid waste sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Owens, K.W.

1981-05-01

During 36 years of operation at the Hanford Site, the ground has been used for disposal of liquid and solid transuranic and/or low-level wastes. Liquid waste was disposed in surface and subsurface cribs, trenches, French drains, reverse wells, ditches and ponds. Disposal structures associated with Z Plant received liquid waste from plutonium finishing and reclamation, waste treatment and laboratory operations. The nineteen 216-Z sites have received 83% of the plutonium discharged to 325 liquid waste facilities at the Hanford Site. The purpose of this document is to support the Hanford Defense Waste Environmental Impact Statement by drawing the existing datamore » together for the 216-Z liquid waste disposal sites. This document provides an interim reference while a sitewide Waste Information Data System (WIDS) is developed and put on line. Eventually these and additional site data for all Hanford waste disposal sites will be available on WIDS. Compilation of existing data is the first step in evaluating the need and developing the technology for long-term management of these waste sites. The scope of this document is confined to data describing the status of the 216-Z waste sites as of December 31, 1979. Information and sketches are taken from existing documents and drawings.« less

Comparison of ship dismantling processes in India and the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahluwalia, Rashpal S.; Sibal, Pooja; Govindarajulu, Sriram

2004-03-01

This paper compares ship-dismantling processes in India and the U.S. The information for India was collected during an informal visit to the ship dismantling sites in Alang, India. The information for the U.S. was obtained from the MARAD report. For a 10,000-ton passenger ship, the Indian contractor makes a profit of about 24% compared to a loss of about 15% in the U.S. The loss in the US is primarily due to high labor costs, compliance to safety and health regulations and lack of market for used components and scrap metal.

Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 2, Generator dangerous waste report, radioactive mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-12-31

This report contains information on radioactive mixed wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, waste designation, weight, and waste designation.

E-Waste and the Sustainable Organisation: Griffith University's Approach to E-Waste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Georgina; Wolski, Malcolm

2009-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to provide details of Griffith University's (GU) approach for sustainably dealing with electronic waste (e-waste) and the benefits of using the e-waste programme as a valuable educational case study for ESD. Design/methodology/approach: The e-waste programme is explained with reference to key resources and literature, so…

The Abandoned E-Waste Recycling Site Continued to Act As a Significant Source of Polychlorinated Biphenyls: An in Situ Assessment Using Fugacity Samplers.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Luo, Chunling; Wang, Shaorui; Cheng, Zhineng; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan

2016-08-16

The recycling of e-waste has attracted significant attention due to emissions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants into the environment. We measured PCB concentrations in surface soils, air equilibrated with the soil, and air at 1.5-m height using a fugacity sampler in an abandoned electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site in South China. The total concentrations of PCBs in the soils were 39.8-940 ng/g, whereas the concentrations in air equilibrated with the soil and air at 1.5 m height were 487-8280 pg/m(3) and 287-7380 pg/m(3), respectively. The PCB concentrations displayed seasonal variation; they were higher in winter in the soils and higher in summer in the air, indicating that the emission of PCBs from the soil was enhanced during hot seasons for the relatively high temperature or additional sources, especially for low-chlorinated PCBs. We compared two methods (traditional fugacity model and fugacity sampler) for assessing the soil-air partition coefficients (Ksa) and the fugacity fractions of PCBs. The results suggested that the fugacity sampler provided more instructive and practical estimation on Ksa values and trends in air-soil exchange, especially for low-chlorinated PCBs. The abandoned e-waste burning site still acted as a significant source of PCBs many years after the prohibition on open burning.

Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 4, Waste Management Facility report, Radioactive mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-12-31

This report contains information on radioactive mixed wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, handling method and containment vessel, waste number, waste designation and amount of waste.

Innovative hyperspectral imaging (HSI) based techniques applied to end-of-life concrete drill core characterization for optimal dismantling and materials recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Picone, Nicoletta; Serranti, Silvia

2015-02-01

The reduction of EOL concrete disposal in landfills, together with a lower exploitation of primary raw materials, generates a strong interest to develop, set-up and apply innovative technologies to maximize Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) conversion into useful secondary raw materials. Such a goal can be reached starting from a punctual in-situ efficient characterization of the objects to dismantle in order to develop demolition actions aimed to set up innovative mechanical-physical processes to recover the different materials and products to recycle. In this paper an innovative recycling-oriented characterization strategy based on HyperSpectral Imaging (HSI) is described in order to identify aggregates and mortar in drill core samples from end-of-life concrete. To reach this goal, concrete drill cores from a demolition site were systematically investigated by HSI in the short wave infrared field (1000-2500 nm). Results obtained by the adoption of the HSI approach showed as this technology can be successfully applied to analyze quality and characteristics of C&DW before dismantling and as final product to reutilise after demolition-milling-classification actions. The proposed technique and the related recognition logics, through the spectral signature detection of finite physical domains (i.e. concrete slice and/or particle) of different nature and composition, allows; i) to develop characterization procedures able to quantitatively assess end-of-life concrete compositional/textural characteristics and ii) to set up innovative sorting strategies to qualify the different materials constituting drill core samples.

(Low-level waste disposal facility siting and site characterization)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mezga, L.J.; Ketelle, R.H.; Pin, F.G.

A US team consisting of representatives of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Savannah River Plant (SRP), Savannah river Laboratory (SRL), and the Department of Energy Office of Defense Waste and Byproducts Management participated in the fourth meeting held under the US/French Radioactive Waste Management Agreement between the US Department of Energy and the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique. This meeting, held at Agence Nationale pour les Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs' (ANDRA's) Headquarters in Paris, was a detailed, technical topical workshop focusing on Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Siting and Site Characterization.'' The meeting also included a visit to the Centre de lamore » Manche waste management facility operated by ANDRA to discuss and observe the French approach to low-level waste management. The final day of the meeting was spent at the offices of Societe Generale pour les Techniques Nouvelles (SGN) discussing potential areas of future cooperation and exchange. 20 figs.« less

Cold Trap Dismantling and Sodium Removal at a Fast Breeder Reactor - 12327

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graf, A.; Petrick, H.; Stutz, U.

2012-07-01

The first German prototype Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor (KNK) is currently being dismantled after being the only operating Fast Breeder-type reactor in Germany. As this reactor type used sodium as a coolant in its primary and secondary circuit, seven cold traps containing various amounts of partially activated sodium needed to be disposed of as part of the dismantling. The resulting combined difficulties of radioactive contamination and high chemical reactivity were handled by treating the cold traps differently depending on their size and the amount of sodium contained inside. Six small cold traps were processed onsite by cutting them up intomore » small parts using a band saw under a protective atmosphere. The sodium was then converted to sodium hydroxide by using water. The remaining large cold trap could not be handled in the same way due to its dimensions (2.9 m x 1.1 m) and the declared amount of sodium inside (1,700 kg). It was therefore manually dismantled inside a large box filled with a protective atmosphere, while the resulting pieces were packaged for later burning in a special facility. The experiences gained by KNK during this process may be advantageous for future dismantling projects in similar sodium-cooled reactors worldwide. The dismantling of a prototype fast breeder reactor provides the challenge not only to dismantle radioactive materials but also to handle sodium-contaminated or sodium-containing components. The treatment of sodium requires additional equipment and installations to ensure a safe handling. Since it is not permitted to bring sodium into a repository, all sodium has to be neutralized either through a controlled reaction with water or by incinerating. The resulting components can be disposed of as normal radioactive waste with no further conditions. The handling of sodium needs skilled and experienced workers to minimize the inherent risks. And the example of the disposal of the large KNK cold trap shows the interaction with

Polychlorinated biphenyls in settled dust from informal electronic waste recycling workshops and nearby highways in urban centers and suburban industrial roadsides of Chennai city, India: Levels, congener profiles and exposure assessment.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Paromita; Prithiviraj, Balasubramanian; Selvaraj, Sakthivel; Kumar, Bhupander

2016-12-15

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were quantified in settled dust collected from informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling workshops and nearby highways in the urban centers and roadside dust from the suburban industrial belt of Chennai city in India. Further dust samples were subjected to a high resolution field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (FESEM/EDX) to characterize the shape, size and elemental composition of the dust particles. Geomean of total PCB concentration followed the following order: informal e-waste metal recovery workshops (53ngg -1 )>e-waste dismantling sites (3.6ngg -1 )>nearby highways (1.7ngg -1 )>suburban industrial roadsides (1.6ngg -1 ). In e-waste workshops, tetra, penta and hexa-PCB homologs contributed two third of Σ 26 PCB concentration. Informal e-waste recycling workshops contributed more than 80% concentration of all the PCB congeners loaded in the first principal component. Predominance of dioxin like PCBs, PCB-l14, -118 and -126 in the e-waste metal recovery sites were presumably due to combustion and pyrolytic processes performed during recycling of electrical components. According to the morphology and elemental composition, settled dust from e-waste workshops were irregular particles heavily embedded with toxic metals and industrial roadside dust were distinct angular particles. FESEM revealed that average particle size (in Ferret diameter) increased in the following order: e-waste recycling workshops (0.5μm)sites (4.3μm). Electronic waste recycling workshops engaged in metal recovery were found with maximum toxicity equivalents (TEQs) for dl-PCBs and potential cancer risk (10 -6 -10 -4 ) for both adult and children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NNSA /NSO Waste Management Project

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC). The NTSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and LLW Mixed Waste (MW) for disposal.

Elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in plants, air, and soils at an E-waste site in Southern China and enantioselective biotransformation of chiral PCBs in plants.

PubMed

Chen, She-Jun; Tian, Mi; Zheng, Jing; Zhu, Zhi-Cheng; Luo, Yong; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2014-04-01

E-waste that contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is moved across national boundaries, often from industrialized countries in the northern hemisphere, where the items were formerly used, to subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern Asia and Africa. As a result, there is a high likelihood that PCBs will be released into the environment from a primary source due to the elevated temperatures encountered in these low-latitude regions. In the present study, PCBs and enantiomer fractions (EFs) of chiral PCBs (PCB 84, 95, 132, 136, 149, and 183) were analyzed in air, eucalyptus leaves, pine needles, and soil at an e-waste site and a rural site in southern China. The concentrations of PCBs at the e-waste site ranged from 7825 to 76330 pg/m(3), 27.5 to 1993 ng/g, and 24.2 to 12045 ng/g in the air (gas plus particle), plant leaves, and soils, respectively. The atmospheric PCB composition profiles in the present study indicated relatively high abundances of penta- and hexa-PCBs, which were different from those previously observed in the air across China. The Clausius-Clapeyron regression analysis indicated that evaporation from local contaminated surfaces constitutes a primary emission source of PCBs in the air at the e-waste site. The chiral signatures of PCBs in the air at the e-waste site were essentially racemic (mean EFs = (0.484 ± 0.022)-(0.499 ± 0.004) in the gaseous phase) except for PCB 84 (0.420 ± 0.050), indicating that racemic sources dominate the PCB emission in the air. PCB chiral signatures in the soils ((0.422 ± 0.038)-(0.515 ± 0.016)) were similar to those in the air except for PCB 95. However, the chiral PCBs in the plants (especially the eucalyptus leaves) had significantly nonracemic residues ((0.368 ± 0.075)-(0.561 ± 0.045)) compared to those in the air and soil. This finding suggests that enantioselective biotransformation of these atropisomeric PCBs was very likely to occur in the plant leaves, possibly due to metabolism by cytochrome

Decommissioning and Dismantling of the Floating Maintenance Base 'Lepse' - 13316

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Field, D.; Mizen, K.

The Lepse was built in Russia in 1934 and commissioned as a dry cargo ship. In 1961 she was re-equipped for use as a nuclear service ship (NSS), specifically a floating maintenance base (FMB), to support the operation of the civilian nuclear fleet (ice-breakers) of the USSR. In 1988 Lepse was taken out of service and in 1990 she was re-classified as a 'berth connected ship', located at a berth near the port of Murmansk under the ownership of Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) Atomflot. Lepse has special storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel assemblies (SFA) that have been usedmore » to store several hundred SFAs for nearly 40 years. High and intermediate-level liquid radioactive waste (LRW) is also present in the spent nuclear fuel assembly storage channels, in special tanks and also in the SFA cooling circuit. Many of the SFAs stored in Lepse are classified as damaged and cannot be removed using standard procedures. The removal of the SFA and LRW from the Lepse storage facilities is a hazardous task and requires specially designed tools, equipment and an infrastructure in which these can be deployed safely. Lepse is a significant environmental hazard in the North West of Russia. Storing spent nuclear fuel and high-level liquid radioactive waste on board Lepse in the current conditions is not acceptable with respect to Russian Federation health, safety and environmental standards and with international best practice. The approved concept design for the removal of the SFA and LRW and dismantling of Lepse requires that the ship be transported to Nerpa shipyard where specialist infrastructure will be constructed and equipment installed. One of the main complexities of the Project lies within the number of interested stakeholders involved in the Project. The Lepse project has been high focus on the international stage for many years with previous international efforts failing to make significant progress towards the objective of decommissioning Lepse. The

Reduction of heavy metals in residues from the dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment before incineration.

PubMed

Long, Yu-Yang; Feng, Yi-Jian; Cai, Si-Shi; Hu, Li-Fang; Shen, Dong-Sheng

2014-05-15

Residues disposal from the dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment are challenging because of the large waste volumes, degradation-resistance, low density and high heavy metal content. Incineration is advantageous for treating these residues but high heavy metal contents may exist in incinerator input and output streams. We have developed and studied a specialized heavy metal reduction process, which includes sieving and washing for treating residues before incineration. The preferable screen aperture for sieving was found to be 2.36mm (8 meshes) in this study; using this screen aperture resulted in the removal of approximately 47.2% Cu, 65.9% Zn, 26.5% Pb, 55.4% Ni and 58.8% Cd from the residues. Subsequent washing further reduces the heavy metal content in the residues larger than 2.36mm, with preferable conditions being 400rpm rotation speed, 5min washing duration and liquid-to-solid ratio of 25:1. The highest cumulative removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cd after sieving and washing reached 81.1%, 61.4%, 75.8%, 97.2% and 72.7%, respectively. The combined sieving and washing process is environmentally friendly, can be used for the removal of heavy metals from the residues and has benefits in terms of heavy metal recycling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RCRA Summary Document for the David Witherspoon 1630 Site, Knoxville, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pfeffer, J.

2008-06-10

The 48-acre David Witherspoon, Inc. (DWI) 1630 Site operated as an unregulated industrial landfill and scrap yard. The Tennessee Division of Superfund (TDSF) closed the landfill in 1974. During the period of operation, the site received solid and liquid wastes from salvage and industrial operations. The site consists of five separate tracts of land including a small portion located across the Norfolk Southern Railroad track. The landfill occupies approximately 5 acres of the site, and roughly 20 acres of the 48 acres contains surface and buried debris associated with the DWI dismantling business operation. Beginning in 1968, the state ofmore » Tennessee licensed DWI to receive scrap metal at the DWI 1630 Site, contaminated with natural uranium and enriched uranium (235U) not exceeding 0.1 percent by weight (TDSF 1990). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to undertake remedial actions at the DWI 1630 Site as specified under a Consent Order with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) (Consent Order No. 90-3443, April 4, 1991), and as further delineated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DOE and the State of Tennessee (MOU Regarding Implementation of Consent Orders, October 6, 1994). The soil and debris removal at the DWI 1630 Site is being performed by Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) on behalf of the DOE. Remediation consists of removing contaminated soil and debris from the DWI 1630 site except for the landfill area and repairing the landfill cap. The DWI 1630 remediation waste that is being disposed at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) as defined as waste lot (WL) 146.1 and consists primarily of soils and soil like material, incidental debris and secondary waste generated from the excavation of debris and soil from the DWI 1630 site. The WL 146.1 includes soil, soil like material (e.g., shredded or chipped vegetation, ash), discrete debris items (e.g., equipment, drums, large scrap

Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 3, Part 1, Waste Management Facility report, dangerous waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This report contains information on hazardous wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, handling method and containment vessel, waste number, waste designation, and amount of waste.

Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 1, Part 1, Generator dangerous waste report, dangerous waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This report contains information on hazardous wastes at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, weight, and waste designation.

Occurrence of perchlorate and thiocyanate in human serum from e-waste recycling and reference sites in Vietnam: association with thyroid hormone and iodide levels.

PubMed

Eguchi, Akifumi; Kunisue, Tatsuya; Wu, Qian; Trang, Pham Thi Kim; Viet, Pham Hung; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2014-07-01

Perchlorate (ClO4 (-)) and thiocyanate (SCN(-)) interfere with iodide (I(-)) uptake by the sodium/iodide symporter, and thereby these anions may affect the production of thyroid hormones (THs) in the thyroid gland. Although human exposure to perchlorate and thiocyanate has been studied in the United States and Europe, few investigations have been performed in Asian countries. In this study, we determined concentrations of perchlorate, thiocyanate, and iodide in 131 serum samples collected from 2 locations in Northern Vietnam, Bui Dau (BD; electrical and electronic waste [e-waste] recycling site) and Doung Quang (DQ; rural site) and examined the association between serum levels of these anions with levels of THs. The median concentrations of perchlorate, thiocyanate, and iodide detected in the serum of Vietnamese subjects were 0.104, 2020, and 3.11 ng mL(-1), respectively. Perchlorate levels were significantly greater in serum of the BD population (median 0.116 ng mL(-1)) than those in the DQ population (median 0.086 ng mL(-1)), which indicated greater exposure from e-waste recycling operations by the former. Serum concentrations of thiocyanate were not significantly different between the BD and DQ populations, but increased levels of this anion were observed among smokers. Iodide was a significant positive predictor of serum levels of FT3 and TT3 and a significant negative predictor of thyroid-stimulating hormone in males. When the association between serum levels of perchlorate or thiocyanate and THs was assessed using a stepwise multiple linear regression model, no significant correlations were found. In addition to greater concentrations of perchlorate detected in the e-waste recycling population, however, given that lower concentrations of iodide were observed in the serum of Vietnamese females, detailed risk assessments on TH homeostasis for females inhabiting e-waste recycling sites, especially for pregnant women and their neonates, are required.

Pollution distribution of heavy metals in surface soil at an informal electronic-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Fujimori, Takashi; Takigami, Hidetaka

2014-02-01

We studied distribution of heavy metals [lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn)] in surface soil at an electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling workshop near Metro Manila in the Philippines to evaluate the pollution size (spot size, small area or the entire workshop), as well as to assess heavy metal transport into the surrounding soil environment. On-site length-of-stride-scale (~70 cm) measurements were performed at each surface soil point using field-portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF). The surface soil at the e-waste recycling workshop was polluted with Cu, Zn and Pb, which were distributed discretely in surface soil. The site was divided into five areas based on the distance from an entrance gate (y-axis) of the e-waste recycling workshop. The three heavy metals showed similar concentration gradients in the y-axis direction. Zn, Pb and Cu concentrations were estimated to decrease to half of their maximum concentrations at ~3, 7 and 7 m from the pollution spot, respectively, inside the informal e-waste recycling workshop. Distance from an entrance may play an important role in heavy metal transport at the soil surface. Using on-site FP-XRF, we evaluated the metal ratio to characterise pollution features of the solid surface. Variability analysis of heavy metals revealed vanishing surficial autocorrelation over metre ranges. Also, the possibility of concentration prediction at unmeasured points using geostatistical kriging was evaluated, and heavy metals had a relative "small" pollution scales and remained inside the original workshop compared with toxic organohalogen compounds. Thus, exposure to heavy metals may directly influence the health of e-waste workers at the original site rather than the surrounding habitat and environmental media.

Contamination of indoor dust and air by polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants and relevance of non-dietary exposure in Vietnamese informal e-waste recycling sites.

PubMed

Tue, Nguyen Minh; Takahashi, Shin; Suzuki, Go; Isobe, Tomohiko; Viet, Pham Hung; Kobara, Yuso; Seike, Nobuyasu; Zhang, Gan; Sudaryanto, Agus; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2013-01-01

This study investigated the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several additive brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in indoor dust and air from two Vietnamese informal e-waste recycling sites (EWRSs) and an urban site in order to assess the relevance of these media for human exposure. The levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), 1,2-bis-(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) in settled house dust from the EWRSs (130-12,000, 5.4-400, 5.2-620 and 31-1400 ng g(-1), respectively) were significantly higher than in urban house dust but the levels of PCBs (4.8-320 ng g(-1)) were not higher. The levels of PCBs and PBDEs in air at e-waste recycling houses (1000-1800 and 620-720 pg m(-3), respectively), determined using passive sampling, were also higher compared with non-e-waste houses. The composition of BFRs in EWRS samples suggests the influence from high-temperature processes and occurrence of waste materials containing older BFR formulations. Results of daily intake estimation for e-waste recycling workers are in good agreement with the accumulation patterns previously observed in human milk and indicate that dust ingestion contributes a large portion of the PBDE intake (60%-88%), and air inhalation to the low-chlorinated PCB intake (>80% for triCBs) due to their high levels in dust and air, respectively. Further investigation of both indoor dust and air as the exposure media for other e-waste recycling-related contaminants and assessment of health risk associated with exposure to these contaminant mixtures is necessary. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dechlorane Plus flame retardant in kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) from an electronic waste recycling site and a reference site, South China: influence of residue levels on the isomeric composition.

PubMed

Mo, Ling; Wu, Jiang-Ping; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Sun, Yu-Xin; Zheng, Xiao-Bo; Zhang, Qiang; Zou, Fa-Shen; Mai, Bi-Xian

2013-03-01

Dechlorane Plus (DP) isomers were examined in common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) and their prey fishes collected from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site and a reference site in South China, to investigate the possible influence of DP residue levels on the isomeric compositions. ∑DP (sum of syn-DP and anti-DP) concentrations in kingfishers from the e-waste recycling site ranged from 29 to 150 (median of 58) ng/g lipid weight (lw), which were one order of magnitude greater than those from the reference site (median = 3.9 ng/g lw). The isomer fractions of anti-DP (f(anti)) in kingfishers from the e-waste recycling site (mean of 0.65) were significantly smaller than those from the reference site (0.76). Additionally, the f(anti) values were negatively correlated to logarithm of ∑DP concentrations in the kingfishers (r(2) = 0.41, p < 0.0001). These results suggested that DP residue levels could influence its isomeric composition in the piscivorous bird. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in surface dust at an E-waste processing site in Southeast China.

PubMed

Leung, Anna O W; Zheng, Jinshu; Yu, Chik Kin; Liu, Wing Keung; Wong, Chris K C; Cai, Zongwei; Wong, Ming H

2011-07-01

Surface dust collected from printed circuit board recycling workshop floors, roads, a schoolyard, and an outdoor food market in Guiyu, China, a village intensely involved in e-waste processing, were investigated for levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). PBDE concentrations in dust from workshop-floors (14,800 ± 5130 ng/g) and on adjacent roads to the workshops (24,900 ± 31,600 ng/g) were highest among the study sites whereas PCDD/F concentrations were highest at the schoolyard (1316 pg/g) and in a workshop (1264 pg/g). Analyses of <2 mm and <53 μm dust particle sizes did not show any significant differences in PBDE concentrations. The cytotoxicity was investigated using two bioassays: 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD-TEQ) and MTT. EROD-TEQ values ranged from 260 to 432 pg/g, with the highest in dust collected from a street lined with workshops. Using the MTT assay, cytoxicity of dust from the plastic chips drying district in Guiyu was higher than dust from the other sites investigated. This study showed that the primitive recycling of e-waste introduced toxic pollutants into the environment which are potentially harmful to the health of e-waste workers and local residents, especially children, and warrants an urgent investigation into POPs related health impacts.

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 139: Waste Disposal Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Restoration

2009-07-31

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 139 is identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) as 'Waste Disposal Sites' and consists of the following seven Corrective Action Sites (CASs), located in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the Nevada Test Site: CAS 03-35-01, Burn Pit; CAS 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site; CAS 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris; CAS 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit; CAS 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches; CAS 09-23-01, Area 9 Gravel Gertie; and CAS 09-34-01, Underground Detection Station. Closure activities were conducted from December 2008 to April 2009 according to the FFACO (1996, as amended February 2008) andmore » the Corrective Action Plan for CAU 139 (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, 2007b). The corrective action alternatives included No Further Action, Clean Closure, and Closure in Place with Administrative Controls. Closure activities are summarized. CAU 139, 'Waste Disposal Sites,' consists of seven CASs in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the NTS. The closure alternatives included No Further Action, Clean Closure, and Closure in Place with Administrative Controls. This CR provides a summary of completed closure activities, documentation of waste disposal, and confirmation that remediation goals were met. The following site closure activities were performed at CAU 139 as documented in this CR: (1) At CAS 03-35-01, Burn Pit, soil and debris were removed and disposed as LLW, and debris was removed and disposed as sanitary waste. (2) At CAS 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site, an administrative UR was implemented. No postings or post-closure monitoring are required. (3) At CAS 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris, soil and debris were removed and disposed as LLW, and debris was removed and disposed as sanitary waste. (4) At CAS 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit, no work was performed. (5) At CAS 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches, a native soil cover was installed, and a UR was

The conceptual solutions concerning decommissioning and dismantling of Russian civil nuclear powered ships

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulikov, Konstantin N.; Nizamutdinov, Rinat A.; Abramov, Andrey N.

From 1959 up to 1991 nine civil nuclear powered ships were built in Russia: eight ice-breakers and one lash lighter carrier (cargo ship). At the present time three of them were taking out of service: ice-breaker 'Lenin' is decommissioned as a museum and is set for storage in the port of Murmansk, nuclear ice-breakers 'Arktika' and 'Sibir' are berthing. The ice-breakers carrying rad-wastes appear to be a possible source of radiation contamination of Murmansk region and Kola Bay because the ship long-term storage afloat has the negative effect on hull's structures. As the result of this under the auspices ofmore » the Federal Targeted Program 'Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Russia for 2008 and the period until 2015' the conception and projects of decommissioning of nuclear-powered ships are developed by the State corporation Rosatom with the involvement of companies of United Shipbuilding Corporation. In developing the principal provisions of conception of decommissioning and dismantling of icebreakers the technical and economic assessment of dismantling options in ship-repairing enterprises of North-West of Russia was performed. The paper contains description of options, research procedure, analysis of options of decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear ice-breakers, taking into account the principle of optimization of potential radioactive effect to personnel, human population and environment. The report's conclusions contain the recommendations for selection of option for development of nuclear icebreaker decommissioning and dismantling projects. (authors)« less

NEVADA TEST SITE WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA, JUNE 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NEVADA SITE OFFICE

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Developmental neurotoxicants in e-waste: an emerging health concern.

PubMed

Chen, Aimin; Dietrich, Kim N; Huo, Xia; Ho, Shuk-mei

2011-04-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) has been an emerging environmental health issue in both developed and developing countries, but its current management practice may result in unintended developmental neurotoxicity in vulnerable populations. To provide updated information about the scope of the issue, presence of known and suspected neurotoxicants, toxicologic mechanisms, and current data gaps, we conducted this literature review. We reviewed original articles and review papers in PubMed and Web of Science regarding e-waste toxicants and their potential developmental neurotoxicity. We also searched published reports of intergovernmental and governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations on e-waste production and management practice. We focused on the potential exposure to e-waste toxicants in vulnerable populations-that is, pregnant women and developing children-and neurodevelopmental outcomes. In addition, we summarize experimental evidence of developmental neurotoxicity and mechanisms. In developing countries where most informal and primitive e-waste recycling occurs, environmental exposure to lead, cadmium, chromium, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is prevalent at high concentrations in pregnant women and young children. Developmental neurotoxicity is a serious concern in these regions, but human studies of adverse effects and potential mechanisms are scarce. The unprecedented mixture of exposure to heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants warrants further studies and necessitates effective pollution control measures. Pregnant women and young children living close to informal e-waste recycling sites are at risk of possible perturbations of fetus and child neurodevelopment.

Decommissioning, Dismantling and Disarming: a Unique Information Showroom Inside the G2 Reactor at Marcoule Centre (France) - 12068

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volant, Emmanuelle; Garnier, Cedric

2012-07-01

The paper aims at presenting the new information showroom called 'Escom G2' (for 'Espace Communication') inaugurated by the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) in spring 2011. This showroom is settled directly inside the main building of the G2 nuclear reactor: a facility formerly dedicated to weapon-grade plutonium production since the late 1950's at the Marcoule nuclear centre, in south of France. After its shutdown, and reprocessing of the last spent fuels, a first dismantling step was successfully completed from 1986 to 1996. Unique in France and in Europe, Escom G2 is focused on France dismantling expertise andmore » its action for disarmament. This showroom comprises of a 300-square meters permanent exhibition, organized around four themes: France strategy for disarmament, decommissioning and dismantling technical aspects, uranium and plutonium production cycles. Each of these topics is illustrated with posters, photos, models and technical pieces from the dismantled plants. It is now used to present France's action in disarmament to highly ranked audiences such as: state representatives, diplomats, journalists... The paper explains the background story of this original project. As a matter of fact, in 1996 France was the first nuclear state to decide to shut down and dismantle its fissile material production facilities for nuclear weapons. First, the paper presents the history of the G2 reactor in the early ages of Marcoule site, its operating highlights as well as its main dismantling operations, are presented. In Marcoule, where the three industrial-scale reactors G1, G2 and G3 used to be operated for plutonium production (to be then reprocessed in the nearby UP1 plant), the initial dismantling phase has now been completed (in 1980's for G1 and in 1996 for G2 and G3). The second phase, aimed at completely dismantling these three reactors, will restart in 2020, and is directly linked to the opening of a future national storage

Dismantling institutional racism: theory and action.

PubMed

Griffith, Derek M; Mason, Mondi; Yonas, Michael; Eng, Eugenia; Jeffries, Vanessa; Plihcik, Suzanne; Parks, Barton

2007-06-01

Despite a strong commitment to promoting social change and liberation, there are few community psychology models for creating systems change to address oppression. Given how embedded racism is in institutions such as healthcare, a significant shift in the system's policies, practices, and procedures is required to address institutional racism and create organizational and institutional change. This paper describes a systemic intervention to address racial inequities in healthcare quality called dismantling racism. The dismantling racism approach assumes healthcare disparities are the result of the intersection of a complex system (healthcare) and a complex problem (racism). Thus, dismantling racism is a systemic and systematic intervention designed to illuminate where and how to intervene in a given healthcare system to address proximal and distal factors associated with healthcare disparities. This paper describes the theory behind dismantling racism, the elements of the intervention strategy, and the strengths and limitations of this systems change approach.

Method of draining water through a solid waste site without leaching

DOEpatents

Treat, Russell L.; Gee, Glendon W.; Whyatt, Greg A.

1993-01-01

The present invention is a method of preventing water from leaching solid waste sites by preventing atmospheric precipitation from contacting waste as the water flows through a solid waste site. The method comprises placing at least one drain hole through the solid waste site. The drain hole is seated to prevent waste material from entering the drain hole, and the solid waste site cover material is layered and graded to direct water to flow toward the drain hole and to soil beneath the waste site.

Method of draining water through a solid waste site without leaching

DOEpatents

Treat, R.L.; Gee, G.W.; Whyatt, G.A.

1993-02-02

The present invention is a method of preventing water from leaching solid waste sites by preventing atmospheric precipitation from contacting waste as the water flows through a solid waste site. The method comprises placing at least one drain hole through the solid waste site. The drain hole is seated to prevent waste material from entering the drain hole, and the solid waste site cover material is layered and graded to direct water to flow toward the drain hole and to soil beneath the waste site.

Hazardous substances in indoor dust emitted from waste TV recycling facility.

PubMed

Deng, Jingjing; Guo, Jie; Zhou, Xiaoyu; Zhou, Peng; Fu, Xiaoxu; Zhang, Wei; Lin, Kuangfei

2014-06-01

Various hazardous substances contained in waste TV sets might be released into environment via dust during recycling activities. Two brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and five kinds of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni) were detected in indoor dust collected from two workshops (TV dismantling workshop and subsequent recycling workshop). PBDEs concentrations in dust from waste wires recycling line (722,000 ng/g) were the highest among the studied sites, followed by those in manual dismantling-sorting line (117,000 ng/g), whereas TBBPA concentrations were the highest in manual dismantling-sorting line (557 ng/g) and printed circuit board (PCB) recycling line (428 ng/g). For heavy metals, Cu and Pb were the most enriched metals in all dust samples. The highest concentration of Pb (22,900 mg/kg) was found in TV dismantling workshop-floor dust. Meanwhile, Cu was the predominant metal in dust from the PCB recycling line, especially in dust collected from electrostatic separation area (42,700 mg/kg). Occupational exposure assessment results showed that workers were the most exposed to BDE-209 among the four PBDE congeners (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153, and BDE-209) in both workshops. The hazard quotient (HQ) indicated that noncancerous effects were unlikely for both BFRs and heavy metals (HQ < 1), and carcinogenic risks for Cd, Cr, and Ni (risk < 10(-6)) on workers in two workshops were relatively low.

Remote Fiber Laser Cutting System for Dismantling Glass Melter - 13071

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitsui, Takashi; Miura, Noriaki; Oowaki, Katsura

Since 2008, the equipment for dismantling the used glass melter has been developed in High-level Liquid Waste (HLW) Vitrification Facility in the Japanese Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP). Due to the high radioactivity of the glass melter, the equipment requires a fully-remote operation in the vitrification cell. The remote fiber laser cutting system was adopted as one of the major pieces of equipment. An output power of fiber laser is typically higher than other types of laser and so can provide high-cutting performance. The fiber laser can cut thick stainless steel and Inconel, which are parts of the glass melter suchmore » as casings, electrodes and nozzles. As a result, it can make the whole of the dismantling work efficiently done for a shorter period. Various conditions of the cutting test have been evaluated in the process of developing the remote fiber cutting system. In addition, the expected remote operations of the power manipulator with the laser torch have been fully verified and optimized using 3D simulations. (authors)« less

Detection and Monitoring of E-Waste Contamination through Remote Sensing and Image Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garb, Yaakov; Friedlander, Lonia

2015-04-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of today's fastest growing waste streams, and also one of the more problematic, as this end-of-life product contains precious metals mixed with and embedded in a variety of low value and potentially harmful plastic and other materials. This combination creates a powerful incentive for informal value chains that transport, extract from, and dispose of e-waste materials in far-ranging and unregulated ways, and especially in settings where regulation and livelihood alternatives are sparse, most notably in areas of India, China, and Africa. E-waste processing is known to release a variety of contaminants, such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, including flame retardants, dioxins and furans. In several sites, where the livelihoods of entire communities are dependent on e-waste processing, the resulting contaminants have been demonstrated to enter the hydrological system and food chain and have serious health and ecological effects. In this paper we demonstrate for the first time the usefulness of multi-spectral remote sensing imagery to detect and monitor the release and possibly the dispersal of heavy metal contaminants released in e-waste processing. While similar techniques have been used for prospecting or for studying heavy metal contamination from mining and large industrial facilities, we suggest that these techniques are of particular value in detecting contamination from the more dispersed, shifting, and ad-hoc kinds of release typical of e-waste processing. Given the increased resolution and decreased price of multi-spectral imagery, such techniques may offer a remarkably cost-effective and rapidly responsive means of assessing and monitoring this kind of contamination. We will describe the geochemical and multi-spectral image-processing principles underlying our approach, and show how we have applied these to an area in which we have a detailed, multi-temporal, spatially referenced, and ground

Flame retardants and organochlorines in indoor dust from several e-waste recycling sites in South China: composition variations and implications for human exposure.

PubMed

Zheng, Xiaobo; Xu, Fuchao; Chen, Kehui; Zeng, Yanhong; Luo, Xiaojun; Chen, Shejun; Mai, Bixian; Covaci, Adrian

2015-05-01

Several classes of flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), dechlorane plus (DPs), and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), together with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in indoor dust from five villages located in three e-waste recycling regions in Guangdong Province, South China. The medians of PBDEs, NBFRs, and PFRs in dust in five sites ranged from 685-67,500, 1460-50,010, and 2180-29,000ng/g, respectively. These concentrations were much higher than the medians of PCBs (52-2900ng/g). BDE 209 and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) were the two major halogen flame retardants in dust, while tris-(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) were the major PFRs. Principle component analysis revealed the different pollutant patterns among different sites. The estimated median human exposures of PBDEs, NBFRs, PFRs, and PCBs via dust ingestion were 1.1-24.1, 0.73-20.3, 1.36-23.5, and 0.04-0.93ng/kgbw/day for adults, and 16.2-352, 10.7-296, 19.9-343, 0.05-0.61, 0.65-13.6ng/kgbw/day for toddlers, respectively. Residents from Site 5 had the highest exposure (95 percentile levels and high dust ingestion for toddlers) of PBDEs (3920ng/kgbw/day), NBFRs (3200ng/kgbw/day), and PFRs (5280ng/kgbw/day). More attention should be paid to the contamination with NBFRs and PFRs, instead of PCBs, in these e-waste recycling regions, and local public health threat from PBDE alternatives should remain of concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on human exposure assessment of PFRs at e-waste sites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hanford Site annual dangerous waste report: Volume 1, Part 2, Generator dangerous waste report, dangerous waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This report contains information on hazardous materials at the Hanford Site. Information consists of shipment date, physical state, chemical nature, waste description, waste number, weight, and waste designation.

Recovery of metals and nonmetals from electronic waste by physical and chemical recycling processes.

PubMed

Kaya, Muammer

2016-11-01

This paper reviews the existing and state of art knowledge for electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. Electrical and/or electronic devices which are unwanted, broken or discarded by their original users are known as e-waste. The main purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of e-waste problem, strategies of e-waste management and various physical, chemical and metallurgical e-waste recycling processes, their advantages and disadvantages towards achieving a cleaner process of waste utilization, with special attention towards extraction of both metallic values and nonmetallic substances. The hazards arise from the presence of heavy metals Hg, Cd, Pb, etc., brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and other potentially harmful substances in e-waste. Due to the presence of these substances, e-waste is generally considered as hazardous waste and, if improperly managed, may pose significant human and environmental health risks. This review describes the potential hazards and economic opportunities of e-waste. Firstly, an overview of e-waste/printed circuit board (PCB) components is given. Current status and future perspectives of e-waste/PCB recycling are described. E-waste characterization, dismantling methods, liberation and classification processes are also covered. Manual selective dismantling after desoldering and metal-nonmetal liberation at -150μm with two step crushing are seen to be the best techniques. After size reduction, mainly physical separation processes employing gravity, electrostatic, magnetic separators, froth floatation, etc. have been critically reviewed here for separation of metals and nonmetals, along with useful utilizations of the nonmetallic materials. The recovery of metals from e-waste material after physical separation through pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical or biohydrometallurgical routes is also discussed along with purification and refining. Suitable PCB recycling flowsheets for industrial applications are also given

Reactive oxygen species alteration of immune cells in local residents at an electronic waste recycling site in northern China.

PubMed

Li, Ran; Yang, Qiaoyun; Qiu, Xinghua; Li, Keqiu; Li, Guang; Zhu, Ping; Zhu, Tong

2013-04-02

The health effects of exposure to pollutants from electronic waste (e-waste) pose an important issue. In this study, we explored the association between oxidative stress and blood levels of e-waste-related pollutants. Blood samples were collected from individuals living in the proximity of an e-waste recycling site located in northern China, and pollutants, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), were measured in comparison to a reference population. The geometric mean concentrations of PCBs, dechlorane plus, and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl in plasma from the exposure group were 60.4, 9.0, and 0.55 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively, which were 2.2, 3.2, and 2.2 times higher than the corresponding measurement in the reference group. Correspondingly, ROS levels in white blood cells, including in neutrophil granulocytes, from the exposure group were significantly higher than in those from the reference group, suggesting potential ROS related health effects for residents at the e-waste site. In contrast, fewer ROS were generated in the respiratory burst of neutrophil granulocytes for the exposure group, indicating a depressed innate immune function for the individuals living at the e-waste site. These findings suggest a potential linkage between exposure to pollutants from e-waste recycling and both elevated oxidative stress and altered immune function.

Solid waste management complex site development plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greager, T.M.

1994-09-30

The main purpose of this Solid Waste Management Complex Site Development Plan is to optimize the location of future solid waste treatment and storage facilities and the infrastructure required to support them. An overall site plan is recommended. Further, a series of layouts are included that depict site conditions as facilities are constructed at the SWMC site. In this respect the report serves not only as the siting basis for future projects, but provides siting guidance for Project W-112, as well. The plan is intended to function as a template for expected growth of the site over the next 30more » years so that future facilities and infrastructure will be properly integrated.« less

E-waste: a global hazard.

PubMed

Perkins, Devin N; Brune Drisse, Marie-Noel; Nxele, Tapiwa; Sly, Peter D

2014-01-01

Waste from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, known as e-waste, is a rapidly growing global problem. E-waste contains valuable materials that have an economic value when recycled. Unfortunately, the majority of e-waste is recycled in the unregulated informal sector and results in significant risk for toxic exposures to the recyclers, who are frequently women and children. The aim of this study was to document the extent of the problems associated with inappropriate e-waste recycling practices. This was a narrative review that highlighted where e-waste is generated, where it is recycled, the range of adverse environmental exposures, the range of adverse health consequences, and the policy frameworks that are intended to protect vulnerable populations from inappropriate e-waste recycling practices. The amount of e-waste being generated is increasing rapidly and is compounded by both illegal exportation and inappropriate donation of electronic equipment, especially computers, from developed to developing countries. As little as 25% of e-waste is recycled in formal recycling centers with adequate worker protection. The health consequences of both direct exposures during recycling and indirect exposures through environmental contamination are potentially severe but poorly studied. Policy frameworks aimed at protecting vulnerable populations exist but are not effectively applied. E-waste recycling is necessary but it should be conducted in a safe and standardized manor. The acceptable risk thresholds for hazardous, secondary e-waste substances should not be different for developing and developed countries. However, the acceptable thresholds should be different for children and adults given the physical differences and pronounced vulnerabilities of children. Improving occupational conditions for all e-waste workers and striving for the eradication of child labor is non-negotiable. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using MCDA and GIS for hazardous waste landfill siting considering land scarcity for waste disposal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feo, Giovanni De, E-mail: g.defeo@unisa.it; Gisi, Sabino De

Highlights: • Wasting land for the siting of hazardous waste landfills must be avoided. • The siting procedure is based on a land use map of potentially suitable areas. • All the waste facilities of the management system are simultaneously considered. • A case study is developed considering two multi-criteria techniques. • An innovative criteria weighting tool (PSW) is used in combination with the AHP. - Abstract: The main aim of this study was to develop a procedure that minimizes the wasting of space for the siting of hazardous waste landfills as part of a solid waste management system. Wemore » wanted to tackle the shortage of land for waste disposal that is a serious and growing problem in most large urban regions. The procedure combines a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach with a geographical information system (GIS). The GIS was utilised to obtain an initial screening in order to eliminate unsuitable areas, whereas the MCDA was developed to select the most suitable sites. The novelty of the proposed siting procedure is the introduction of a new screening phase before the macro-siting step aimed at producing a “land use map of potentially suitable areas” for the siting of solid waste facilities which simultaneously takes into consideration all plant types. The issue of obtaining sites evaluations of a specific facility was coupled with the issue of not wasting land appropriate to facilitate other types of waste management options. In the developed case study, the use of an innovative criteria weighting tool (the “Priority Scale”) in combination with the Analytic Hierarchy Process was useful to easier define the priorities of the evaluation criteria in comparison with other classic methods such as the Paired Comparison Technique in combination with the Simple Additive Weighting method.« less

Developmental Neurotoxicants in E-Waste: An Emerging Health Concern

PubMed Central

Chen, Aimin; Dietrich, Kim N.; Huo, Xia; Ho, Shuk-mei

2011-01-01

Objective Electronic waste (e-waste) has been an emerging environmental health issue in both developed and developing countries, but its current management practice may result in unintended developmental neurotoxicity in vulnerable populations. To provide updated information about the scope of the issue, presence of known and suspected neurotoxicants, toxicologic mechanisms, and current data gaps, we conducted this literature review. Data sources We reviewed original articles and review papers in PubMed and Web of Science regarding e-waste toxicants and their potential developmental neurotoxicity. We also searched published reports of intergovernmental and governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations on e-waste production and management practice. Data extraction We focused on the potential exposure to e-waste toxicants in vulnerable populations—that is, pregnant women and developing children—and neurodevelopmental outcomes. In addition, we summarize experimental evidence of developmental neurotoxicity and mechanisms. Data synthesis In developing countries where most informal and primitive e-waste recycling occurs, environmental exposure to lead, cadmium, chromium, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is prevalent at high concentrations in pregnant women and young children. Developmental neurotoxicity is a serious concern in these regions, but human studies of adverse effects and potential mechanisms are scarce. The unprecedented mixture of exposure to heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants warrants further studies and necessitates effective pollution control measures. Conclusions Pregnant women and young children living close to informal e-waste recycling sites are at risk of possible perturbations of fetus and child neurodevelopment. PMID:21081302

Aquatic bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of tetrabromobisphenol-A flame retardant introduced from a typical e-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Tao, Lin; Wu, Jiang-Ping; Zhi, Hui; Zhang, Ying; Ren, Zi-He; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2016-07-01

While the flame retardant chemical, tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A), has been frequently detected in the environment, knowledge regarding its species-specific bioaccumulation and trophic transfer is limited, especially in the highly contaminated sites. In this study, the components of an aquatic food web, including two invertebrates, two prey fish, and one predator fish, collected from a natural pond at an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site in South China were analyzed for TBBP-A, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The aquatic species had TBBP-A concentrations ranging from 350 to 1970 pg/g wet weight, with higher concentrations in the invertebrates relative to the fish species. Field-determined bioaccumulation factors of TBBP-A in the two aquatic invertebrates were nearly or greater than 5000, suggesting that TBBP-A is highly bioaccumulative in the two species. The lipid-normalized concentrations of TBBP-A in the aquatic species were negatively correlated with the trophic levels determined from stable nitrogen isotope (δ(15)N) (r = -0.82, p = 0.09), indicating that this compound experienced trophic dilution in the current food web.

SITE GENERATED RADIOLOGICAL WASTE HANDLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. C. Khamankar

2000-06-20

The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System handles radioactive waste products that are generated at the geologic repository operations area. The waste is collected, treated if required, packaged for shipment, and shipped to a disposal site. Waste streams include low-level waste (LLW) in solid and liquid forms, as-well-as mixed waste that contains hazardous and radioactive constituents. Liquid LLW is segregated into two streams, non-recyclable and recyclable. The non-recyclable stream may contain detergents or other non-hazardous cleaning agents and is packaged for shipment. The recyclable stream is treated to recycle a large portion of the water while the remaining concentrated wastemore » is packaged for shipment; this greatly reduces the volume of waste requiring disposal. There will be no liquid LLW discharge. Solid LLW consists of wet solids such as ion exchange resins and filter cartridges, as-well-as dry active waste such as tools, protective clothing, and poly bags. Solids will be sorted, volume reduced, and packaged for shipment. The generation of mixed waste at the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) is not planned; however, if it does come into existence, it will be collected and packaged for disposal at its point of occurrence, temporarily staged, then shipped to government-approved off-site facilities for disposal. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System has equipment located in both the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) and in the Waste Handling Building (WHB). All types of liquid and solid LLW are processed in the WTB, while wet solid waste from the Pool Water Treatment and Cooling System is packaged where received in the WHB. There is no installed hardware for mixed waste. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System receives waste from locations where water is used for decontamination functions. In most cases the water is piped back to the WTB for processing. The WTB and WHB provide staging areas for storing and

Human health risk assessment of occupational and residential exposures to dechlorane plus in the manufacturing facility area in China and comparison with e-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Wang, De-Gao; Alaee, Mehran; Byer, Jonathan D; Brimble, Samantha; Pacepavicius, Grazina

2013-02-15

A screening level human health risk assessment based on the worst-case scenario was conducted on the occupational and residential exposures to dechlorane plus (DP) in the manufacturing facility region and an electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling site in China, which are two of the most polluted areas of DP in the world. Total estimated exposure doses (EEDs) via dietary intake, dermal contact, and inhalation was approximately 0.01 mg kg(-1) d(-1) for people living in the manufacturing facility region. In comparison, total EEDs (approximate 0.03 μg kg(-1), d(-1)) were 300-fold lower in people living near an e-waste recycling site in China. Chronic oral, dermal, and inhalation reference doses (RfDs) were estimated to be 5.0, 2.0, and 0.01 mg kg(-1)d (-1), respectively. The oral RfD was markedly greater than Mirex (2×10(-4) mg kg(-1) d(-1)) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209; 7×10(-3) mg kg(-1) d(-1)), which have been or might be replaced by DP as a flame retardant with less toxicity. Monte Carlo simulation was used to generate the probability densities and functions for the hazard index which was calculated from the EEDs and RfDs to assess the human health risk. The hazard index was three orders of magnitude lower than 1, suggesting that occupational and residential exposures were relatively safe in the manufacturing facility region and e-waste recycling site. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel methodology to estimate the evolution of construction waste in construction sites.

PubMed

Katz, Amnon; Baum, Hadassa

2011-02-01

This paper focuses on the accumulation of construction waste generated throughout the erection of new residential buildings. A special methodology was developed in order to provide a model that will predict the flow of construction waste. The amount of waste and its constituents, produced on 10 relatively large construction sites (7000-32,000 m(2) of built area) was monitored periodically for a limited time. A model that predicts the accumulation of construction waste was developed based on these field observations. According to the model, waste accumulates in an exponential manner, i.e. smaller amounts are generated during the early stages of construction and increasing amounts are generated towards the end of the project. The total amount of waste from these sites was estimated at 0.2m(3) per 1m(2) floor area. A good correlation was found between the model predictions and actual data from the field survey. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1995 Report on Hanford site land disposal restrictions for mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, D.G.

This report was submitted to meet the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order Milestone M-26-01E. This milestone requires the preparation of an annual report that covers characterization, treatment, storage, minimization, and other aspects of land disposal restricted mixed waste at the Hanford Site. The U.S. Department of Energy, its predecessors, and contractors at the Hanford Site were involved in the production and purification of nuclear defense materials from the early 1940s to the late 1980s. These production activities have generated large quantities of liquid and solid radioactive mixed waste. This waste is subject to regulation under authoritymore » of both the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This report covers mixed waste only. The Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy have entered into an agreement, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (commonly referred to as the Tri-Party Agreement) to bring the Hanford Site operations into compliance with dangerous waste regulations. The Tri-Party Agreement required development of the original land disposal restrictions (LDRs) plan and its annual updates to comply with LDR requirements for radioactive mixed waste. This report is the fifth update of the plan first issued in 1990. Tri-Party Agreement negotiations completed in 1993 and approved in January 1994 changed and added many new milestones. Most of the changes were related to the Tank Waste Remediation System and these changes are incorporated into this report.« less

Canadian Innovations in Siting Hazardous Waste Management Facilities

PubMed

Kuhn; Ballard

1998-07-01

/ Siting hazardous waste facilities is an extremely complex and difficult endeavor. Public aversion to the construction of these facilities in or near their community often results in concerted opposition, referred to as the NIMBY syndrome. For the most part, siting processes do not fail because of inadequate environmental or technical considerations, but because of the adversarial decision-making strategies employed by the proponents. Innovative siting processes used in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba offer tangible evidence of the successful application of an innovative siting approach based on the principles of decentralization of decision-making authority and full and meaningful public involvement. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate four Canadian siting processes from the perspective of public participation and access to decision-making authority. Examples of siting processes related to hazardous waste management facilities are provided from the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario. Siting has evolved from approaches dominated by top-down decision making to increasing decentralized and pluralistic approaches. Focusing on social and political concerns of potentially affected communities and on the process of decision making itself are fundamental to achieving siting success. In Alberta initially, and later in Manitoba, this new "open approach" to siting has resulted in the construction of the first two comprehensive hazardous waste treatment facilities in Canada.KEY WORDS: Hazardous waste facilities; Siting methodologies; Public participation

Organophosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) and phthalates in floor and road dust from a manual e-waste dismantling facility and adjacent communities in Thailand.

PubMed

Muenhor, Dudsadee; Moon, Hyo-Bang; Lee, Sunggyu; Goosey, Emma

2018-01-02

This study was undertaken to investigate levels of organophosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) and phthalates in floor and road dust from a manual e-waste dismantling facility and nearby communities in Thailand. Concentrations of Σ10 PFRs and Σ6 phthalates in floor dust from the facility were approximately 36-1,700 and 86,000-790,000 ng g -1 , whereas those from the communities were about 13-9,200 and 44,000-2,700,000 ng g -1 , respectively. The highest content of Σ10 PFRs (9,200 ng g -1 ) and Σ6 phthalates (2,700,000 ng g -1 ) in indoor dust was both detected in the dust sampled from a house with no prevailing winds located 350 m northeast of the facility. Levels of Σ10 PFRs and Σ6 phthalates in road dust from the facility were around 1,100-2,100 and 40,000-670,000 ng g -1 , while those from the residences were about 650-2,000 and 27,000-650,000 ng g -1 , respectively. Concentrations of Σ10 PFRs (2,100 ng g -1 ) and Σ6 phthalates (670,000 ng g -1 ) in road dust were greatest in the dust collected from the facility. For the distributional pattern, TBEP (tris (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate) was the main PFR in residential dust, whereas TPP (triphenyl phosphate) was the major PFR in facility dust. TBEP was also found to be the most prominent PFR in all road dust samples. Furthermore, DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) was the most abundant phthalate congener in both floor and road dust samples. Under realistic high-end scenarios of environmental exposure to DEHP, Thai toddlers (25.29 µg kg -1 bw day -1 ) in the adjacent communities were exposed above the US EPA's (United States Environmental Protection Agency) reference dose (RfD) for this congener (20 µg kg -1 bw day -1 ). Our data reveal that the PFR and phthalate-containing products at the residences are a likely substantial source of PFRs and phthalates to the surrounding indoor environment, and humans can be exposed to PFRs and phthalates in their dwellings via the settled floor dust.

Dismantling the nuclear research reactor Thetis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michiels, P.

The research reactor Thetis, in service since 1967 and stopped in 2003, is part of the laboratories of the institution of nuclear science of the University of Ghent. The reactor, of the pool-type, was used as a neutron-source for the production of radio-isotopes and for activation analyses. The reactor is situated in a water pool with inner diameter of 3 m. and a depth of 7.5 m. The reactor core is situated 5.3 m under water level. Besides the reactor, the pool contains pneumatic loops, handling tools, graphite blocks for neutron moderation and other experimental equipment. The building houses storagemore » rooms for fissile material and sources, a pneumatic circuit for transportation of samples, primary and secondary cooling circuits, water cleaning resin circuits, a ventilation system and other necessary devices. Because of the experimental character of the reactor, laboratories with glove boxes and other tools were needed and are included in the dismantling program. The building is in 3 levels with a crawl-space. The ground-floor contains the ventilation installation, the purification circuits with tanks, cooling circuits and pneumatic transport system. On the first floor, around the reactor hall, the control-room, visiting area, end-station for pneumatic transport, waste-storage room, fuel storage room and the labs are located. The second floor contains a few laboratories and end stations of the two high speed transfer tubes. The lowest level of the pool is situated under ground level. The reactor has been operated at a power of 150 kW and had a max operating power of 250 kW. Belgoprocess has been selected to decommission the reactor, the labs, storage halls and associated circuits to free release the building for conventional reuse and for the removal of all its internals as legal defined. Besides the dose-rate risk and contamination risk, there is also an asbestos risk of contamination. During construction of the installation, asbestos-containing materials

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in plastic products, indoor dust, sediment and fish from informal e-waste recycling sites in Vietnam: a comprehensive assessment of contamination, accumulation pattern, emissions, and human exposure.

PubMed

Anh, Hoang Quoc; Nam, Vu Duc; Tri, Tran Manh; Ha, Nguyen Manh; Ngoc, Nguyen Thuy; Mai, Pham Thi Ngoc; Anh, Duong Hong; Minh, Nguyen Hung; Tuan, Nguyen Anh; Minh, Tu Binh

2017-08-01

Residue concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in different kinds of samples including consumer products, indoor dust, sediment and fish collected from two e-waste recycling sites, and some industrial, urban and suburban areas in Vietnam were determined to provide a comprehensive assessment of the contamination levels, accumulation pattern, emission potential and human exposure through dust ingestion and fish consumption. There was a large variation of PBDE levels in plastic parts of obsolete electronic equipment (from 1730 to 97,300 ng/g), which is a common result observed in consumer plastic products reported elsewhere. PBDE levels in indoor dust samples collected from e-waste recycling sites ranged from 250 to 8740 ng/g, which were markedly higher than those in industrial areas and household offices. Emission rate of PBDEs from plastic parts of disposed electronic equipment to dust was estimated to be in a range from 3.4 × 10 -7 to 1.2 × 10 -5 (year -1 ) for total PBDEs and from 2.9 × 10 -7 to 7.2 × 10 -6 (year -1 ) for BDE-209. Some fish species collected from ponds in e-waste recycling villages contained elevated levels of PBDEs, especially BDE-209, which were markedly higher than those in fish previously reported. Overall, levels and patterns of PBDE accumulation in different kinds of samples suggest significant emission from e-waste sites and that these areas are potential sources of PBDE contamination. Intakes of PBDEs via fish consumption were generally higher than those estimated through dust ingestion. Intake of BDE-99 and BDE-209 through dust ingestion contributes a large proportion due to higher concentrations in dust and fish. Body weight normalized daily intake through dust ingestion estimated for the e-waste recycling sites (0.10-3.46 ng/day/kg body wt.) were in a high range as compared to those reported in other countries. Our results highlight the potential releases of PBDEs from informal recycling activities and

Journey to the Nevada Test Site Radioactive Waste Management Complex

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Journey to the Nevada Test Site Radioactive Waste Management Complex begins with a global to regional perspective regarding the location of low-level and mixed low-level waste disposal at the Nevada Test Site. For decades, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) has served as a vital disposal resource in the nation-wide cleanup of former nuclear research and testing facilities. State-of-the-art waste management sites at the NNSS offer a safe, permanent disposal option for U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Defense facilities generating cleanup-related radioactive waste.

Nuclear waste forms for actinides

PubMed Central

Ewing, Rodney C.

1999-01-01

The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The “mineralogic approach” is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium. PMID:10097054

40 CFR 61.154 - Standard for active waste disposal sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standard for active waste disposal... for Asbestos § 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites. Each owner or operator of an active... visible emissions to the outside air from any active waste disposal site where asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.154 - Standard for active waste disposal sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Standard for active waste disposal... for Asbestos § 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites. Each owner or operator of an active... visible emissions to the outside air from any active waste disposal site where asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.154 - Standard for active waste disposal sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Standard for active waste disposal... for Asbestos § 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites. Each owner or operator of an active... visible emissions to the outside air from any active waste disposal site where asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.154 - Standard for active waste disposal sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standard for active waste disposal... for Asbestos § 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites. Each owner or operator of an active... visible emissions to the outside air from any active waste disposal site where asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.154 - Standard for active waste disposal sites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Standard for active waste disposal... for Asbestos § 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites. Each owner or operator of an active... visible emissions to the outside air from any active waste disposal site where asbestos-containing waste...

Support of the Iraq nuclear facility dismantlement and disposal program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coates, Roger; Cochran, John; Danneels, Jeff

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Iraq's former nuclear facilities contain large quantities of radioactive materials and radioactive waste. The Iraq Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program (the Iraq NDs Program) is a new program to decontaminate and permanently dispose of radioactive wastes in Iraq. The NDs Program is led by the Government of Iraq, under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) auspices, with guidance and assistance from a number of countries. The U.S. participants include Texas Tech University and Sandia National Laboratories. A number of activities are ongoing under the broad umbrella of the Iraq NDsmore » Program: drafting a new nuclear law that will provide the legal basis for the cleanup and disposal activities; assembly and analysis of existing data; characterization of soil contamination; bringing Iraqi scientists to the world's largest symposium on radioactive waste management; touring U.S. government and private sector operating radwaste disposal facilities in the U.S., and hosting a planning workshop on the characterization and cleanup of the Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Facility. (authors)« less

Sandia National Laboratories support of the Iraq Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cochran, John Russell; Danneels, Jeffrey John

2009-03-01

Because of past military operations, lack of upkeep and looting there are now enormous radioactive waste problems in Iraq. These waste problems include destroyed nuclear facilities, uncharacterized radioactive wastes, liquid radioactive waste in underground tanks, wastes related to the production of yellow cake, sealed radioactive sources, activated metals and contaminated metals that must be constantly guarded. Iraq currently lacks the trained personnel, regulatory and physical infrastructure to safely and securely manage these facilities and wastes. In 2005 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to organize an international cooperative program to assist Iraq with these issues. Soon after, the Iraqmore » Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program (the NDs Program) was initiated by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to support the IAEA and assist the Government of Iraq (GOI) in eliminating the threats from poorly controlled radioactive materials. The Iraq NDs Program is providing support for the IAEA plus training, consultation and limited equipment to the GOI. The GOI owns the problems and will be responsible for implementation of the Iraq NDs Program. Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) is a part of the DOS's team implementing the Iraq NDs Program. This report documents Sandia's support of the Iraq NDs Program, which has developed into three principal work streams: (1) training and technical consultation; (2) introducing Iraqis to modern decommissioning and waste management practices; and (3) supporting the IAEA, as they assist the GOI. Examples of each of these work streams include: (1) presentation of a three-day training workshop on 'Practical Concepts for Safe Disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste in Arid Settings;' (2) leading GOI representatives on a tour of two operating low level radioactive waste disposal facilities in the U.S.; and (3) supporting the IAEA's Technical Meeting with the GOI from April 21-25, 2008. As noted in

Using MCDA and GIS for hazardous waste landfill siting considering land scarcity for waste disposal.

PubMed

De Feo, Giovanni; De Gisi, Sabino

2014-11-01

The main aim of this study was to develop a procedure that minimizes the wasting of space for the siting of hazardous waste landfills as part of a solid waste management system. We wanted to tackle the shortage of land for waste disposal that is a serious and growing problem in most large urban regions. The procedure combines a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach with a geographical information system (GIS). The GIS was utilised to obtain an initial screening in order to eliminate unsuitable areas, whereas the MCDA was developed to select the most suitable sites. The novelty of the proposed siting procedure is the introduction of a new screening phase before the macro-siting step aimed at producing a "land use map of potentially suitable areas" for the siting of solid waste facilities which simultaneously takes into consideration all plant types. The issue of obtaining sites evaluations of a specific facility was coupled with the issue of not wasting land appropriate to facilitate other types of waste management options. In the developed case study, the use of an innovative criteria weighting tool (the "Priority Scale") in combination with the Analytic Hierarchy Process was useful to easier define the priorities of the evaluation criteria in comparison with other classic methods such as the Paired Comparison Technique in combination with the Simple Additive Weighting method. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pollution profiles and risk assessment of PBDEs and phenolic brominated flame retardants in water environments within a typical electronic waste dismantling region.

PubMed

Xiong, Jukun; An, Taicheng; Zhang, Chaosheng; Li, Guiying

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the pollution profiles of various typical brominated flame retardants in water and surface sediment near a typical electronic waste dismantling region in southern China. We found that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP), pentabromophenol (PeBP), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and bisphenol A (BPA) were ubiquitous in the water and sediment samples collected in the study region. In water, Σ19PBDEs (sum of all 20 PBDE congeners studied except BDE-209, which was below the detection limit) levels ranged from 0.31 to 8.9 × 10(2) ng L(-1). TBP, PeBP, TBBPA, and BPA concentrations in the water samples ranged from not being detectable (nd-under the detection limit) to 3.2 × 10(2) (TBP), from nd to 37 (PeBP), from nd to 9.2 × 10(2) (TBBPA) and from nd-8.6 × 10(2) ng L(-1) (BPA). In sediment, Σ19PBDEs ranged from nd to 5.6 × 10(3) ng g(-1), while BDE-209 was the predominant congener, with a range of nd to 3.5 × 10(3) ng g(-1). Tri- to hepta-BDE concentrations were significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with each other, except for BDE-71 and BDE-183, and octa- to nona-BDEs concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with each other, except for BDE-208. BDE-209 was not significantly correlated with tri- to nona-BDEs. Risk assessments indicated that the water and sediment across the sampling sites posed no estrogenic risk. However, different eco-toxicity risk degrees at three trophic levels did exist at most sampling sites.

Siting Patterns of Nuclear Waste Repositories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Barry D.; Shelley, Fred M.

1988-01-01

Provides an inventory of international radioactive waste-management policies and repository siting decisions for North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This discussion stresses the important role of demographic, geologic, and political factors in siting decisions. (Author/BSR)

Global perspectives on e-waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Widmer, Rolf; Oswald-Krapf, Heidi; Sinha-Khetriwal, Deepali

2005-07-15

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is an emerging problem as well as a business opportunity of increasing significance, given the volumes of e-waste being generated and the content of both toxic and valuable materials in them. The fraction including iron, copper, aluminium, gold and other metals in e-waste is over 60%, while pollutants comprise 2.70%. Given the high toxicity of these pollutants especially when burned or recycled in uncontrolled environments, the Basel Convention has identified e-waste as hazardous, and developed a framework for controls on transboundary movement of such waste. The Basel Ban, an amendment to the Basel Convention that hasmore » not yet come into force, would go one step further by prohibiting the export of e-waste from developed to industrializing countries. Section 1 of this paper gives readers an overview on the e-waste topic-how e-waste is defined, what it is composed of and which methods can be applied to estimate the quantity of e-waste generated. Considering only PCs in use, by one estimate, at least 100 million PCs became obsolete in 2004. Not surprisingly, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) today already constitutes 8% of municipal waste and is one of the fastest growing waste fractions. Section 2 provides insight into the legislation and initiatives intended to help manage these growing quantities of e-waste. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is being propagated as a new paradigm in waste management. The European Union's WEEE Directive, which came into force in August of 2004, makes it incumbent on manufacturers and importers in EU states to take back their products from consumers and ensure environmentally sound disposal. WEEE management in industrializing countries has its own characteristics and problems, and therefore this paper identifies some problems specific to such countries. The risky process of extracting copper from printed wiring boards is discussed as an example to illustrate the hazards of the

E-waste hazard: The impending challenge

PubMed Central

Pinto, Violet N.

2008-01-01

Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the rapidly growing problems of the world. E-waste comprises of a multitude of components, some containing toxic substances that can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. In India, e-waste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of its own e-waste but also because of the dumping of e-waste from developed countries. This is coupled with India's lack of appropriate infrastructure and procedures for its disposal and recycling. This review article provides a concise overview of India's current e-waste scenario, namely magnitude of the problem, environmental and health hazards, current disposal and recycling operations, existing legal framework, organizations working on this issue and recommendations for action. PMID:20040981

E-waste hazard: The impending challenge.

PubMed

Pinto, Violet N

2008-08-01

Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the rapidly growing problems of the world. E-waste comprises of a multitude of components, some containing toxic substances that can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. In India, e-waste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of its own e-waste but also because of the dumping of e-waste from developed countries. This is coupled with India's lack of appropriate infrastructure and procedures for its disposal and recycling. This review article provides a concise overview of India's current e-waste scenario, namely magnitude of the problem, environmental and health hazards, current disposal and recycling operations, existing legal framework, organizations working on this issue and recommendations for action.

Remaining Sites Verification Package for the 116-C-3, 105-C Chemical Waste Tanks, Waste Site Reclassification Form 2008-002

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. M. Dittmer

2008-01-31

The 116-C-3 waste site consisted of two underground storage tanks designed to receive mixed waste from the 105-C Reactor Metals Examination Facility chemical dejacketing process. Confirmatory evaluation and subsequent characterization of the site determined that the southern tank contained approximately 34,000 L (9,000 gal) of dejacketing wastes, and that the northern tank was unused. In accordance with this evaluation, the verification sampling and modeling results support a reclassification of this site to Interim Closed Out. The results of verification sampling demonstrate that residual contaminant concentrations do not preclude any future uses and allow for unrestricted use of shallow zone soils.more » The results also show that residual contaminant concentrations are protective of groundwater and the Columbia River.« less

Aeromagnetic investigations of hazardous waste sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

Aeromagnetic survey data collected by helicopter over hazardous waste sites can be used to map the distribution of buried metallic (ferrous) objects at these sites, including drums and scrap metal. Thorough knowledge of the locations and nature of hazardous waste containers and contaminated objects is needed prior to the start of remediation efforts. Non-invasive geophysical techniques such as the aeromagnetic method provide the best way to obtain this knowledge. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) not only has experience in processing and interpreting aeromagnetic surveys of this type but also offers aid in the design and monitoring of contracts for such surveys.

Contamination by perfluorinated compounds in water near waste recycling and disposal sites in Vietnam.

PubMed

Kim, Joon-Woo; Tue, Nguyen Minh; Isobe, Tomohiko; Misaki, Kentaro; Takahashi, Shin; Viet, Pham Hung; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2013-04-01

There are very few reports on the contamination by perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in the environment of developing countries, especially regarding their emission from waste recycling and disposal sites. This is the first study on the occurrence of a wide range of PFCs (17 compounds) in ambient water in Vietnam, including samples collected from a municipal dumping site (MD), an e-waste recycling site (ER), a battery recycling site (BR) and a rural control site. The highest PFC concentration was found in a leachate sample from MD (360 ng/L). The PFC concentrations in ER and BR (mean, 57 and 16 ng/L, respectively) were also significantly higher than those detected in the rural control site (mean, 9.4 ng/L), suggesting that municipal solid waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment are potential contamination sources of PFCs in Vietnam. In general, the most abundant PFCs were perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUDA; <1.4-100, <1.2-100, and <0.5-20 ng/L, respectively). Interestingly, there were specific PFC profiles: perfluoroheptanoic acid and perfluorohexanoic acid (88 and 77 ng/L, respectively) were almost as abundant as PFOA in MD leachate (100 ng/L), whereas PFNA was prevalent in ER and BR (mean, 17 and 6.2 ng/L, respectively) and PFUDA was the most abundant in municipal wastewater (mean, 5.6 ng/L), indicating differences in PFC contents in different waste materials.

Conversion of transuranic waste to low level waste by decontamination: a site specific update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, R.P.; Hazelton, R.F.

1985-09-01

As a followup to an FY-1984 cost/benefit study, a program was conducted in FY-1985 to transfer to the relevant DOE sites the information and technology for the direct conversion of transuranic (TRU) waste to low-level waste (LLW) by decontamination. As part of this work, the economic evaluation of the various TRUW volume reduction and conversion options was updated and expanded to include site-specific factors. The results show, for the assumptions used, that size reduction, size reduction followed by decontamination, or in situ decontamination are cost effective compared with the no-processing option. The technology transfer activities included site presentations and discussionsmore » with operations and waste management personnel to identify application opportunities and site-specific considerations and constraints that could affect the implementation of TRU waste conversion principles. These discussions disclosed definite potential for the beneficial application of these principles at most of the sites, but also confirmed the existence of site-specific factors ranging from space limitations to LLW disposal restrictions that could preclude particular applications or diminish expected benefits. 8 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Small mammal populations at hazardous waste disposal sites near Houston, Texas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, C.S.

1990-01-01

Small mammals were trapped, tagged and recaptured in 0?45 ha plots at six hazardous industrial waste disposal sites to determine if populations, body mass and age structures were different from paired control site plots. Low numbers of six species of small mammals were captured on industrial waste sites or control sites. Only populations of hispid cotton rats at industrial waste sites and control sites were large enough for comparisons. Overall population numbers, age structure, and body mass of adult male and female cotton rats were similar at industrial waste sites and control sites. Populations of small mammals (particularly hispid cotton rats) may not suffice as indicators of environments with hazardous industrial waste contamination.

Critical management practices influencing on-site waste minimization in construction projects.

PubMed

Ajayi, Saheed O; Oyedele, Lukumon O; Bilal, Muhammad; Akinade, Olugbenga O; Alaka, Hafiz A; Owolabi, Hakeem A

2017-01-01

As a result of increasing recognition of effective site management as the strategic approach for achieving the required performance in construction projects, this study seeks to identify the key site management practices that are requisite for construction waste minimization. A mixed methods approach, involving field study and survey research were used as means of data collection. After confirmation of construct validity and reliability of scale, data analysis was carried out through a combination of Kruskal-Wallis test, descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The study suggests that site management functions could significantly reduce waste generation through strict adherence to project drawings, and by ensuring fewer or no design changes during construction process. Provision of waste skips for specific materials and maximisation of on-site reuse of materials are also found to be among the key factors for engendering waste minimization. The result of factor analysis suggests four factors underlying on-site waste management practices with 96.093% of total variance. These measures include contractual provisions for waste minimization, waste segregation, maximisation of materials reuse and effective logistic management. Strategies through which each of the underlying measures could be achieved are further discussed in the paper. Findings of this study would assist construction site managers and other site operatives in reducing waste generated by construction activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Thermal Treatment of Hanford Site Low-Level Mixed Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-09-01

DOE proposes to transport contact-handled LLMW from the Hanford Site to the Allied Technology Group (ATG) Mixed Waste Facility (MWF) in Richland, Washington, for non-thermal treatment and to return the treated waste to the Hanford Site for eventual land disposal. Over a 3-year period the waste would be staged to the ATG MWF, and treated waste would be returned to the Hanford Site. The ATG MWF would be located on an 18 hectare (ha) (45 acre [at]) ATG Site adjacent to ATG's licensed low-level waste processing facility at 2025 Battelle Boulevard. The ATG MWF is located approximately 0.8 kilometers (km)more » (0.5 miles [mi]) south of Horn Rapids Road and 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Stevens Drive. The property is located within the Horn Rapids triangle in northern Richland (Figure 2.1). The ATG MWF is to be located on the existing ATG Site, near the DOE Hanford Site, in an industrial area in the City of Richland. The effects of siting, construction, and overall operation of the MWF have been evaluated in a separate State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) EIS (City of Richland 1998). The proposed action includes transporting the LLMW from the Hanford Site to the ATG Facility, non-thermal treatment of the LLMW at the ATG MWF, and transporting the waste from ATG back to the Hanford Site. Impacts fi-om waste treatment operations would be bounded by the ATG SEPA EIS, which included an evaluation of the impacts associated with operating the non-thermal portion of the MWF at maximum design capacity (8,500 metric tons per year) (City of Richland 1998). Up to 50 employees would be required for non-thermal treatment portion of the MWF. This includes 40 employees that would perform waste treatment operations and 10 support staff. Similar numbers were projected for the thermal treatment portion of the MWF (City of Richland 1998).« less

Heavy metals distribution and risk assessment in soil from an informal E-waste recycling site in Lagos State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Isimekhai, Khadijah A; Garelick, Hemda; Watt, John; Purchase, Diane

2017-07-01

Informal E-waste recycling can pose a risk to human health and the environment which this study endeavours to evaluate. The distribution of a number of heavy metals in soil from an informal recycling site in the largest market for used and new electronics and electrical equipment in West Africa was investigated. The potential bioavailability of heavy metals, extent of contamination, potential risk due to the recycling activities and impact of external factors such as rainfall were also assessed. The concentrations of all the heavy metals tested were higher in the area where burning of the waste occurred than at the control site, suggesting an impact of the recycling activities on the soil. The order of total metal concentrations was Cu > Pb > Zn > Mn > Ni > Sb > Cr > Cd for both the dry and wet seasons. The total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn were all significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the dry season than in the wet season. The concentrations of Cu (329-7106 mg kg -1 ), Pb (115-9623 mg kg -1 ) and Zn (508-8178 mg kg -1 ) were consistently higher than international soil guideline values. Using a sequential extraction method, the potential bioavailability of the heavy metals was indicated as Cd > Sb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr. When the risk was assessed using the Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI), Cu was found to contribute the most to the potential ecological risk and Cd gave rise to the greatest concern due to its high toxic-response factor within the study site. Similarly, utilising the Risk Assessment Code (RAC) suggested that Cd posed the most risk in this site. This research establishes a high level of contamination in the study site and underscores the importance of applying the appropriate chemical speciation in risk assessment.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in surface soils from e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas in South China: concentration levels, congener profile, and inventory.

PubMed

Gao, Shutao; Hong, Jianwen; Yu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jingzhi; Yang, Guoyi; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2011-12-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in 60 surface soils from two e-waste recycling sites (Qingyuan and Guiyu, China) and their surrounding areas to assess the extent and influence of PBDEs from e-waste recycling sites on the surrounding areas. A total of 32 surface soils from industrial areas in South China were also investigated for comparison. The mean concentrations of total PBDEs in the e-waste recycling sites of Guiyu and Qingyuan were 2,909 and 3,230 ng/g dry weight, respectively, whereas the PBDE concentrations decreased dramatically (1-2 orders of magnitude) with increasing distance from the recycling site, suggesting that the e-waste recycling activities were the major source of PBDEs in the surrounding areas. Decabromodiphenyl ethers accounted for 77.0 to 85.8% of total PBDEs in e-waste recycling areas, whereas it accounted for 90.2% in industrial areas. Principal component analysis showed that the major source of PBDEs in e-waste recycling areas were a combination of penta-, octa-, and deca-BDE commercial formulations, whereas deca-BDE commercial formulations were the major source of PBDE congeners in industrial areas. The inventories of PBDEs gave preliminary estimates of 6.22 tons and 13.4 tons for the e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas. The results suggested that significantly higher PBDEs in the e-waste recycling sites have already affected surrounding areas negatively within a relatively large distance. Because of the environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of PBDEs, improving the recycling techniques employed at such facilities and developing e-waste management policies are necessary. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Assessing the economics of processing end-of-life vehicles through manual dismantling.

PubMed

Tian, Jin; Chen, Ming

2016-10-01

Most dismantling enterprises in a number of developing countries, such as China, usually adopt the "manual+mechanical" dismantling approach to process end-of-life vehicles. However, the automobile industry does not have a clear indicator to reasonably and effectively determine the manual dismantling degree for end-of-life vehicles. In this study, five different dismantling scenarios and an economic system for end-of-life vehicles were developed based on the actual situation of end-of-life vehicles. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was applied to set the weights of direct costs, indirect costs, and sales and to obtain an optimal manual dismantling scenario. Results showed that although the traditional method of "dismantling to the end" can guarantee the highest recycling rate, this method is not the best among all the scenarios. The profit gained in the optimal scenario is 100.6% higher than that in the traditional scenario. The optimal manual dismantling scenario showed that enterprises are required to select suitable parts to process through manual dismantling. Selecting suitable parts maximizes economic profit and improves dismantling speed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geohydrologic aspects for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.

1989-01-01

The objective for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste repository sites is to isolate the waste from the biosphere until the waste no longer poses an unacceptable hazard as a result of radioactive decay. Low-level radioactive waste commonly is isolated at shallow depths with various engineered features to stabilize the waste and to reduce its dissolution and transport by ground water. The unsaturated zone generally is preferred for isolating the waste. Low-level radioactive waste may need to be isolated for 300 to 500 years. Maintenance and monitoring of the repository site are required by Federal regulations for only the first 100 years. Therefore, geohydrology of the repository site needs to provide natural isolation of the waste for the hazardous period following maintenance of the site. Engineering design of the repository needs to be compatible with the natural geohydrologic conditions at the site. Studies at existing commercial and Federal waste-disposal sites provide information on the problems encountered and the basis for establishing siting guidelines for improved isolation of radioactive waste, engineering design of repository structures, and surveillance needs to assess the effectiveness of the repositories and to provide early warning of problems that may require remedial action.Climate directly affects the hydrology of a site and probably is the most important single factor that affects the suitability of a site for shallow-land burial of low-level radioactive waste. Humid and subhumid regions are not well suited for shallow isolation of low-level radioactive waste in the unsaturated zone; arid regions with zero to small infiltration from precipitation, great depths to the water table, and long flow paths to natural discharge areas are naturally well suited to isolation of the waste. The unsaturated zone is preferred for isolation of low-level radioactive waste. The guiding rationale is to minimize contact of water with the waste and to

Emerging issue of e-waste in Pakistan: A review of status, research needs and data gaps.

PubMed

Iqbal, Mehreen; Breivik, Knut; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C

2015-12-01

This review article focuses on the current situation of e-waste in Pakistan with the emphasis on defining the major e-waste recycling sites, current and future domestic generation of e-waste, hidden flows or import of e-waste and discusses various challenges for e-waste management. Needed policy interventions and possible measures to be taken at governmental level are discussed to avoid the increasing problem of e-waste in the country. Our findings highlight that there is still a general lack of reliable data, inventories and research studies addressing e-waste related issues in the context of environmental and human health in Pakistan. There is therefore a critical need to improve the current knowledge base, which should build upon the research experience from other countries which have experienced similar situations in the past. Further research into these issues in Pakistan is considered vital to help inform future policies/control strategies as already successfully implemented in other countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elevated lead levels and changes in blood morphology and erythrocyte CR1 in preschool children from an e-waste area.

PubMed

Dai, Yifeng; Huo, Xia; Zhang, Yu; Yang, Tian; Li, Minghui; Xu, Xijin

2017-08-15

Improper dismantling and combustion of electronic waste (e-waste) may release persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals that possess potential risk for human health. Lead (Pb) is carried through the circulatory system by erythrocytes and is known to alter the functions of hematopoietic and immune systems. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Pb exposure on blood morphology and erythrocyte complement receptor 1 (CR1) levels as related to immunologic function in preschool children. We recruited 484 preschool children, 2- to 6-years of age, among whom 332 children were from Guiyu, a typical and primitive e-waste processing area, and 152 children from Haojiang (reference area). Results showed that the blood Pb level (BPb) and erythrocyte Pb level (EPb) of exposed children were significantly higher, but, the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and erythrocyte CR1 levels were significantly lower than reference children. Elevated EPb and BPb was related to disadvantageous changes in hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and MCHC, respectively, in children from the e-waste recycling area. Furthermore, in the high Pb-exposed group, the Pb toxicity of erythrocytes was more significant compared to the low Pb-exposed group in e-waste-exposed children. Combine with the BPb and EPb would be better to evaluating the Pb toxicity of erythrocytes. Compared to low Pb exposure, high BPb and EPb were associated with lower erythrocyte CR1 expression in all children. Our data suggests that elevated Pb levels result in adverse changes in blood morphology, hemoglobin synthesis and CR1 expression, which might be a non-negligible threat to erythrocyte immunity development in local preschool children. It is therefore imperative for any intervention to control the Pb exposure of children and actively educate adults to raise their environmental awareness of potential e-waste pollution during the

A systematic review of the human body burden of e-waste exposure in China.

PubMed

Song, Qingbin; Li, Jinhui

2014-07-01

As China is one of the countries facing the most serious pollution and human exposure effects of e-waste in the world, much of the population there is exposed to potentially hazardous substances due to informal e-waste recycling processes. This report reviews recent studies on human exposure to e-waste in China, with particular focus on exposure routes (e.g. dietary intake, inhalation, and soil/dust ingestion) and human body burden markers (e.g. placenta, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, blood, hair, and urine) and assesses the evidence for the association between such e-waste exposure and the human body burden in China. The results suggest that residents in the e-waste exposure areas, located mainly in the three traditional e-waste recycling sites (Taizhou, Guiyu, and Qingyuan), are faced with a potential higher daily intake of these pollutants than residents in the control areas, especially via food ingestion. Moreover, pollutants (PBBs, PBDEs, PCBs, PCDD/Fs, and heavy metals) from the e-waste recycling processes were all detectable in the tissue samples at high levels, showing that they had entered residents' bodies through the environment and dietary exposure. Children and neonates are the groups most sensitive to the human body effects of e-waste exposure. We also recorded plausible outcomes associated with exposure to e-waste, including 7 types of human body burden. Although the data suggest that exposure to e-waste is harmful to health, better designed epidemiological investigations in vulnerable populations, especially neonates and children, are needed to confirm these associations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Operational Strategies for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site in Egypt - 13513

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, Yasser T.

The ultimate aims of treatment and conditioning is to prepare waste for disposal by ensuring that the waste will meet the waste acceptance criteria of a disposal facility. Hence the purpose of low-level waste disposal is to isolate the waste from both people and the environment. The radioactive particles in low-level waste emit the same types of radiation that everyone receives from nature. Most low-level waste fades away to natural background levels of radioactivity in months or years. Virtually all of it diminishes to natural levels in less than 300 years. In Egypt, The Hot Laboratories and Waste Management Centermore » has been established since 1983, as a waste management facility for LLW and ILW and the disposal site licensed for preoperational in 2005. The site accepts the low level waste generated on site and off site and unwanted radioactive sealed sources with half-life less than 30 years for disposal and all types of sources for interim storage prior to the final disposal. Operational requirements at the low-level (LLRW) disposal site are listed in the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control NCNSRC guidelines. Additional procedures are listed in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Standards Manual. The following describes the current operations at the LLRW disposal site. (authors)« less

Strategy of Construction and Demolition Waste Management after Chemical Industry Facilities Removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tashkinova, I. N.; Batrakova, G. M.; Vaisman, Ya I.

2017-06-01

Mixed waste products are generated in the process of irrelevant industrial projects’ removal if conventional techniques of their demolition and dismantling are applied. In Russia the number of unused chemical industry facilities including structures with high rate of wear is growing. In removing industrial buildings and production shops it is used conventional techniques of demolition and dismantling in the process of which mixed waste products are generated. The presence of hazardous chemicals in these wastes makes difficulties for their use and leads to the increasing volume of unutilized residues. In the process of chemical industry facilities’ removal this fact takes on special significance as a high level of hazardous chemicals in the waste composition demands for the realization of unprofitable measures aimed at ensuring environmental and industrial safety. The proposed strategy of managing waste originated from the demolition and dismantling of chemical industry facilities is based on the methodology of industrial metabolism which allows identifying separate material flows of recycled, harmful and ballast components, performing separate collection of components during removal and taking necessary preventive measures. This strategy has been tested on the aniline synthesis plant being in the process of removal. As a result, a flow of 10 wt. %, subjected to decontamination, was isolated from the total volume of construction and demolition waste (C&D waste). The considered approach allowed using the resource potential of more than 80wt. % of waste and minimizing the disposed waste volume.

Multi-trace element levels and arsenic speciation in urine of e-waste recycling workers from Agbogbloshie, Accra in Ghana.

PubMed

Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Agusa, Tetsuro; Biney, Charles Augustus; Agyekum, William Atuobi; Bello, Mohammed; Otsuka, Masanari; Itai, Takaaki; Takahashi, Shin; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2012-05-01

To understand human contamination by multi-trace elements (TEs) in electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site at Agbogbloshie, Accra in Ghana, this study analyzed TEs and As speciation in urine of e-waste recycling workers. Concentrations of Fe, Sb, and Pb in urine of e-waste recycling workers were significantly higher than those of reference sites after consideration of interaction by age, indicating that the recycling workers are exposed to these TEs through the recycling activity. Urinary As concentration was relatively high, although the level in drinking water was quite low. Speciation analysis of As in human urine revealed that arsenobetaine and dimethylarsinic acid were the predominant As species and concentrations of both species were positively correlated with total As concentration as well as between each other. These results suggest that such compounds may be derived from the same source, probably fish and shellfish and greatly influence As exposure levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study on human contamination resulting from the primitive recycling of e-waste in Ghana. This study will contribute to the knowledge about human exposure to trace elements from an e-waste site in a less industrialized region so far scantly covered in the literature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Closure report for Corrective Action Unit 211, Area 15 EPA Farm waste sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-04-01

This Closure Report summarizes the corrective actions which were completed at the Corrective Action Sites within Corrective Action Unit 211 Area 15 Farm Waste Sties at the Nevada Test Site. Current site descriptions, observations and identification of wastes removed are included on FFACO Corrective Action Site housekeeping closure verification forms.

GEOSTATISTICAL SAMPLING DESIGNS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter discusses field sampling design for environmental sites and hazardous waste sites with respect to random variable sampling theory, Gy's sampling theory, and geostatistical (kriging) sampling theory. The literature often presents these sampling methods as an adversari...

Informal e-waste recycling: environmental risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in Mandoli industrial area, Delhi, India.

PubMed

Pradhan, Jatindra Kumar; Kumar, Sudhir

2014-01-01

Nowadays, e-waste is a major source of environmental problems and opportunities due to presence of hazardous elements and precious metals. This study was aimed to evaluate the pollution risk of heavy metal contamination by informal recycling of e-waste. Environmental risk assessment was determined using multivariate statistical analysis, index of geoaccumulation, enrichment factor, contamination factor, degree of contamination and pollution load index by analysing heavy metals in surface soils, plants and groundwater samples collected from and around informal recycling workshops in Mandoli industrial area, Delhi, India. Concentrations of heavy metals like As (17.08 mg/kg), Cd (1.29 mg/kg), Cu (115.50 mg/kg), Pb (2,645.31 mg/kg), Se (12.67 mg/kg) and Zn (776.84 mg/kg) were higher in surface soils of e-waste recycling areas compared to those in reference site. Level exceeded the values suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). High accumulations of heavy metals were also observed in the native plant samples (Cynodon dactylon) of e-waste recycling areas. The groundwater samples collected form recycling area had high heavy metal concentrations as compared to permissible limit of Indian Standards and maximum allowable limit of WHO guidelines for drinking water. Multivariate analysis and risk assessment studies based on total metal content explains the clear-cut differences among sampling sites and a strong evidence of heavy metal pollution because of informal recycling of e-waste. This study put forward that prolonged informal recycling of e-waste may accumulate high concentration of heavy metals in surface soils, plants and groundwater, which will be a matter of concern for both environmental and occupational hazards. This warrants an immediate need of remedial measures to reduce the heavy metal contamination of e-waste recycling sites.

Sustainable design for automotive products: dismantling and recycling of end-of-life vehicles.

PubMed

Tian, Jin; Chen, Ming

2014-02-01

The growth in automotive production has increased the number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) annually. The traditional approach ELV processing involves dismantling, shredding, and landfill disposal. The "3R" (i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle) principle has been increasingly employed in processing ELVs, particularly ELV parts, to promote sustainable development. The first step in processing ELVs is dismantling. However, certain parts of the vehicle are difficult to disassemble and use in practice. The extended producer responsibility policy requires carmakers to contribute in the processing of scrap cars either for their own developmental needs or for social responsibility. The design for dismantling approach can be an effective solution to the existing difficulties in dismantling ELVs. This approach can also provide guidelines in the design of automotive products. This paper illustrates the difficulty of handling polymers in dashboards. The physical properties of polymers prevent easy separation and recycling by using mechanical methods. Thus, dealers have to rely on chemical methods such as pyrolysis. Therefore, car designers should use a single material to benefit dealers. The use of materials for effective end-of-life processing without sacrificing the original performance requirements of the vehicle should be explored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-waste disposal effects on the aquatic environment: Accra, Ghana.

PubMed

Huang, Jingyu; Nkrumah, Philip Nti; Anim, Desmond Ofosu; Mensah, Ebenezer

2014-01-01

The volume of e-waste is growing around the world, and, increasingly, it is being disposed of by export from developed to developing countries. This is the situation in Ghana, and, in this paper we address the potential consequences of such e-waste disposal. Herein, we describe how e-waste is processed in Ghana, and what the fate is of e-waste-chemical contaminants during recycling and storage. Finally, to the extent it is known, we address the prospective adverse effects of e-waste-related contaminants on health and aquatic life downstream from a large e-waste disposal facility in Accra, Ghana.In developing countries, including Ghana, e-waste is routinely disassembled by unprotected workers that utilize rudimentary methods and tools. Once disassembled,e-waste components are often stored in large piles outdoors. These processing and storage methods expose workers and local residents to several heavy metals and organic chemicals that exist in e-waste components. The amount of e-waste dumped in Ghana is increasing annually by about 20,000 t. The local aquatic environment is at a potential high risk, because the piles of e-waste components stored outside are routinely drenched or flooded by rainfall, producing run-off from storage sites to local waterways. Both water and sediment samples show that e-waste-related contaminant shave entered Ghana's water ways.The extent of pollution produced in key water bodies of Ghana (Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon) underscores the need for aquatic risk assessments of the many contaminants released during e-waste processing. Notwithstanding the fact that pollutants from other sources reach the water bodies, it is clear that these water bodies are also heavily impacted by contaminants that are found in e-waste. Our concern is that such exposures have limited and will continue to limit the diversity of aquatic organisms.There have also been changes in the abundance and biomass of surviving species and changes in food chains. Therefore

On evaluation of assessments of accruals of future dismantling costs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Labor, Bea; Lindskog, Staffan

A major prerequisite in order for civilian commercial nuclear energy production to qualify as sustainable energy production is that systems for the management of the nuclear waste legacy are in operation. These waste types are present in a range from very low short lived waste (VLLW) to long lived high level waste (HLW) (including the used nuclear fuel). The second prerequisite is that financial responsibilities or other constraints must not be passed on to coming generations. The first condition for qualification corresponds to the Polluters Pays Principle (PPP) which demands that the responsibility for the waste management rests solely withmore » the polluter. The second qualification corresponds to the principle of fairness between generations and thus concerns the appropriate distribution of responsibilities between the generations. It is important to note that these two conditions must be met simultaneously, and that compliance with both is a necessary prerequisite in order for commercial use of nuclear power to qualify as a semi-sustainable energy source. Financial and technical planning for dismantling and decommissioning of nuclear installations cannot be regarded as successful unless it rests upon a distinctive way to describe and explain the well-founded values of different groups of stakeholders. This cumbersome task can be underpinned by transparent and easy to grasp models for calculation and estimation of future environmental liabilities. It essential that a systematic classification is done of all types of costs and that an effort is done to evaluate the precision level in the cost estimates. In this paper, a systematic and transparent way to develop a parametric approach that rest upon basic accounting standards is combined with data about younger stakeholder's values towards decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear installation. The former entity rests upon theoretical and practical methods from business administration, whilst the latter is

Hazardous Waste Site Remediation, Neighborhood Change, and Neighborhood Quality.

PubMed Central

Greenberg, M; Schneider, D

1994-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that neighborhoods with hazardous waste sites may no longer be undesirable places to live if they have been at least partly remediated. We collected 377 questionnaires (42% response rate) administered from within one-half mile of the number 1, 4, and 12 hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List (Superfund). These neighborhoods were rated higher quality than neighborhoods with unremediated hazardous waste sites and about the same as neighborhoods in northern New Jersey and the United States as a whole. Newer residents considered these formerly tainted areas to be opportunities to upgrade their housing and living conditions. Long-term residents retained the negative image of the blemished neighborhood. Images p542-a PMID:9679112

Closure Plan for the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Management

The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RMWS) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is managed and operated by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This document is the first update of the preliminary closure plan for the Area 5 RWMS at the NTS that was presented in the Integrated Closure and Monitoring Plan (DOE, 2005a). The major updates to the plan include a new closure schedule, updated closure inventory, updated site and facility characterization data, the Title II engineering cover design, and the closure processmore » for the 92-Acre Area of the RWMS. The format and content of this site-specific plan follows the Format and Content Guide for U.S. Department of Energy Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Closure Plans (DOE, 1999a). This interim closure plan meets closure and post-closure monitoring requirements of the order DOE O 435.1, manual DOE M 435.1-1, Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 191, 40 CFR 265, Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 444.743, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements as incorporated into NAC 444.8632. The Area 5 RWMS accepts primarily packaged low-level waste (LLW), low-level mixed waste (LLMW), and asbestiform low-level waste (ALLW) for disposal in excavated disposal cells.« less

Comparison of soil heavy metal pollution caused by e-waste recycling activities and traditional industrial operations.

PubMed

He, Kailing; Sun, Zehang; Hu, Yuanan; Zeng, Xiangying; Yu, Zhiqiang; Cheng, Hefa

2017-04-01

The traditional industrial operations are well recognized as an important source of heavy metal pollution, while that caused by the e-waste recycling activities, which have sprouted in some developing countries, is often overlooked. This study was carried out to compare the status of soil heavy metal pollution caused by the traditional industrial operations and the e-waste recycling activities in the Pearl River Delta, and assess whether greater attention should be paid to control the pollution arising from e-waste recycling activities. Both the total contents and the chemical fractionation of major heavy metals (As, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in 50 surface soil samples collected from the e-waste recycling areas and 20 soil samples from the traditional industrial zones were determined. The results show that the soils in the e-waste recycling areas were mainly polluted by Cu, Zn, As, and Cd, while Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were the major heavy metals in the soils from the traditional industrial zones. Statistical analyses consistently show that Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn in the surface soils from both types of sites were contributed mostly by human activities, while As, Cr, and Ni in the soils were dominated by natural background. No clear distinction was found on the pollution characteristic of heavy metals in the surface soils between the e-waste recycling areas and traditional industrial zones. The potential ecological risk posed by heavy metals in the surface soils from both types of sites, which was dominated by that from Cd, ranged from low to moderate. Given the much shorter development history of e-waste recycling and its largely unregulated nature, significant efforts should be made to crack down on illegal e-waste recycling and strengthen pollution control for related activities.

Prospects for resolving hazardous-waste-siting disputes through negotiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bingham, G.; Miller, D.S.

The impasse created by public opposition to siting hazardous waste facilities has prompted several efforts to reform the siting process, but most of the approaches have failed because they do not deal fully with causes and dynamics of public opposition. Negotiation, with offers of appropriate compensation for actual and potential losses, appears to offer a more direct and equitable response to this opposition than do traditional approaches. Negotiation allows the parties to address the problem of unequal cost and benefit distribution associated with siting hazardous waste facilities. There are several examples of negotiated siting agreements. 79 references.

Study on detecting leachate leakage of municipal solid waste landfill site.

PubMed

Liu, Jiangang; Cao, Xianxian; Ai, Yingbo; Zhou, Dongdong; Han, Qiting

2015-06-01

The article studies the detection of the leakage passage of leachate in a waste landfill dam. The leachate of waste landfill has its own features, like high conductivity, high chroma and an increasing temperature, also, the horizontal flow velocity of groundwater on the leakage site increases. This article proposes a comprehensive tracing method to identify the leakage site of an impermeable membrane by using these features. This method has been applied to determine two leakage sites of the Yahu municipal solid waste landfill site in Pingshan District, Shenzhen, China, which shows that there are two leachate leakage passages in the waste landfill dam A between NZK-2 and NZK-3, and between NZK-6 and NZK-7. © The Author(s) 2015.

E-waste bans and U.S. households' preferences for disposing of their e-waste.

PubMed

Milovantseva, Natalia; Saphores, Jean-Daniel

2013-07-30

To deal with the inadequate disposal of e-waste, many states have instituted bans on its disposal in municipal landfills. However, the effectiveness of e-waste bans does not seem to have been analyzed yet. This paper starts addressing this gap. Using data from a survey of U.S. households, we estimate multivariate logit models to explain past disposal behavior by households of broken/obsolete ("junk") cell phones and disposal intentions for "junk" TVs. Our explanatory variables include factors summarizing general awareness of environmental issues, pro-environmental behavior in the past year, attitudes toward recycling small electronics (for the cell phones model only), socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and the presence of state e-waste bans. We find that California's Cell Phone Recycling Act had a significant and positive impact on the recycling of junk cell phones; however, state disposal bans for junk TVs seem to have been mostly ineffective, probably because they were poorly publicized and enforced. Their effectiveness could be enhanced by providing more information about e-waste recycling to women, and more generally to adults under 60. Given the disappointing performance of policies implemented to-date to enhance the collection of e-waste, it may be time to explore economic instruments such as deposit-refund systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Haiti: Feasibility of Waste-to-Energy Options at the Trutier Waste Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conrad, M. D.; Hunsberger, R.; Ness, J. E.

2014-08-01

This report provides further analysis of the feasibility of a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in the area near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. NREL's previous analysis and reports identified anaerobic digestion (AD) as the optimal WTE technology at the facility. Building on the prior analyses, this report evaluates the conceptual financial and technical viability of implementing a combined waste management and electrical power production strategy by constructing a WTE facility at the existing Trutier waste site north of Port-au-Prince.

Structured identification of response options to address environmental health risks at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste site.

PubMed

Cazabon, Danielle; Fobil, Julius N; Essegbey, George; Basu, Niladri

2017-11-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing problem across low- and middle-income countries. Agbogbloshie (Accra, Ghana) is among the world's largest and most notorious e-waste sites, with an increasing number of studies documenting a range of environmental health risks. The present study aimed to provide national, regional, and international stakeholders with a summary of expert opinion on the most pressing problems arising from e-waste activities at Agbogbloshie, as well as suggested solutions to address these problems. Structured interviews were performed between April and September 2015 that used a Logical Framework Approach as a scoping exercise to gauge problems and benefits of e-waste recycling, and the Delphi methodology to identify response options. Stakeholders (n = 19) from 15 institutions were interviewed with 2 rounds of a Delphi Poll: open-ended interviews followed by an electronic questionnaire in which experts ranked various proposed response options based on health, environmental, social, and economic benefit and feasibility. The goal was to prioritize potential interventions that would address identified problems at Agbogbloshie. Experts identified the most beneficial and feasible options in decreasing rank order as follows and prefaced by the statement "it is recommended that": 1) there be further research on the health effects; 2) e-waste workers be given appropriate personal protective equipment; 3) the Ministry of the Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation re-visit Ghana's Hazardous Waste Bill; 4) e-waste workers be involved in the planning process of interventions and are be kept informed of any results; and 5) there be increased education and sensitization on hazards related to e-waste for both workers and the general public. These solutions are discussed in relation to ongoing dialogue at the international level concerning e-waste recycling interventions, with strengths and weaknesses examined for the Ghanaian context. Integr

E-waste management in India: A mini-review.

PubMed

Awasthi, Abhishek Kumar; Wang, Mengmeng; Wang, Zhishi; Awasthi, Mrigendra Kumar; Li, Jinhui

2018-05-01

Environmental deterioration and health risk due to improper e-waste management has become a serious issue in India. The major portion of e-waste reaches an unorganized e-waste recycling sector and is then treated by using crude methods. This review article presents a brief highlight on e-waste management status, legislation, and technology uses in India. The present e-waste management needs to be more focused on environmentally sound management, by more active support from all the participants involved in the e-waste flow chain in India.

Special Analysis for Disposal of High-Concentration I-129 Waste in the Intermediate-Level Vaults at the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collard, L.B.

2000-09-26

This revision was prepared to address comments from DOE-SR that arose following publication of revision 0. This Special Analysis (SA) addresses disposal of wastes with high concentrations of I-129 in the Intermediate-Level (IL) Vaults at the operating, low-level radioactive waste disposal facility (the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility or LLWF) on the Savannah River Site (SRS). This SA provides limits for disposal in the IL Vaults of high-concentration I-129 wastes, including activated carbon beds from the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), based on their measured, waste-specific Kds.

36 CFR 6.5 - Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites in..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.5 Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) The operator of a solid waste disposal site in...

36 CFR 6.5 - Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites in..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.5 Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) The operator of a solid waste disposal site in...

36 CFR 6.5 - Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites in..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.5 Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) The operator of a solid waste disposal site in...

36 CFR 6.5 - Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites in..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.5 Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) The operator of a solid waste disposal site in...

36 CFR 6.5 - Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites in..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.5 Solid waste disposal sites in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) The operator of a solid waste disposal site in...

Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ohajinwa, Chimere M; Van Bodegom, Peter M; Vijver, Martina G; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

2017-08-13

Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with occupational health risk awareness of e-waste workers compared with a control group (butchers) in the informal sector in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to assess health risk awareness of 279 e-waste workers (repairers and dismantlers) and 221 butchers from the informal sector in three locations in Nigeria in 2015. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic backgrounds, occupational history, knowledge, attitude, and work practices. The data was analysed using Analysis of Variance. The three job designations had significantly different knowledge, attitude, and practice mean scores ( p = 0.000), with butchers consistently having the highest mean scores. Only 43% of e-waste workers could mention one or more Personal Protective Equipment needed for their job compared with 70% of the butchers. The health risk awareness level of the e-waste workers was significantly lower compared with their counterparts in the same informal sector. A positive correlation existed between the workers' knowledge and their attitude and practice. Therefore, increasing the workers' knowledge may decrease risky practices.

Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Van Bodegom, Peter M.; Vijver, Martina G.

2017-01-01

Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with occupational health risk awareness of e-waste workers compared with a control group (butchers) in the informal sector in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to assess health risk awareness of 279 e-waste workers (repairers and dismantlers) and 221 butchers from the informal sector in three locations in Nigeria in 2015. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic backgrounds, occupational history, knowledge, attitude, and work practices. The data was analysed using Analysis of Variance. The three job designations had significantly different knowledge, attitude, and practice mean scores (p = 0.000), with butchers consistently having the highest mean scores. Only 43% of e-waste workers could mention one or more Personal Protective Equipment needed for their job compared with 70% of the butchers. The health risk awareness level of the e-waste workers was significantly lower compared with their counterparts in the same informal sector. A positive correlation existed between the workers’ knowledge and their attitude and practice. Therefore, increasing the workers’ knowledge may decrease risky practices. PMID:28805712

Multi-discipline Waste Acceptance Process at the Nevada National Security Site - 13573

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carilli, Jhon T.; Krenzien, Susan K.

2013-07-01

The Nevada National Security Site low-level radioactive waste disposal facility acceptance process requires multiple disciplines to ensure the protection of workers, the public, and the environment. These disciplines, which include waste acceptance, nuclear criticality, safety, permitting, operations, and performance assessment, combine into the overall waste acceptance process to assess low-level radioactive waste streams for disposal at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site. Four waste streams recently highlighted the integration of these disciplines: the Oak Ridge Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators and Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project material, West Valley Melter, and classified waste. (authors)

High levels of PAH-metabolites in urine of e-waste recycling workers from Agbogbloshie, Ghana.

PubMed

Feldt, Torsten; Fobil, Julius N; Wittsiepe, Jürgen; Wilhelm, Michael; Till, Holger; Zoufaly, Alexander; Burchard, Gerd; Göen, Thomas

2014-01-01

The informal recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) is an emerging source of environmental pollution in Africa. Among other toxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a major health concern for exposed individuals. In a cross-sectional study, the levels of PAH metabolites in the urine of individuals working on one of the largest e-waste recycling sites of Africa, and in controls from a suburb of Accra without direct exposure to e-waste recycling activities, were investigated. Socioeconomic data, basic health data and urine samples were collected from 72 exposed individuals and 40 controls. In the urine samples, concentrations of the hydroxylate PAH metabolites (OH-PAH) 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OH-phenanthrene), the sum of 2- and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-/9-OH-phenanthrene), 3-hydroxyphenanthrene (3-OH-phenanthrene), 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-phenanthrene) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-pyrene), as well as cotinine and creatinine, were determined. In the exposed group, median urinary concentrations were 0.85 μg/g creatinine for 1-OH-phenanthrene, 0.54 μg/g creatinine for 2-/9-OH-phenanthrene, 0.99 μg/g creatinine for 3-OH-phenanthrene, 0.22 μg/g creatinine for 4-OH-phenanthrene, and 1.33 μg/g creatinine for 1-OH-pyrene, all being significantly higher compared to the control group (0.55, 0.37, 0.63, 0.11 and 0.54 μg/g creatinine, respectively). Using a multivariate linear regression analysis including sex, cotinine and tobacco smoking as covariates, exposure to e-waste recycling activities was the most important determinant for PAH exposure. On physical examination, pathological findings were rare, but about two thirds of exposed individuals complained about cough, and one quarter about chest pain. In conclusion, we observed significantly higher urinary PAH metabolite concentrations in individuals who were exposed to e-waste recycling compared to controls who were not exposed to e-waste recycling activities. The impact of e-waste recycling on exposure to

Detecting Waste Tire Sites Using Satellite Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinlan, B.; Huybrechts, C.; Schmidt, C.; Skiles, J. W.

2005-12-01

Waste tire piles pose environmental threats in the form of toxic fires and potential insect habitat. Previous techniques used to locate tire piles have included California Highway Patrol aerial surveillance and location tips from stakeholders. The TIRe (Tire Identification from Reflectance) model was developed as part of a pilot-project funded by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and executed at NASA Ames Research Center's DEVELOP Program during the summer of 2005. The goal of the pilot-project was to determine if high-resolution satellite imagery could be used to locate waste tire disposal sites. The TIRe model, built in Leica Geosystems' ERDAS Imagine Model Builder, was created to automate the process of isolating tires in satellite imagery in two land cover types found in California. The sole geospatial data input to the TIRe model was Space Imaging IKONOS imagery. Once the imagery was processed through the TIRe model, less than 1% of the original image remained, consisting only of dark pixels containing tires or spectrally similar features. The output, a binary image was overlain on top of the original image for visual interpretation. The TIRe model was successfully able to identify waste tire piles as small as 400 tires and will prove to be a valuable tool for the detection, monitoring and remediation of waste tire sites.

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants in workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration.

PubMed

Yan, Xiao; Zheng, Xiaobo; Wang, Meihuan; Zheng, Jing; Xu, Rongfa; Zhuang, Xi; Lin, Ying; Ren, Mingzhong

2018-06-01

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were determined in workers from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site and an incineration plant, in order to assess the PFR exposure risks of workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the most frequently detected chemicals (82-93%). The median concentrations of BCEP, BDCIPP, and DPHP were 1.77, 0.23, and 0.70 ng/mL, and 1.44, 0.22, and 0.11 ng/mL in samples from the e-waste site and the incineration plant, respectively. Dibutyl phosphate (DBP) was detected in all samples from the incineration plant, with a median level of 0.30 ng/mL. The concentrations of BDCIPP (r = -0.31, p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with the occupational exposure time rather than age in workers from the e-waste site. Negative and significant correlations were also observed between the concentrations of BCEP (r = -0.42, p < 0.05), BDCIPP (r = -0.37, p < 0.05), and DPHP (r = -0.37, p < 0.05) and occupational exposure time rather than age in workers from the incineration plant. No gender differences were observed in levels of PFR metabolites in urine samples (p > 0.05). Concentrations of BDCIPP in female were significantly correlated with occupational exposure time (r = -0.507, p < 0.01). Concentrations of PFR metabolites in male were not significantly correlated with age or occupational exposure time (p > 0.05). Overall, the workers with occupational exposure to PFRs had different profiles of urinary PFR metabolites. The age, occupational exposure time, and gender seemed not to be main factors mediating the exposure to PFRs for workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The siting game: A NIMBY primer. [Sites for waste management facilities: Not in my backyard

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gibbs, L.M.; Lipsett, B.

If it's a David-and-Goliath type struggle, then it's difficult to distinguish David from Goliath. For in the battle to site waste-management facilities, local opposition groups are virtually winning every time. A major reason for their victories is the coaching they get from people like the authors, who lead the Citizen's Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste in Falls Church, Virginia. The clearinghouse provides opposition groups across the country with proven strategies for defeating proposals for landfills, incinerators, and hazardous-waste sites. For each move made by the advocates, the authors suggest a counter move in the high-stakes game of public persuasion. The underlyingmore » theme of siting strategies has been to bribe, confuse, or otherwise dupe the public into accepting disposal facilities.« less

From electronic consumer products to e-wastes: Global outlook, waste quantities, recycling challenges.

PubMed

Tansel, Berrin

2017-01-01

Advancements in technology, materials development, and manufacturing processes have changed the consumer products and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) since 1960s. Increasing quantities of discarded consumer products remain a major challenge for recycling efforts, especially for discarded electronic products (also referred as e-waste). The growing demand for high tech products has increased the e-waste quantities and its cross boundary transport globally. This paper reviews the challenges associated with increasing e-waste quantities. The increasing need for raw materials (especially for rare earth and minor elements) and unregulated e-waste recycling operations in developing and underdeveloped counties contribute to the growing concerns for e-waste management. Although the markets for recycled materials are increasing; there are major challenges for development of the necessary infrastructure for e-waste management and accountability as well as development of effective materials recovery technologies and product design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cleanup Verification Package for the 300 VTS Waste Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. W. Clark and T. H. Mitchell

2006-03-13

This cleanup verification package documents completion of remedial action for the 300 Area Vitrification Test Site, also known as the 300 VTS site. The site was used by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a field demonstration site for in situ vitrification of soils containing simulated waste.

Tank Waste Retrieval Lessons Learned at the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dodd, R.A.

One of the environmental remediation challenges facing the nation is the retrieval and permanent disposal of approximately 90 million gallons of radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The Hanford Site is located in southeastern Washington State and stores roughly 60 percent of this waste. An estimated 53 million gallons of high-level, transuranic, and low-level radioactive waste is stored underground in 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) and 28 newer double-shell tanks (DSTs) at the Hanford Site. These SSTs range in size from 55,000 gallons to 1,000,000 gallon capacity. Approximately 30 million gallons ofmore » this waste is stored in SSTs. The SSTs were constructed between 1943 and 1964 and all have exceeded the nominal 20-year design life. Sixty-seven SSTs are known or suspected to have leaked an estimated 1,000,000 gallons of waste to the surrounding soil. The risk of additional SST leakage has been greatly reduced by removing more than 3 million gallons of interstitial liquids and supernatant and transferring this waste to the DST system. Retrieval of SST salt-cake and sludge waste is underway to further reduce risks and stage feed materials for the Hanford Site Waste Treatment Plant. Regulatory requirements for SST waste retrieval and tank farm closure are established in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO), better known as the Tri- Party Agreement, or TPA. The HFFACO was signed by the DOE, the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and requires retrieval of as much waste as technically possible, with waste residues not to exceed 360 ft{sup 3} in 530,000 gallon or larger tanks; 30 ft{sup 3} in 55,000 gallon or smaller tanks; or the limit of waste retrieval technology, whichever is less. If residual waste volume requirements cannot be achieved, then HFFACO Appendix H provisions can be invoked to request Ecology and

Low-level radioactive waste management: transitioning to off-site disposal at Los Alamos National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorries, Alison M

2010-11-09

Facing the closure of nearly all on-site management and disposal capability for low-level radioactive waste (LLW), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is making ready to ship the majority of LLW off-site. In order to ship off-site, waste must meet the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility's (TSDF) Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). In preparation, LANL's waste management organization must ensure LANL waste generators characterize and package waste compliantly and waste characterization documentation is complete and accurate. Key challenges that must be addressed to successfully make the shift to off-site disposal of LLW include improving the detail, accuracy, and quality of process knowledgemore » (PK) and acceptable knowledge (AK) documentation, training waste generators and waste management staff on the higher standard of data quality and expectations, improved WAC compliance for off-site facilities, and enhanced quality assurance throughout the process. Certification of LANL generators will allow direct off-site shipping of LLW from their facilities.« less

Monitoring of organic micropollutants in Ghana by combination of pellet watch with sediment analysis: e-waste as a source of PCBs.

PubMed

Hosoda, Junki; Ofosu-Anim, John; Sabi, Edward Benjamin; Akita, Lailah Gifty; Onwona-Agyeman, Siaw; Yamashita, Rei; Takada, Hideshige

2014-09-15

Plastic resin pellets collected at 11 beaches covering the whole Ghanaian coastline were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCB concentrations (∑13 congeners) were higher in Accra, capital city, and Tema (39-69 ng/g-pellets) than those in rural coastal towns (1-15 ng/g-pellets) which are close to global background, indicating local inputs of PCBs. River sediments were also analyzed for PCBs together with molecular markers. Sedimentary PCBs concentrations were highest at a site (AR02) downstream of an electronic waste (e-waste) scrapyard. At the site (AR02), concentration of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), a marker of municipal wastewater, was lower than another site (AR03) which is located at the downstream of downtown Accra. This result suggests that PCBs are introduced more to the river from the e-waste site than from activities in downtown Accra. PAHs concentrations were relatively higher in urban areas with strong petrogenic signature. Abundance of triphenylbenzenes suggested plastic combustion near e-waste scrapyard. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remediation System Evaluation, Elmore Waste Disposal Superfund Site

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Elmore Waste Disposal, Inc. Superfund site is located in Greer, South Carolina. The originalElmore Site occupies approximately half an acre between South Carolina Route 290 on the south, a CSXrail line on the north and is bounded on the west by...

Declassification of radioactive water from a pool type reactor after nuclear facility dismantling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, J. M.; Sancho, M.; García-Fayos, B.; Verdú, G.; Serrano, C.; Ruiz-Martínez, J. T.

2017-09-01

This work is aimed to the treatment of the radioactive water from a dismantled nuclear facility with an experimental pool type reactor. The main objective of the treatment is to declassify the maximum volume of water and thus decrease the volume of radioactive liquid waste to be managed. In a preliminary stage, simulation of treatment by the combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and evaporation have been performed. Predicted results showed that the combination of membrane and evaporation technologies would result in a volume reduction factor higher than 600. The estimated time to complete the treatment was around 650 h (25-30 days). For different economical and organizational reasons which are explained in this paper, the final treatment of the real waste had to be reduced and only evaporation was applied. The volume reduction factor achieved in the real treatment was around 170, and the time spent for treatment was 194 days.

A Probabilistic Performance Assessment Study of Potential Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Sites in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowlton, R. G.; Arnold, B. W.; Mattie, P. D.; Kuo, M.; Tien, N.

2006-12-01

For several years now, Taiwan has been engaged in a process to select a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal site. Taiwan is generating LLW from operational and decommissioning wastes associated with nuclear power reactors, as well as research, industrial, and medical radioactive wastes. The preliminary selection process has narrowed the search to four potential candidate sites. These sites are to be evaluated in a performance assessment analysis to determine the likelihood of meeting the regulatory criteria for disposal. Sandia National Laboratories and Taiwan's Institute of Nuclear Energy Research have been working together to develop the necessary performance assessment methodology and associated computer models to perform these analyses. The methodology utilizes both deterministic (e.g., single run) and probabilistic (e.g., multiple statistical realizations) analyses to achieve the goals. The probabilistic approach provides a means of quantitatively evaluating uncertainty in the model predictions and a more robust basis for performing sensitivity analyses to better understand what is driving the dose predictions from the models. Two types of disposal configurations are under consideration: a shallow land burial concept and a cavern disposal concept. The shallow land burial option includes a protective cover to limit infiltration potential to the waste. Both conceptual designs call for the disposal of 55 gallon waste drums within concrete lined trenches or tunnels, and backfilled with grout. Waste emplaced in the drums may be solidified. Both types of sites are underlain or placed within saturated fractured bedrock material. These factors have influenced the conceptual model development of each site, as well as the selection of the models to employ for the performance assessment analyses. Several existing codes were integrated in order to facilitate a comprehensive performance assessment methodology to evaluate the potential disposal sites. First, a need

Environmental health risks of toxic waste site exposures--an epidemiological perspective.

PubMed

von Schirnding, Y E; Ehrlich, R I

1992-06-06

A general account is given of the problems of assessing the impact of human exposure to toxic waste sites, including the identification of truly exposed populations and of exposure pathways. Epidemiological studies of populations at risk are briefly reviewed and methodological problems summarised. These include the use of relatively weak study designs, inadequate exposure assessment and recall biases associated with symptom reporting among anxious residents living in the vicinity of waste sites. In South Africa, health risks associated with exposure to toxic waste sites need to be viewed in the context of current community health concerns, competing causes of disease and ill-health, and the relative lack of knowledge about environmental contamination and associated health effects. A nonspecific deterioration of health and well-being is more likely to result from waste site exposures than is overt clinical disease. Socially acceptable policies and controls may have to be based on criteria other than demonstrable ill-health. Detailed inventories and registries of the nature of disposed materials need to be maintained, sites of poorly controlled disposal in the past identified and selective environmental monitoring conducted. Epidemiological studies may be justified in situations where exposures well in excess of acceptable norms are demonstrated. An integrated national waste management policy for the country is urgently needed.

Environmental assessment for the construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Waste Segregation Facility at the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-01-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the Waste Segregation Facility (WSF) for the sorting, shredding, and compaction of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The LLW to be processed consists of two waste streams: legacy waste which is currently stored in E-Area Vaults of SRS and new waste generated from continuing operations. The proposed action is to construct, operate, and D&D a facility to process low-activity job-controlmore » and equipment waste for volume reduction. The LLW would be processed to make more efficient use of low-level waste disposal capacity (E-Area Vaults) or to meet the waste acceptance criteria for treatment at the Consolidated Incineration Facility (CIF) at SRS.« less

Cleanup Verification Package for the 300-18 Waste Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. M. Capron

This cleanup verification package documents completion of remedial action for the 300-18 waste site. This site was identified as containing radiologically contaminated soil, metal shavings, nuts, bolts, and concrete.

Development potential of e-waste recycling industry in China.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; Yang, Jie; Liu, Lili

2015-06-01

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) recycling industries in China have been through several phases from spontaneous informal family workshops to qualified enterprises with treatment fund. This study attempts to analyse the development potential of the e-waste recycling industry in China from the perspective of both time and scale potential. An estimation and forecast of e-waste quantities in China shows that, the total e-waste amount reached approximately 5.5 million tonnes in 2013, with 83% of air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions sand computers. The total quantity is expected to reach ca. 11.7 million tonnes in 2020 and 20 million tonnes in 2040, which indicates a large increase potential. Moreover, the demand for recycling processing facilities, the optimal service radius of e-waste recycling enterprises and estimation of the profitability potential of the e-waste recycling industry were analysed. Results show that, based on the e-waste collection demand, e-waste recycling enterprises therefore have a huge development potential in terms of both quantity and processing capacity, with 144 and 167 e-waste recycling facilities needed, respectively, by 2020 and 2040. In the case that e-waste recycling enterprises set up their own collection points to reduce the collection cost, the optimal collection service radius is estimated to be in the range of 173 km to 239 km. With an e-waste treatment fund subsidy, the e-waste recycling industry has a small economic profit, for example ca. US$2.5/unit for television. The annual profit for the e-waste recycling industry overall was about 90 million dollars in 2013. © The Author(s) 2015.

The challenge of electronic waste (e-waste) management in developing countries.

PubMed

Osibanjo, O; Nnorom, I C

2007-12-01

Information and telecommunications technology (ICT) and computer Internet networking has penetrated nearly every aspect of modern life, and is positively affecting human life even in the most remote areas of the developing countries. The rapid growth in ICT has led to an improvement in the capacity of computers but simultaneously to a decrease in the products lifetime as a result of which increasingly large quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) are generated annually. ICT development in most developing countries, particularly in Africa, depends more on secondhand or refurbished EEEs most of which are imported without confirmatory testing for functionality. As a result large quantities of e-waste are presently being managed in these countries. The challenges facing the developing countries in e-waste management include: an absence of infrastructure for appropriate waste management, an absence of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste, an absence of any framework for end-of-life (EoL) product take-back or implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR). This study examines these issues as they relate to practices in developing countries with emphasis on the prevailing situation in Nigeria. Effective management of e-waste in the developing countries demands the implementation of EPR, the establishment of product reuse through remanufacturing and the introduction of efficient recycling facilities. The implementation of a global system for the standardization and certification/labelling of secondhand appliances intended for export to developing countries will be required to control the export of electronic recyclables (e-scarp) in the name of secondhand appliances.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins in terrestrial bird species inhabiting an e-waste recycling site in South China.

PubMed

Luo, Xiao-Jun; Sun, Yu-Xin; Wu, Jiang-Ping; Chen, She-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian

2015-03-01

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are under review by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Currently, limited data are available about SCCPs in terrestrial organisms. In the present study, SCCP concentration in the muscles of seven terrestrial bird species (n = 38) inhabiting an e-waste recycling area in South China was determined. This concentration varied from 620 to 17,000 ng/g lipid. Resident birds accumulated significantly higher SCCP concentrations than migratory birds (p < 0.01). Trophic magnification was observed for migratory bird species but not for resident, which was attributed to high heterogeneity of SCCP in e-waste area. Two different homologue group patterns were observed in avian samples. The first pattern was found in five bird species dominated by C10 and C11 congeners, while the second was found in the remains, which show rather equal abundance of homologue groups. This may be caused by two sources of SCCPs (local and e-waste) in the study area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-waste scenario in India, its management and implications.

PubMed

Wath, Sushant B; Dutt, P S; Chakrabarti, T

2011-01-01

Electronic waste or E-waste comprises of old, end-of-life electronic appliances such as computers, laptops, TVs, DVD players, refrigerators, freezers, mobile phones, MP3 players, etc., which have been disposed of by their original users. E-waste contains many hazardous constituents that may negatively impact the environment and affect human health if not properly managed. Various organizations, bodies, and governments of many countries have adopted and/or developed the environmentally sound options and strategies for E-waste management to tackle the ever growing threat of E-waste to the environment and human health. This paper presents E-waste composition, categorization, Global and Indian E-waste scenarios, prospects of recoverable, recyclable, and hazardous materials found in the E-waste, Best Available Practices, recycling, and recovery processes followed, and their environmental and occupational hazards. Based on the discussion, various challenges for E-waste management particularly in India are delineated, and needed policy interventions were discussed.

DOE Waste Treatability Group Guidance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirkpatrick, T.D.

1995-01-01

This guidance presents a method and definitions for aggregating U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) waste into streams and treatability groups based on characteristic parameters that influence waste management technology needs. Adaptable to all DOE waste types (i.e., radioactive waste, hazardous waste, mixed waste, sanitary waste), the guidance establishes categories and definitions that reflect variations within the radiological, matrix (e.g., bulk physical/chemical form), and regulated contaminant characteristics of DOE waste. Beginning at the waste container level, the guidance presents a logical approach to implementing the characteristic parameter categories as part of the basis for defining waste streams and as the solemore » basis for assigning streams to treatability groups. Implementation of this guidance at each DOE site will facilitate the development of technically defined, site-specific waste stream data sets to support waste management planning and reporting activities. Consistent implementation at all of the sites will enable aggregation of the site-specific waste stream data sets into comparable national data sets to support these activities at a DOE complex-wide level.« less

Increased Rate of Hospitalization for Diabetes and Residential Proximity of Hazardous Waste Sites

PubMed Central

Kouznetsova, Maria; Huang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Jing; Lessner, Lawrence; Carpenter, David O.

2007-01-01

Background Epidemiologic studies suggest that there may be an association between environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and diabetes. Objective The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that residential proximity to POP-contaminated waste sites result in increased rates of hospitalization for diabetes. Methods We determined the number of hospitalized patients 25–74 years of age diagnosed with diabetes in New York State exclusive of New York City for the years 1993–2000. Descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression were used to compare diabetes hospitalization rates in individuals who resided in ZIP codes containing or abutting hazardous waste sites containing POPs (“POP” sites); ZIP codes containing hazardous waste sites but with wastes other than POPs (“other” sites); and ZIP codes without any identified hazardous waste sites (“clean” sites). Results Compared with the hospitalization rates for diabetes in clean sites, the rate ratios for diabetes discharges for people residing in POP sites and “other” sites, after adjustment for potential confounders were 1.23 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15–1.32] and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.16–1.34), respectively. In a subset of POP sites along the Hudson River, where there is higher income, less smoking, better diet, and more exercise, the rate ratio was 1.36 (95% CI, 1.26–1.47) compared to clean sites. Conclusions After controlling for major confounders, we found a statistically significant increase in the rate of hospitalization for diabetes among the population residing in the ZIP codes containing toxic waste sites. PMID:17366823

The flow of E-waste material in the Asian region and a reconsideration of international trade policies on E-waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shinkuma, Takayoshi; Nguyen Thi Minh Huong

End-of-life home appliances discarded in Japan are reused in Southeast Asia; end-of-life computers are reused in China. E-waste scrap generated in Asia is recycled in China, especially in Guangdong Province. The informal sector in that province has been recycling E-waste scrap and its improper recycling methods have caused serious pollution. In response to this problem, there is wide support for a total ban on E-waste trade, including secondhand items and E-waste scrap. Alternatively, we recommend the establishment of an alternative proper recycling system in Asia that needs cooperation among all Asian countries. First, China is urged to promote proper domesticmore » recycling activities by providing a subsidy for proper recycling. Second, Japan, as a main exporter of E-waste, should establish a traceability system that ensures E-waste scrap exported from Japan will be recycled at proper recycling facilities in China.« less

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources Waste Stream at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shott, Gregory J.

This special analysis (SA) evaluates whether the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources waste stream (BCLALADOEOSRP, Revision 0) is suitable for disposal by shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The LLNL Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources waste stream consists of sealed sources that are no longer needed. The LLNL Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources waste stream required a special analysis because cobalt-60 (60Co), strontium-90 (90Sr), cesium-137 (137Cs), and radium-226 (226Ra) exceeded the NNSS Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Action Levels (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclearmore » Security Administration Nevada Field Office [NNSA/NFO] 2015). The results indicate that all performance objectives can be met with disposal of the LLNL Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources in a SLB trench. The LLNL Low Activity Beta/Gamma Sources waste stream is suitable for disposal by SLB at the Area 5 RWMS. However, the activity concentration of 226Ra listed on the waste profile sheet significantly exceeds the action level. Approval of the waste profile sheet could potentially allow the disposal of high activity 226Ra sources. To ensure that the generator does not include large 226Ra sources in this waste stream without additional evaluation, a control is need on the maximum 226Ra inventory. A limit based on the generator’s estimate of the total 226Ra inventory is recommended. The waste stream is recommended for approval with the control that the total 226Ra inventory disposed shall not exceed 5.5E10 Bq (1.5 Ci).« less

Assessment of remote sensing technologies to discover and characterize waste sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-03-11

This report presents details about waste management practices that are being developed using remote sensing techniques to characterize DOE waste sites. Once the sites and problems have been located and characterized and an achievable restoration and remediation program have been established, efforts to reclaim the environment will begin. Special problems to be considered are: concentrated waste forms in tanks and pits; soil and ground water contamination; ground safety hazards for workers; and requirement for long-term monitoring.

Remote Sensing Combined with Field Spectroscopy for the Detection and Monitoring of Heavy Metal Contamination from Informal E-waste Recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedlander, L. R.; Garb, Y.

2017-12-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of today's fastest growing waste streams. Made up of discarded electronics, e-waste disposal is complex. However, e-waste also provides economic opportunity through the processing and extraction of precious metals. Sometimes referred to as "urban mining," this recycling operates informally or illegally and is characterized by dangerous practices such as, open-pit burning, acid leaching, and burning of low value wastes. Poorly controlled e-waste recycling releases dangerous contaminants, especially heavy metals, directly to the surface environment where they can infiltrate water resources and spread through precipitation events. Despite growing recognition of the prevalence of unregulated e-waste processing, systematic data on the extent and persistence of the released contamination is still limited. In general, contamination is established through techniques that provide only a snapshot in time and in a limited geographic area. Here we present preliminary results from attempts to combine field, laboratory, and remote sensing studies toward a systematic remote sensing methodology for e-waste contamination detection and monitoring. The ongoing work utilizes a tragic "natural experiment," in which over 500 e-waste burn sites were active over more than a decade in a variety of agricultural, residential, and natural contexts. We have collected over 100 soil samples for which we have both XRF and ICP-AES measurements showing soil Pb concentrations as high as 14000 ppm. We have also collected 480 in-situ reflectance spectra with corresponding soil samples over 4 field transects of areas with long-term burn activity. The most heavily contaminated samples come from within the burn sites and are made up of ash. Field spectra of these samples reflect their dark color with low overall reflectance and shallow spectral features. These spectra are challenging to use for image classification due to their similarity with other low-reflectance parts

Nondestructive remote sensing of hazardous waste sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weil, G.J.; Graf, R.J.

1994-12-31

In the past government and private industry have produced hazardous waste in ever increasing quantities. These untold millions of tons of environmentally dangerous wastes have been disposed of by undocumented burial, simple carelessness and purposeful abandonment. Society has recently dictated that before new construction may be initiated, these wastes must be found and cleaned up. The first step is to locate these undocumented waste depositories. The non-contact, nondestructive, remote sensing techniques, of Computer Enhanced Infrared Thermography and Ground Penetrating Radar, may be used to detect buried waste sites, buried tanks/pits, and tank/pit leak plumes. These technologies may be used frommore » mobile vehicles, helicopters or man-portable systems and are able to cover tens of acres per day depending upon the system fusion method used. This relatively new combination of technologies, win be described in theory, by procedure and the use of case studies based upon successful projects.« less

The radioactivity estimation of 14C and 3H in graphite waste samples of the KRR-2.

PubMed

Reyoung Kim, Hee

2013-09-01

The radioactivity of (14)C and (3)H in graphite samples from the dismantled Korea Research Reactor-2 (the KRR-2) site was analyzed by high-temperature oxidation and liquid scintillation counting, and the graphite waste was suggested to be disposed of as a low-level radioactive waste. The graphite samples were oxidized at a high temperature of 800 °C, and their counting rates were measured by using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The combustion ratio of the graphite was about 99% on the sample with a maximum weight of 1g. The recoveries from the combustion furnace were around 100% and 90% in (14)C and (3)H, respectively. The minimum detectable activity was 0.04-0.05 Bq/g for the (14)C and 0.13-0.15 Bq/g for the (3)H at the same background counting time. The activity of (14)C was higher than that of (3)H over all samples with the activity ratios of the (14)C to (3)H, (14)C/(3)H, being between 2.8 and 25. The dose calculation was carried out from its radioactivity analysis results. The dose estimation gave a higher annual dose than the domestic legal limit for a clearance. It was thought that the sampled graphite waste from the dismantled research reactor was not available for reuse or recycling and should be monitored as low-level radioactive waste. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Site characterization for LIL radioactive waste disposal in Romania

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diaconu, D. R.; Birdsell, K. H.; Witkowski, M. S.

2001-01-01

Recent studies in radioactive waste management in Romania have focussed mainly on the disposal of low and intermediate level waste from the operation of the new nuclear power plant at Cernavoda. Following extensive geological, hydrological, seismological, physical and chemical investigations, a disposal site at Saligny has been selected. This paper presents description of the site at Saligny as well as the most important results of the site characterisation. These are reflected in the three-dimensional, stratigraphical representation of the loess and clay layers and in representative parameter values for the main layers. Based on these data, the simulation of the background,more » unsaturated-zone water flow at the Saligny site, calculated by the FEHM code, is in a good agreement with the measured moisture profile.« less

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in residential and agricultural soils from an electronic waste polluted region in South China: distribution, compositional profile, and sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Shaohui; Xu, Xijin; Wu, Yousheng; Ge, Jingjing; Li, Weiqiu; Huo, Xia

2014-05-01

A detailed investigation was conducted to understand the concentration, distribution, profile and possible source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in residential and agricultural soils from Guiyu, Shantou, China, one of the largest electronic waste (e-waste) recycling and dismantling areas in the world. Ten PBDEs were analyzed in 46 surface soil samples in terms of individual and total concentrations, together with soil organic matter concentrations. Much higher concentrations of the total PBDEs were predicted in the residential areas (more than 2000 ng g(-1)), exhibiting a clear urban source, while in the agricultural areas, concentrations were lower than 1500 ng g(-1). PBDE-209 was the most dominant congener among the study sites, indicating the prevalence of commercial deca-PBDE. However signature congeners from commercial octa-PBDE were also found. The total PBDE concentrations were significantly correlated with each individual PBDE. Principal component analysis indicated that PBDEs were mainly distributed in three groups according to the number of bromine atoms on the phenyl rings, and potential source. This study showed that the informal e-waste recycling has already introduced PBDEs into surrounding areas as pollutant which thus warrants an urgent investigation into the transport of PBDEs in the soil-plant system of agricultural areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing contamination risk assessment methods for toxic elements from mine waste sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdaal, A.; Jordan, G.; Szilassi, P.; Kiss, J.; Detzky, G.

2012-04-01

Major incidents involving mine waste facilities and poor environmental management practices have left a legacy of thousands of contaminated sites like in the historic mining areas in the Carpathian Basin. Associated environmental risks have triggered the development of new EU environmental legislation to prevent and minimize the effects of such incidents. The Mine Waste Directive requires the risk-based inventory of all mine waste sites in Europe by May 2012. In order to address the mining problems a standard risk-based Pre-selection protocol has been developed by the EU Commission. This paper discusses the heavy metal contamination in acid mine drainage (AMD) for risk assessment (RA) along the Source-Pathway-Receptor chain using decision support methods which are intended to aid national and regional organizations in the inventory and assessment of potentially contaminated mine waste sites. Several recognized methods such as the European Environmental Agency (EEA) standard PRAMS model for soil contamination, US EPA-based AIMSS and Irish HMS-IRC models for RA of abandoned sites are reviewed, compared and tested for the mining waste environment. In total 145 ore mine waste sites have been selected for scientific testing using the EU Pre-selection protocol as a case study from Hungary. The proportion of uncertain to certain responses for a site and for the total number of sites may give an insight of specific and overall uncertainty in the data we use. The Pre-selection questions are efficiently linked to a GIS system as database inquiries using digital spatial data to directly generate answers. Key parameters such as distance to the nearest surface and ground water bodies, to settlements and protected areas are calculated and statistically evaluated using STATGRAPHICS® in order to calibrate the RA models. According to our scientific research results, of the 145 sites 11 sites are the most risky having foundation slope >20o, 57 sites are within distance <500m to the

Site characterization report for the basalt waste isolation project. Volume II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1982-11-01

The reference location for a repository in basalt for the terminal storage of nuclear wastes on the Hanford Site and the candidate horizons within this reference repository location have been identified and the preliminary characterization work in support of the site screening process has been completed. Fifteen technical questions regarding the qualification of the site were identified to be addressed during the detailed site characterization phase of the US Department of Energy-National Waste Terminal Storage Program site selection process. Resolution of these questions will be provided in the final site characterization progress report, currently planned to be issued in 1987,more » and in the safety analysis report to be submitted with the License Application. The additional information needed to resolve these questions and the plans for obtaining the information have been identified. This Site Characterization Report documents the results of the site screening process, the preliminary site characterization data, the technical issues that need to be addressed, and the plans for resolving these issues. Volume 2 contains chapters 6 through 12: geochemistry; surface hydrology; climatology, meteorology, and air quality; environmental, land-use, and socioeconomic characteristics; repository design; waste package; and performance assessment.« less

Inadvertent Intruder Analysis For The Portsmouth On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Frank G.; Phifer, Mark A.

2014-01-22

The inadvertent intruder analysis considers the radiological impacts to hypothetical persons who are assumed to inadvertently intrude on the Portsmouth OSWDF site after institutional control ceases 100 years after site closure. For the purposes of this analysis, we assume that the waste disposal in the OSWDF occurs at time zero, the site is under institutional control for the next 100 years, and inadvertent intrusion can occur over the following 1,000 year time period. Disposal of low-level radioactive waste in the OSWDF must meet a requirement to assess impacts on such individuals, and demonstrate that the effective dose equivalent to anmore » intruder would not likely exceed 100 mrem per year for scenarios involving continuous exposure (i.e. chronic) or 500 mrem for scenarios involving a single acute exposure. The focus in development of exposure scenarios for inadvertent intruders was on selecting reasonable events that may occur, giving consideration to regional customs and construction practices. An important assumption in all scenarios is that an intruder has no prior knowledge of the existence of a waste disposal facility at the site. Results of the analysis show that a hypothetical inadvertent intruder at the OSWDF who, in the worst case scenario, resides on the site and consumes vegetables from a garden established on the site using contaminated soil (chronic agriculture scenario) would receive a maximum chronic dose of approximately 7.0 mrem/yr during the 1000 year period of assessment. This dose falls well below the DOE chronic dose limit of 100 mrem/yr. Results of the analysis also showed that a hypothetical inadvertent intruder at the OSWDF who, in the worst case scenario, excavates a basement in the soil that reaches the waste (acute basement construction scenario) would receive a maximum acute dose of approximately 0.25 mrem/yr during the 1000 year period of assessment. This dose falls well below the DOE acute dose limit of 500 mrem/yr. Disposal

Performance of on-site Medical waste disinfection equipment in hospitals of Tabriz, Iran

PubMed Central

Taghipour, Hassan; Alizadeh, Mina; Dehghanzadeh, Reza; Farshchian, Mohammad Reza; Ganbari, Mohammad; Shakerkhatibi, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Background: The number of studies available on the performance of on-site medical waste treatment facilities is rare, to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of onsite medical waste treatment equipment in hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Methods: A various range of the on-site medical waste disinfection equipment (autoclave, chemical disinfection, hydroclave, and dry thermal treatment) was considered to select 10 out of 22 hospitals in Tabriz to be included in the survey. The apparatus were monitored mechanically, chemically, and biologically for a six months period in all of the selected hospitals. Results: The results of the chemical monitoring (Bowie-Dick tests) indicated that 38.9% of the inspected autoclaves had operational problems in pre-vacuum, air leaks, inadequate steam penetration into the waste, and/or vacuum pump. The biological indicators revealed that about 55.55% of the samples were positive. The most of applied devices were not suitable for treating anatomical, pharmaceutical, cytotoxic, and chemical waste. Conclusion: Although on-site medical waste treating facilities have been installed in all the hospitals, the most of infectious-hazardous medical waste generated in the hospitals were deposited into a municipal solid waste landfill, without enough disinfection. The responsible authorities should stringently inspect and evaluate the operation of on-site medical waste treating equipment. An advanced off-site central facility with multi-treatment and disinfection equipment and enough capacity is recommended as an alternative. PMID:27766238

Performance of on-site Medical waste disinfection equipment in hospitals of Tabriz, Iran.

PubMed

Taghipour, Hassan; Alizadeh, Mina; Dehghanzadeh, Reza; Farshchian, Mohammad Reza; Ganbari, Mohammad; Shakerkhatibi, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Background: The number of studies available on the performance of on-site medical waste treatment facilities is rare, to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of onsite medical waste treatment equipment in hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Methods: A various range of the on-site medical waste disinfection equipment (autoclave, chemical disinfection, hydroclave, and dry thermal treatment) was considered to select 10 out of 22 hospitals in Tabriz to be included in the survey. The apparatus were monitored mechanically, chemically, and biologically for a six months period in all of the selected hospitals. Results: The results of the chemical monitoring (Bowie-Dick tests) indicated that 38.9% of the inspected autoclaves had operational problems in pre-vacuum, air leaks, inadequate steam penetration into the waste, and/or vacuum pump. The biological indicators revealed that about 55.55% of the samples were positive. The most of applied devices were not suitable for treating anatomical, pharmaceutical, cytotoxic, and chemical waste. Conclusion: Although on-site medical waste treating facilities have been installed in all the hospitals, the most of infectious-hazardous medical waste generated in the hospitals were deposited into a municipal solid waste landfill, without enough disinfection. The responsible authorities should stringently inspect and evaluate the operation of on-site medical waste treating equipment. An advanced off-site central facility with multi-treatment and disinfection equipment and enough capacity is recommended as an alternative.

Cleaning Up Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

While accurate data on the amount of e-waste being exported from the U.S. are not available, the United States government is concerned that these exports are being mismanaged abroad, causing serious public health and environmental hazards.

Dioxin-related compounds in breast milk of women from Vietnamese e-waste recycling sites: levels, toxic equivalents and relevance of non-dietary exposure.

PubMed

Tue, Nguyen Minh; Katsura, Kana; Suzuki, Go; Tuyen, Le Huu; Takasuga, Takumi; Takahashi, Shin; Viet, Pham Hung; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2014-08-01

Although informal e-waste recycling sites (EWRSs) are hotspots of both polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs), human exposure to the latter has not been studied in details. This study investigated the accumulation levels and profiles of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) in breast milk samples from women living in two Vietnamese EWRSs and estimated the intake contribution from e-waste-related exposure. Screening results using Dioxin-Responsive Chemically Activated LUciferase gene eXpression assay (DR-CALUX) showed higher dioxin-like (DL) activities in samples from the EWRS Bui Dau than in those from the EWRS Trang Minh and a reference site (2.3-10 vs 1.7-4.8 and 0.60-5.7 pg CALUX-TEQ/g lipid, n=10, 6 and 9, respectively). Chemical analysis results of selected samples show that the WHO-TEQ levels of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and PBDD/Fs in EWRS samples were not significantly higher than in those from the reference site (0.22-7.4 vs 1.1-3.0 pg/g lipid) and within the Vietnamese background range, but women involved in recycling accumulated higher concentrations of PCDFs (13-15 vs 2.3-8.8 pg/g lipid) and PBDFs (1.1-1.5 vs <1.1 pg/g lipid). By comparing the DRC profile in milk of these women with the reported profile in house dust from the same site, dust ingestion was estimated to contribute most of the intake for tetraBDF, 37 per cent to 55 per cent for penta-octaCDFs, but less than twenty per cent for PCDDs and DL-PCBs, and 26 per cent for total WHO-TEQs. The DL activities in some EWRS milk samples were not fully explained by chemical data, suggesting contribution from unidentified compounds. The estimated WHO-TEQ intake doses for breastfed infants (1.3-33 pg/kg/d) mostly exceeded the tolerable value, especially for those living in the EWRSs; and unidentified DRCs might increase further the dioxin-related health risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental impact and human exposure to PCBs in Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site in China.

PubMed

Xing, Guan Hua; Chan, Janet Kit Yan; Leung, Anna Oi Wah; Wu, Sheng Chun; Wong, M H

2009-01-01

PCB levels in fish (collected from local rivers), atmosphere and human milk samples have been studied to determine the exposure levels of PCBs for local residents and e-waste workers in Guiyu, a major electronic waste scrapping center in China. The source appointment and correlation analyses showed that homologue composition of PCBs in 7 species of fish were consistent and similar to commercial PCBs Aroclor 1248. PCB levels in air surrounding the open burning site were significantly higher than those in residential area. Inhalation exposure contributed 27% and 93% to the total body loadings (the sum of dietary and inhalation exposure) of the local residents, and e-waste workers engaged in open burning respectively. Total PCB concentrations in human milk ranged from N.D. to 57.6 ng/g lipid, with an average of 9.50 ng/g lipid. The present results indicated that commercial PCBs derived from e-waste recycling are major sources of PCBs accumulating in different environmental media, leading to the accumulation of high chlorinated biphenyls in human beings.

Site Selection and Geological Research Connected with High Level Waste Disposal Programme in the Czech Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomas, J.

2003-02-25

Attempts to solve the problem of high-level waste disposal including the spent fuel from nuclear power plants have been made in the Czech Republic for over the 10 years. Already in 1991 the Ministry of Environment entitled The Czech Geological Survey to deal with the siting of the locality for HLW disposal and the project No. 3308 ''The geological research of the safe disposal of high level waste'' had started. Within this project a sub-project ''A selection of perspective HLW disposal sites in the Bohemian Massif'' has been elaborated and 27 prospective areas were identified in the Czech Republic. Thismore » selection has been later narrowed to 8 areas which are recently studied in more detail. As a parallel research activity with siting a granitic body Melechov Massif in Central Moldanubian Pluton has been chosen as a test site and the 1st stage of research i.e. evaluation and study of its geological, hydrogeological, geophysical, tectonic and structural properties has been already completed. The Melechov Massif was selected as a test site after the recommendation of WATRP (Waste Management Assessment and Technical Review Programme) mission of IAEA (1993) because it represents an area analogous with the host geological environment for the future HLW and spent fuel disposal in the Czech Republic, i.e. variscan granitoids. It is necessary to say that this site would not be in a locality where the deep repository will be built, although it is a site suitable for oriented research for the sampling and collection of descriptive data using up to date and advanced scientific methods. The Czech Republic HLW and spent fuel disposal programme is now based on The Concept of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management (''Concept'' hereinafter) which has been prepared in compliance with energy policy approved by Government Decree No. 50 of 12th January 2000 and approved by the Government in May 2002. Preparation of the Concept was required, amongst other reasons in

Forming artificial soils from waste materials for mine site rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yellishetty, Mohan; Wong, Vanessa; Taylor, Michael; Li, Johnson

2014-05-01

Surface mining activities often produce large volumes of solid wastes which invariably requires the removal of significant quantities of waste rock (overburden). As mines expand, larger volumes of waste rock need to be moved which also require extensive areas for their safe disposal and containment. The erosion of these dumps may result in landform instability, which in turn may result in exposure of contaminants such as trace metals, elevated sediment delivery in adjacent waterways, and the subsequent degradation of downstream water quality. The management of solid waste materials from industrial operations is also a key component for a sustainable economy. For example, in addition to overburden, coal mines produce large amounts of waste in the form of fly ash while sewage treatment plants require disposal of large amounts of compost. Similarly, paper mills produce large volumes of alkaline rejected wood chip waste which is usually disposed of in landfill. These materials, therefore, presents a challenge in their use, and re-use in the rehabilitation of mine sites and provides a number of opportunities for innovative waste disposal. The combination of solid wastes sourced from mines, which are frequently nutrient poor and acidic, with nutrient-rich composted material produced from sewage treatment and alkaline wood chip waste has the potential to lead to a soil suitable for mine rehabilitation and successful seed germination and plant growth. This paper presents findings from two pilot projects which investigated the potential of artificial soils to support plant growth for mine site rehabilitation. We found that pH increased in all the artificial soil mixtures and were able to support plant establishment. Plant growth was greatest in those soils with the greatest proportion of compost due to the higher nutrient content. These pot trials suggest that the use of different waste streams to form an artificial soil can potentially be used in mine site rehabilitation

Capacitated location of collection sites in an urban waste management system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghiani, Gianpaolo, E-mail: gianpaolo.ghiani@unisalento.it; Itaca S.r.l., via P. Bucci 41C, 87036 Rende; Lagana, Demetrio, E-mail: dlagana@deis.unical.it

2012-07-15

Urban waste management is becoming an increasingly complex task, absorbing a huge amount of resources, and having a major environmental impact. The design of a waste management system consists in various activities, and one of these is related to the location of waste collection sites. In this paper, we propose an integer programming model that helps decision makers in choosing the sites where to locate the unsorted waste collection bins in a residential town, as well as the capacities of the bins to be located at each collection site. This model helps in assessing tactical decisions through constraints that forcemore » each collection area to be capacitated enough to fit the expected waste to be directed to that area, while taking into account Quality of Service constraints from the citizens' point of view. Moreover, we propose an effective constructive heuristic approach whose aim is to provide a good solution quality in an extremely reduced computational time. Computational results on data related to the city of Nardo, in the south of Italy, show that both exact and heuristic approaches provide consistently better solutions than that currently implemented, resulting in a lower number of activated collection sites, and a lower number of bins to be used.« less

Speciation and leaching of trace metal contaminants from e-waste contaminated soils.

PubMed

Cui, Jin-Li; Luo, Chun-Ling; Tang, Chloe Wing-Yee; Chan, Ting-Shan; Li, Xiang-Dong

2017-05-05

Primitive electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities have caused serious environmental problems. However, little is known about the speciation and leaching behaviors of metal contaminants at e-waste contaminated sites. This study investigated trace metal speciation/mobilization from e-waste polluted soil through column leaching experiments involving irrigation with rainwater for almost 2.5 years. Over the experimental period, Cu and Zn levels in the porewater were 0.14±0.08mg/L, and 0.16±0.08mg/L, respectively, increasing to 0.33±0.16mg/L, and 0.69±0.28mg/L with plant growth. The amounts of Cu, Zn, and Pb released in surface soil (0-2cm) contributed 43.8%, 22.5%, and 13.8%, respectively, to the original levels. The released Cu and Zn were primarily caused by the mobilization of the carbonate species of metals, including Cu(OH) 2 , CuCO 3 , and Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 , and amorphous Fe/Mn oxides associated fractions characterized by sequential extraction coupling with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. During the experiments, trace metals were not detected in the effluent, and the re-sequestration of trace metals was mainly attributed to the adsorption on the abundant Fe/Mn oxides in the sub-layer soil. This study quantitatively elucidated the molecular speciation of Cu and Zn in e-waste contaminated soil during the column leaching process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ON-SITE MERCURY ANALYSIS OF SOIL AT HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES BY IMMUNOASSAY AND ASV

EPA Science Inventory

Two field methods for Hg, immunoassay and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV), that can provide onsite results for quick decisions at hazardous waste sites were evaluated. Each method was applied to samples from two Superfund sites that contain high levels of Hg; Sulphur Bank Me...

Dietary intake of PBDEs of residents at two major electronic waste recycling sites in China.

PubMed

Chan, J K Y; Man, Y B; Wu, S C; Wong, M H

2013-10-01

The dietary intake of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) of local residents from 2 major electronic waste (e-waste) processing sites (Guiyu, Guangdong Province and Taizhou, Zhejiang Province) in China was investigated. Seventy-four food items were collected from these sites, divided into 9 food groups (freshwater fish, marine fish, shellfish, pork, poultry, chicken offal, egg, vegetables and cereals), and examined for residual PBDE concentrations. Out of all food items examined, the freshwater bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) contained extremely high (11,400±254 ng/g wet wt.) concentrations of PBDE, the highest concentrations amongst published data concerning PBDE detected in freshwater fish. Food consumption data obtained through semi-quantitative food intake questionnaires showed that Guiyu residents had a PBDE dietary intake of 931±772 ng/kg bw/day, of which BDE-47 (584 ng/kg bw/day) exceeded the US EPA's reference dose (100 ng/kg/day). Taizhou (44.7±26.3 ng/kg bw/day) and Lin'an (1.94±0.86 ng/kg bw/day) residents exhibited lower readings. The main dietary source of PBDEs in Guiyu and Taizhou residents was seafood (88-98%) and pork (41%) in Lin'an. The present results indicated that health risks arising from PBDE dietary exposure are of significance in terms of public health and food safety to local residents of e-waste processing sites. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

E-waste issues in Sri Lanka and the Basel Convention.

PubMed

Suraweera, Inoka

2016-03-01

E-waste is hazardous, complex and expensive to treat in an environmentally sound manner. The management of e-waste is considered a serious challenge in both developed and developing countries and Sri Lanka is no exception. Due to significant growth in the economy and investments and other reasons the consumption of electronic and electrical equipment in Sri Lanka has increased over the years resulting in significant generation of e-waste. Several initiatives such as introduction of hazardous waste management rules, ratification of the Basel Convention in 1992 and the introduction of a National Corporate E-waste Management Program have been undertaken in Sri Lanka to manage e-waste. Strengthening policy and legislation, introducing methods for upstream reduction of e-waste, building capacity of relevant officers, awareness raising among school children and the general public and development of an e-waste information system are vital. Research on e-waste needs to be developed in Sri Lanka. The health sector could play a leading role in the provision of occupational health and safety for e-waste workers, advocacy, capacity building of relevant staff and raising awareness among the general public about e-waste. Improper e-waste management practices carried out by informal sector workers need to be addressed urgently in Sri Lanka.

Global responses for recycling waste CRTs in e-waste.

PubMed

Singh, Narendra; Li, Jinhui; Zeng, Xianlai

2016-11-01

The management of used cathode ray tube (CRT) devices is a major problem worldwide due to rapid uptake of the technology and early obsolescence of CRT devices, which is considered an environment hazard if disposed improperly. Previously, their production has grown in step with computer and television demand but later on with rapid technological innovation; TVs and computer screens has been replaced by new products such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) and Plasma Display Panel (PDPs). This change creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete CRTs waste in developed countries and developing countries will be becoming major CRTs waste producers in the upcoming years. We studied that there is also high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as second-hand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. Moreover, the current global production of e-waste is estimated to be '41million tonnes per year' where a major part of the e-waste stream consists of CRT devices. This review article provides a concise overview of world's current CRTs waste scenario, namely magnitude of the demand and processing, current disposal and recycling operations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

Ground-water quality beneath solid-waste disposal sites at anchorage, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zenone, Chester; Donaldson, D.E.; Grunwaldt, J.J.

1975-01-01

Studies at three solid-waste disposal sites in the Anchorage area suggest that differences in local geohydrologic conditions influence ground-water quality. A leachate was detected in ground water within and beneath two sites where the water table is very near land surface and refuse is deposited either at or below the water table in some parts of the filled areas. No leachate was detected in ground water beneath a third site where waste disposal is well above the local water table.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND PRODUCTION AT WASTE CLEANUP SITES (ISSUE PAPER)

EPA Science Inventory

Saving energy used by hazardous waste cleanup remediation systems should interest those people working on waste cleanup sites. Presidential Executive Order 13123, "Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management", states that each agency shall strive to expand the us...

Phytoremediation efficiency OF CD by Eucalyptus globulus transplanted from polluted and unpolluted sites.

PubMed

Luo, Jie; Qi, Shihua; Peng, Li; Wang, Jinji

2016-01-01

The capacity of plants to uptake heavy metals from contaminated soils has shown great phytoremediation potential. The development, resistibility and Cd extraction of Eucalyptus globulus individuals from metalliferous and clean sites in different years were analyzed under a specific environment. Eucalyptus globulus planted in Guiyu for phytoremediation or cultivated in an uncontaminated, natural environment for economic purposes were transplanted to Yuecheng town, which, in recent years, has been involved in the e-waste dismantling and recycling business, to compare the phytoremediation efficiency of Eucalyptus globulus trees grown in different environments. Trees cultivated in polluted areas can remove far more Cd and Hg from the contaminated soil than the individuals from clean soils because metalliferous Eucalyptus globulus can produce more biomass and uptake more heavy metals than nonmetalliferous plants per year. As polluted environments negatively affect the growth of plants, we speculated that the phytoremediation efficiency of metalliferous Eucalyptus globulus should decrease over time and that nonmetalliferous trees should adapt to the local environment.

Approaches to systematic assessment of environmental exposures posed at hazardous waste sites in the developing world: the Toxic Sites Identification Program.

PubMed

Ericson, Bret; Caravanos, Jack; Chatham-Stephens, Kevin; Landrigan, Philip; Fuller, Richard

2013-02-01

In the developing world, environmental chemical exposures due to hazardous waste sites are poorly documented. We describe the approach taken by the Blacksmith Institute's Toxic Sites Identification Program in documenting environmental chemical exposures due to hazardous waste sites globally, identifying sites of concern and quantifying pathways, populations, and severity of exposure. A network of local environmental investigators was identified and trained to conduct hazardous waste site investigations and assessments. To date, 2,095 contaminated sites have been identified within 47 countries having an estimated population at risk of 71,500,000. Trained researchers and investigators have visited 1,400 of those sites. Heavy metals are the leading primary exposures, with water supply and ambient air being the primary routes of exposure. Even though chemical production has occurred largely in the developed world to date, many hazardous waste sites in the developing world pose significant hazards to the health of large portions of the population. Further research is needed to quantify potential health and economic consequences and identify cost-effective approaches to remediation.

Hazardous E-waste and its impact on soil structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dharini, K.; Cynthia, J. Bernadette; Kamalambikai, B.; Sudar Celestina, J. P. Arul; Muthu, D.

2017-07-01

E-waste disposal has been a significant issue over the past few decades with the development of technology and the plethora of electronic products produced. The inclusive term E-Waste encapsulates various forms of electrical and electronical equipment which provides no value to the current owners and it is one among the fastest growing waste streams. E-Waste is a complex, non-biodegradable waste which is generally dumped in mountain like heaps. These wastes are said to have a large quantities of lead, cadmium, arsenic etc.it is mandatory to dispose such scrupulously since they have the ability to affect the soil and water parameters. Solid waste management is a blooming field which strives to reduce the accumulation of used electronic gadgets. Rainwater gets infiltrated through the e-waste landfill and it leaches through the soil which in turn reaches the groundwater directly thereby affecting the water intended for drinking and domestic purposes. This study focuses on the consequences of toxic waste by comparing the difference in properties of the soil structure prior to and after the e-waste landfill at various concentrations.

EVALUATION OF WASTE STABILIZED BY THE SOLIDITECH SITE TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

The Soliditech technology demonstration was conducted at the Imperial Oil Company/Champion Chemicals Superfund Site in Monmouth County, New Jersey. ontamination at this site includes PCBs, lead (with various other metals) and oil and grease. his process mixes the waste material w...

Prevention-intervention strategies to reduce exposure to e-waste.

PubMed

Heacock, Michelle; Trottier, Brittany; Adhikary, Sharad; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Basu, Nil; Brune, Marie-Noel; Caravanos, Jack; Carpenter, David; Cazabon, Danielle; Chakraborty, Paromita; Chen, Aimin; Barriga, Fernando Diaz; Ericson, Bret; Fobil, Julius; Haryanto, Budi; Huo, Xia; Joshi, T K; Landrigan, Philip; Lopez, Adeline; Magalini, Frederico; Navasumrit, Panida; Pascale, Antonio; Sambandam, Sankar; Aslia Kamil, Upik Sitti; Sly, Leith; Sly, Peter; Suk, Ann; Suraweera, Inoka; Tamin, Ridwan; Vicario, Elena; Suk, William

2018-06-27

As one of the largest waste streams, electronic waste (e-waste) production continues to grow in response to global demand for consumer electronics. This waste is often shipped to developing countries where it is disassembled and recycled. In many cases, e-waste recycling activities are conducted in informal settings with very few controls or protections in place for workers. These activities involve exposure to hazardous substances such as cadmium, lead, and brominated flame retardants and are frequently performed by women and children. Although recycling practices and exposures vary by scale and geographic region, we present case studies of e-waste recycling scenarios and intervention approaches to reduce or prevent exposures to the hazardous substances in e-waste that may be broadly applicable to diverse situations. Drawing on parallels identified in these cases, we discuss the future prevention and intervention strategies that recognize the difficult economic realities of informal e-waste recycling.

Environmental effects of heavy metals derived from the e-waste recycling activities in China: a systematic review.

PubMed

Song, Qingbin; Li, Jinhui

2014-12-01

As the world's leading manufacturing country, China has become the largest dumping ground for e-waste, resulting in serious pollution of heavy metals in China. This study reviews recent studies on environmental effects of heavy metals from the e-waste recycling sites in China, especially Taizhou, Guiyu, and Longtang. The intensive uncontrolled processing of e-waste in China has resulted in the release of large amounts of heavy metals in the local environment, and caused high concentrations of metals to be present in the surrounding air, dust, soils, sediments and plants. Though the pollution of many heavy metals was investigated in the relevant researches, the four kinds of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr) from e-waste recycling processes attracted more attention. The exceedance of various national and international standards imposed negative effects to the environment, which made the local residents face with the serious heavy metal exposure. In order to protect the environment and human health, there is an urgent need to control and monitor the informal e-waste recycling operations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling the correlations of e-waste quantity with economic increase.

PubMed

Awasthi, Abhishek Kumar; Cucchiella, Federica; D'Adamo, Idiano; Li, Jinhui; Rosa, Paolo; Terzi, Sergio; Wei, Guoyin; Zeng, Xianlai

2018-02-01

Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE or e-waste) is regarded as one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world and is becoming an emerging issue owing to adverse consequences on the natural environment and the human health. This research article reveals the presence of a strong linear correlation among global e-waste generation and Gross Domestic Product. The obtained results indicate that the best fit for data can be reached by comparing e-waste collected volumes and GDP PPS. More in detail, an increase of 1000 GDP PPS means an additional 0.27kg of e-waste collected and 0.22kg of e-waste reused/recycled. Furthermore, for each additional citizen, there will be an increase of 7.7kg of e-waste collected and 6.2kg of e-waste reused/recycled. The better collection of e-waste acts an important role concerning the circular economy, and it can be an advantageous approach. Therefore, e-waste could be considered as an opportunity for recycling or recovery of valuable metals (e.g., copper, gold, silver, and palladium), given their significant content in precious metals than in mineral ores. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential for gulls to transport bacteria from human waste sites to beaches.

PubMed

Alm, Elizabeth W; Daniels-Witt, Quri R; Learman, Deric R; Ryu, Hodon; Jordan, Dustin W; Gehring, Thomas M; Santo Domingo, Jorge

2018-02-15

Contamination of recreational beaches due to fecal waste from gulls complicates beach monitoring and may pose a risk to public health. Gulls that feed at human waste sites may ingest human fecal microorganisms associated with that waste. If these gulls also visit beaches, they may serve as vectors, transporting fecal microorganisms to the beach where they may subsequently contaminate sand and water. In this study, samples collected from landfills, treated wastewater storage lagoons, and public beaches demonstrated a spatial and temporal overlap of markers for gull and human-associated microorganisms. In addition, markers for gull, fecal indicator bacteria, and the human-associated marker, HF183, were detected in gull feces and cloacae samples. Further, HF183 was detected in cloacae samples from gulls that were documented by radio-telemetry traveling between human waste sites and public beaches. This study highlights the potential for gulls that visit human waste sites to disperse human-associated microorganisms in the beach landscape. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Waste picker livelihoods and inclusive neoliberal municipal solid waste management policies: The case of the La Chureca garbage dump site in Managua, Nicaragua.

PubMed

Hartmann, Chris

2018-01-01

The modernization (i.e. mechanization, formalization, and capital intensification) and enclosure of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems threaten waste picker livelihoods. From 2009 to 2013, a major development project, embodying traditional neoliberal policies with inclusive social policies, transformed the Managua, Nicaragua, municipal solid waste site from an open-air dump where as many as 2,000 informal waste pickers toiled to a sanitary landfill. To investigate waste pickers' social and economic condition, including labor characteristics, household income, and poverty incidence, after the project's completion, 146 semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to four communities adjacent to the landfill and 45 semi-structured interviews were completed with key stakeholders. Findings indicate that hundreds of waste pickers were displaced by the project, employment benefits from the project were unevenly distributed by neighborhood, and informal waste picking endures due to persistent impoverishment, thereby contributing to continued social and economic marginalization and environmental degradation. The findings highlight the limitations of inclusive neoliberal development efforts to transform MSWM in a low-income country. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental waste site characterization utilizing aerial photographs and satellite imagery: Three sites in New Mexico, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Eeckhout, E.; Pope, P.; Becker, N.

1996-04-01

The proper handling and characterization of past hazardous waste sites is becoming more and more important as world population extends into areas previously deemed undesirable. Historical photographs, past records, current aerial satellite imagery can play an important role in characterizing these sites. These data provide clear insight into defining problem areas which can be surface samples for further detail. Three such areas are discussed in this paper: (1) nuclear wastes buried in trenches at Los Alamos National Laboratory, (2) surface dumping at one site at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and (3) the historical development of a municipal landfill near Lasmore » Cruces, New Mexico.« less

Parker Street Waste Site | New England | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-09-18

EPA is conducting sampling and other response actions at Parker Street Waste Site according to its authority under Secton 104 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensaton, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Release of chlorinated, brominated and mixed halogenated dioxin-related compounds to soils from open burning of e-waste in Agbogbloshie (Accra, Ghana).

PubMed

Tue, Nguyen Minh; Goto, Akitoshi; Takahashi, Shin; Itai, Takaaki; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Kunisue, Tatsuya; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2016-01-25

Although complex mixtures of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) can be released from informal e-waste recycling, DRC contamination in African e-waste recycling sites has not been investigated. This study examined the concentrations of DRCs including chlorinated, brominated, mixed halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs, PXDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in surface soil samples from the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Ghana. PCDD/F and PBDD/F concentrations in open burning areas (18-520 and 83-3800 ng/g dry, respectively) were among the highest reported in soils from informal e-waste sites. The concentrations of PCDFs and PBDFs were higher than those of the respective dibenzo-p-dioxins, suggesting combustion and PBDE-containing plastics as principal sources. PXDFs were found as more abundant than PCDFs, and higher brominated analogues occurred at higher concentrations. The median total WHO toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration in open burning soils was 7 times higher than the U.S. action level (1000 pg/g), with TEQ contributors in the order of PBDFs>PCDD/Fs>PXDFs. DRC emission to soils over the e-waste site as of 2010 was estimated, from surface soil lightness based on the correlations between concentrations and lightness, at 200mg (95% confidence interval 93-540 mg) WHO-TEQ over three years. People living in Agbogbloshie are potentially exposed to high levels of not only chlorinated but also brominated DRCs, and human health implications need to be assessed in future studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental Assessment: Waste Tank Safety Program, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-02-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) needs to take action in the near-term, to accelerate resolution of waste tank safety issues at the Hanford Site near the City of Richland, Washington, and reduce the risks associated with operations and management of the waste tanks. The DOE has conducted nuclear waste management operations at the Hanford Site for nearly 50 years. Operations have included storage of high-level nuclear waste in 177 underground storage tanks (UST), both in single-shell tank (SST) and double-shell tank configurations. Many of the tanks, and the equipment needed to operate them, are deteriorated. Sixty-seven SSTs are presumedmore » to have leaked a total approximately 3,800,000 liters (1 million gallons) of radioactive waste to the soil. Safety issues associated with the waste have been identified, and include (1) flammable gas generation and episodic release; (2) ferrocyanide-containing wastes; (3) a floating organic solvent layer in Tank 241-C-103; (4) nuclear criticality; (5) toxic vapors; (6) infrastructure upgrades; and (7) interim stabilization of SSTs. Initial actions have been taken in all of these areas; however, much work remains before a full understanding of the tank waste behavior is achieved. The DOE needs to accelerate the resolution of tank safety concerns to reduce the risk of an unanticipated radioactive or chemical release to the environment, while continuing to manage the wastes safely.« less

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project Waste Stream at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Management

2013-01-31

The purpose of this Special Analysis (SA) is to determine if the Oak Ridge (OR) Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project (CEUSP) uranium-233 (233U) waste stream (DRTK000000050, Revision 0) is acceptable for shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The CEUSP 233U waste stream requires a special analysis because the concentrations of thorium-229 (229Th), 230Th, 232U, 233U, and 234U exceeded their NNSS Waste Acceptance Criteria action levels. The acceptability of the waste stream is evaluated by determining if performance assessment (PA) modeling provides a reasonable expectation that SLBmore » disposal is protective of human health and the environment. The CEUSP 233U waste stream is a long-lived waste with unique radiological hazards. The SA evaluates the long-term acceptability of the CEUSP 233U waste stream for near-surface disposal as a two tier process. The first tier, which is the usual SA process, uses the approved probabilistic PA model to determine if there is a reasonable expectation that disposal of the CEUSP 233U waste stream can meet the performance objectives of U.S. Department of Energy Manual DOE M 435.1-1, “Radioactive Waste Management,” for a period of 1,000 years (y) after closure. The second tier addresses the acceptability of the OR CEUSP 233U waste stream for near-surface disposal by evaluating long-term site stability and security, by performing extended (i.e., 10,000 and 60,000 y) modeling analyses, and by evaluating the effect of containers and the depth of burial on performance. Tier I results indicate that there is a reasonable expectation of compliance with all performance objectives if the OR CEUSP 233U waste stream is disposed in the Area 5 RWMS SLB disposal units. The maximum mean and 95th percentile PA results are all less than the performance objective for 1,000 y. Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis indicates that there is a high

Assessment of multiple geophysical techniques for the characterization of municipal waste deposit sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaël, Dumont; Tanguy, Robert; Nicolas, Marck; Frédéric, Nguyen

2017-10-01

In this study, we tested the ability of geophysical methods to characterize a large technical landfill installed in a former sand quarry. The geophysical surveys specifically aimed at delimitating the deposit site horizontal extension, at estimating its thickness and at characterizing the waste material composition (the moisture content in the present case). The site delimitation was conducted with electromagnetic (in-phase and out-of-phase) and magnetic (vertical gradient and total field) methods that clearly showed the transition between the waste deposit and the host formation. Regarding waste deposit thickness evaluation, electrical resistivity tomography appeared inefficient on this particularly thick deposit site. Thus, we propose a combination of horizontal to vertical noise spectral ratio (HVNSR) and multichannel analysis of the surface waves (MASW), which successfully determined the approximate waste deposit thickness in our test landfill. However, ERT appeared to be an appropriate tool to characterize the moisture content of the waste, which is of prior information for the organic waste biodegradation process. The global multi-scale and multi-method geophysical survey offers precious information for site rehabilitation studies, water content mitigation processes for enhanced biodegradation or landfill mining operation planning.

36 CFR 6.4 - Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.4 Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) No person may operate...

36 CFR 6.4 - Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.4 Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) No person may operate...

36 CFR 6.4 - Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.4 Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) No person may operate...

36 CFR 6.4 - Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.4 Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) No person may operate...

36 CFR 6.4 - Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.4 Solid waste disposal sites not in operation on September 1, 1984. (a) No person may operate...

GUIDE TO TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES AT SUPERFUND SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Over the past fewyears, it has become increasinsly evident that land disposal of hazardous wastes is at least only a temporary solution for much of the wastes present at Superfund sites. The need for more Iong-term, permanent "treatment solutions as alternatives to land disposal ...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

A review of environmental fate, body burdens, and human health risk assessment of PCDD/Fs at two typical electronic waste recycling sites in China.

PubMed

Chan, Janet Kit Yan; Wong, Ming H

2013-10-01

This paper reviews the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in different environmental media, human body burdens and health risk assessment results at e-waste recycling sites in China. To provide an indication of the seriousness of the pollution levels in the e-waste recycling sites in China, the data are compared with guidelines and available existing data for other areas. The comparison clearly shows that PCDD/Fs derived from the recycling processes lead to serious pollution in different environmental compartments (such as air, soil, sediment, dust and biota) and heavy body burdens. Of all kinds of e-waste recycling operations, open burning of e-waste and acid leaching activities are identified as the major sources of PCDD/Fs. Deriving from the published data, the estimated total exposure doses via dietary intake, inhalation, soil/dust ingestion and dermal contact are calculated for adults, children and breast-fed infants living in two major e-waste processing locations in China. The values ranged from 5.59 to 105.16 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw/day, exceeding the tolerable daily intakes recommended by the WHO (1-4 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw/day). Dietary intake is the most important exposure route for infants, children and adults living in these sites, contributing 60-99% of the total intakes. Inhalation is the second major exposure route, accounted for 12-30% of the total exposure doses of children and adults. In order to protect the environment and human health, there is an urgent need to control and monitor the informal e-waste recycling operations. Knowledge gaps, such as comprehensive dietary exposure data, epidemiological and clinical studies, body burdens of infants and children, and kinetics about PCDD/Fs partitions among different human tissues should be addressed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Global challenges for e-waste management: the societal implications.

PubMed

Magalini, Federico

2016-03-01

Over the last decades the electronics industry and ICT Industry in particular has revolutionized the world: electrical and electronic products have become ubiquitous in today's life around the planet. After use, those products are discarded, sometimes after re-use cycles in countries different from those where they were initially sold; becoming what is commonly called e-waste. Compared to other traditional waste streams, e-waste handling poses unique and complex challenges. e-Waste is usually regarded as a waste problem, which can cause environmental damage and severe human health consequences if not safely managed. e-Waste contains significant amounts of toxic and environmentally sensitive materials and is, thus, extremely hazardous to humans and the environment if not properly disposed of or recycled. On the other hand, e-waste is often seen as a potential source of income for individuals and entrepreneurs who aim to recover the valuable materials (metals in particular) contained in discarded equipment. Recently, for a growing number of people, in developing countries in particular, recycling and separation of e-waste has become their main source of income. In most cases, this is done informally, with no or hardly any health and safety standards, exposing workers and the surrounding neighborhoods to extensive health dangers as well as leading to substantial environmental pollution. Treatment processes of e-waste aim to remove the hazardous components and recover as much reusable material (e.g. metals, glass and plastics) as possible; achieving both objectives is most desired. The paper discuss societal implications of proper e-waste management and key elements to be considered in the policy design at country level.

Innovating e-waste management: From macroscopic to microscopic scales.

PubMed

Zeng, Xianlai; Yang, Congren; Chiang, Joseph F; Li, Jinhui

2017-01-01

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) has become a global problem, due to its potential environmental pollution and human health risk, and its containing valuable resources (e.g., metals, plastics). Recycling for e-waste will be a necessity, not only to address the shortage of mineral resources for electronics industry, but also to decline environmental pollution and human health risk. To systematically solve the e-waste problem, more attention of e-waste management should transfer from macroscopic to microscopic scales. E-waste processing technology should be significantly improved to diminish and even avoid toxic substance entering into downstream of material. The regulation or policy related to new production of hazardous substances in recycled materials should also be carried out on the agenda. All the findings can hopefully improve WEEE legislation for regulated countries and non-regulated countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State...

International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA and the Environmental Protection Administration Taiwan (EPAT) have collaborated since 2011 to build global capacity for the environmentally sound management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which is commonly called e-waste.

"Control-alt-delete": rebooting solutions for the E-waste problem.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; Zeng, Xianlai; Chen, Mengjun; Ogunseitan, Oladele A; Stevels, Ab

2015-06-16

A number of efforts have been launched to solve the global electronic waste (e-waste) problem. The efficiency of e-waste recycling is subject to variable national legislation, technical capacity, consumer participation, and even detoxification. E-waste management activities result in procedural irregularities and risk disparities across national boundaries. We review these variables to reveal opportunities for research and policy to reduce the risks from accumulating e-waste and ineffective recycling. Full regulation and consumer participation should be controlled and reinforced to improve local e-waste system. Aiming at standardizing best practice, we alter and identify modular recycling process and infrastructure in eco-industrial parks that will be expectantly effective in countries and regions to handle the similar e-waste stream. Toxicity can be deleted through material substitution and detoxification during the life cycle of electronics. Based on the idea of "Control-Alt-Delete", four patterns of the way forward for global e-waste recycling are proposed to meet a variety of local situations.

The impact of illegal waste sites on a transmission of zoonotic viruses.

PubMed

Duh, Darja; Hasic, Sandra; Buzan, Elena

2017-07-20

Illegal waste disposal impacts public health and causes aesthetic and environmental pollution. Waste disposed in places without permitted and controlled facilities can provide a ready source of nutrition and shelter for rodents and thus promote the spread of their ecto- and endoparasites. The presence of two distinct zoonotic viruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), was searched at illegal waste sites. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with both viruses in rodents and to discuss the virus-rodent relations in such environments. Rodents sampled between October 2011 and April 2013 at 7 locations in the Istrian peninsula, were identified morphologically and genetically to minimize misidentification. Serological and molecular techniques were used to determine seroprevalence of infection in rodents and to detect viral RNAs. Serological testing was performed by immune fluorescence assay for detection of LCMV and TBEV specific antibodies. Real-time RT PCR was used for the detection of LCMV nucleoprotein gene and TBEV 3' non-coding region. Data were statistically analysed using SPSS statistic v2.0. Out of 82 rodent sera tested, the presence of LCMV antibodies was demonstrated in 24.93%. The highest prevalence of LCMV infection was found in commensal Mus musculus (47.37%), followed by 11.53%, 19.04% and 25% prevalence of infection in A. agrarius, A. flavicolis and A. sylvaticus, respectively. The highest prevalence of infection in rodents (53.33%) was found in locations with large waste sites and high anthropogenic influence. LCMV seroprevalence was significantly lower in rodents sampled from natural habitats. Viral nucleic acids were screened in 46 samples but yielded no amplicons of LCMV or TBEV. In addition, TBEV specific antibodies were not detected. Illegal waste sites have considerable impact on the area where they are located. Results have shown that the transmission of human

E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.

PubMed

Robinson, Brett H

2009-12-20

E-waste comprises discarded electronic appliances, of which computers and mobile telephones are disproportionately abundant because of their short lifespan. The current global production of E-waste is estimated to be 20-25 million tonnes per year, with most E-waste being produced in Europe, the United States and Australasia. China, Eastern Europe and Latin America will become major E-waste producers in the next ten years. Miniaturisation and the development of more efficient cloud computing networks, where computing services are delivered over the internet from remote locations, may offset the increase in E-waste production from global economic growth and the development of pervasive new technologies. E-waste contains valuable metals (Cu, platinum group) as well as potential environmental contaminants, especially Pb, Sb, Hg, Cd, Ni, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Burning E-waste may generate dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs), and hydrogen chloride. The chemical composition of E-waste changes with the development of new technologies and pressure from environmental organisations on electronics companies to find alternatives to environmentally damaging materials. Most E-waste is disposed in landfills. Effective reprocessing technology, which recovers the valuable materials with minimal environmental impact, is expensive. Consequently, although illegal under the Basel Convention, rich countries export an unknown quantity of E-waste to poor countries, where recycling techniques include burning and dissolution in strong acids with few measures to protect human health and the environment. Such reprocessing initially results in extreme localised contamination followed by migration of the contaminants into receiving waters and food chains. E-waste workers suffer negative health effects through skin contact and inhalation, while the wider community are exposed

Maternal residential proximity to waste sites and industrial facilities and conotruncal heart defects in offspring.

PubMed

Langlois, Peter H; Brender, Jean D; Suarez, Lucina; Zhan, F Benjamin; Mistry, Jatin H; Scheuerle, Angela; Moody, Karen

2009-07-01

Most studies of the relationship between maternal residential proximity to sources of environmental pollution and congenital cardiovascular malformations have combined heart defects into one group or broad subgroups. The current case-control study examined whether risk of conotruncal heart defects, including subsets of specific defects, was associated with maternal residential proximity to hazardous waste sites and industrial facilities with recorded air emissions. Texas Birth Defects Registry cases were linked to their birth or fetal death certificate. Controls without birth defects were randomly selected from birth certificates. Distances from maternal addresses at delivery to National Priority List (NPL) waste sites, state superfund waste sites, and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) facilities were determined for 1244 cases (89.5% of those eligible) and 4368 controls (88.0%). Living within 1 mile of a hazardous waste site was not associated with risk of conotruncal heart defects [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54, 1.27]. This was true whether looking at most types of defects or waste sites. Only truncus arteriosus showed statistically elevated ORs with any waste site (crude OR: 2.80, 95% CI 1.19, 6.54) and with NPL sites (crude OR: 4.63, 95% CI 1.18, 13.15; aOR 4.99, 95% CI 1.26, 14.51), but the latter was based on only four exposed cases. There was minimal association between conotruncal heart defects and proximity to TRI facilities (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.91, 1.33). Stratification by maternal age or race/ethnic group made little difference in effect estimates for waste sites or industrial facilities. In this study population, maternal residential proximity to waste sites or industries with reported air emissions was not associated with conotruncal heart defects or its subtypes in offspring, with the exception of truncus arteriosus.

Designing and examining e-waste recycling process: methodology and case studies.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; He, Xin; Zeng, Xianlai

2017-03-01

Increasing concerns on resource depletion and environmental pollution have largely obliged electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) should be tackled in an environmentally sound manner. Recycling process development is regarded as the most effective and fundamental to solve the e-waste problem. Based on global achievements related to e-waste recycling in the past 15 years, we first propose a theory to design an e-waste recycling process, including measuring e-waste recyclability and selection of recycling process. And we summarize the indicators and tools in terms of resource dimension, environmental dimension, and economic dimension, to examine the e-waste recycling process. Using the sophisticated experience and adequate information of e-waste management, spent lithium-ion batteries and waste printed circuit boards are chosen as case studies to implement and verify the proposed method. All the potential theory and obtained results in this work can contribute to future e-waste management toward best available techniques and best environmental practices.

Handling Radioactive Waste from the Proton Accelerator Facility at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) - Always Surprising? - 13320

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueth, Joachim

The Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) is the largest national research centre in Switzerland. Its multidisciplinary research is dedicated to a wide field in natural science and technology as well as particle physics. In this context, PSI is operating, amongst others, a large proton accelerator facility since more than 30 years. In two cyclotrons, protons are accelerated to high speeds and then guided along roughly 100 m of beam line to three different target stations to produce secondary particles like mesons and neutrons for experiments and a separately beam line for UCN. The protons induce spallation processes in the target materials,more » and also at other beam loss points along the way, with emission of protons, neutrons, hydrogen, tritium, helium, heavier fragments and fission processes. In particular the produced neutrons, due to their large penetration depth, will then interact also with the surrounding materials. These interactions of radiation with matter lead to activation and partly to contamination of machine components and the surrounding infrastructures. Maintenance, operation and decommissioning of installations generate inevitably substantial amounts of radioactive operational and dismantling waste like targets, magnets, collimators, shielding (concrete, steel) and of course secondary waste. To achieve an optimal waste management strategy for interim storage or final disposal, radioactive waste has to be characterized, sorted and treated. This strategy is based on radiation protection demands, raw waste properties (size, material, etc.), and requirements to reduce the volume of waste, mainly for legal and economical reasons. In addition, the radiological limitations for transportation of the waste packages to a future disposal site have to be taken into account, as well as special regulatory demands. The characterization is a task of the waste producer. The conditioning processes and quality checks for radioactive waste packages are part of an

48 CFR 46.313 - Contracts for dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contracts for dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements. 46.313 Section 46.313 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Clauses 46.313 Contracts for dismantling...

Potential for Gulls to Transport Bacteria from Human Waste Sites to Beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Contamination of recreational beaches due to fecal waste from gulls complicates beach monitoring and may pose a risk to public health. Gulls that feed at human waste sites may ingest human-associated fecal microorganisms associated with that waste. If these gulls also visit beach...

2015 AERA Presidential Address: Morally Engaged Research/ers Dismantling Epistemological Nihilation in the Age of Impunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Joyce E.

2017-01-01

This article presents Joyce E. King's 2015 AERA presidential address, which artfully combined scholarly discourse with performance elements and diverse voices in several multimedia formats. In discussing morally engaged research/ers dismantling epistemological nihilation, the article advances the argument that the moral stance, solidarity with…

40 CFR 148.14 - Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... underground injection at off-site injection facilities. (e) Effective August 8, 1990, the wastes specified in... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes. 148.14 Section 148.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 148.14 - Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... underground injection at off-site injection facilities. (e) Effective August 8, 1990, the wastes specified in... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes. 148.14 Section 148.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 148.14 - Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... underground injection at off-site injection facilities. (e) Effective August 8, 1990, the wastes specified in... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Waste specific prohibitions-first third wastes. 148.14 Section 148.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

[Cause-specific mortality in an area of Campania with numerous waste disposal sites].

PubMed

Altavista, Pierluigi; Belli, Stefano; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Binazzi, Alessandra; Comba, Pietro; Del Giudice, Raffaele; Fazzo, Lucia; Felli, Angelo; Mastrantonio, Marina; Menegozzo, Massimo; Musmeci, Loredana; Pizzuti, Renato; Savarese, Anna; Trinca, Stefania; Uccelli, Raffaella

2004-01-01

To investigate cause-specific mortality in an area of Campania region, in the surroundings of Naples, characterized by many toxic waste dumping grounds sites and by widespread burning of urban wastes. The study area was characterized by examining the spatial distribution of waste disposal sites and toxic waste dumping grounds, using a geographic information system (GIS). Mortality (1986-2000) was studied in the three municipalities of Giugliano in Campania, Qualiano and Villaricca, encompassing a population of about 150,000 inhabitants. Mortality rates of the population resident in the Campania region were used in order to generate expected figures. Causes of death of a priori interest where those previously associated to residence in the neighbourhood of (toxic) waste sites, including lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia and liver cancer. Overall 39 waste sites, 27 of which characterized by the likely presence of toxic wastes, were identified in the area of interest. A good agreement was found between two independent surveys of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency and of the environmentalist association Legambiente. Cancer mortality was significantly increased, with special reference to malignant neoplasm of lung, pleura, larynx, bladder, liver and brain. Circulatory diseases were also significantly in excess and diabetes showed some increases. Mortality statistics provide preliminary evidence of the disease load in the area. Mapping waste dumping grounds provides information for defining high risk areas. Improvements in exposure assessment together with the use of a range of health data (hospital discharge cards, malformation notifications, observations of general practitioners) will contribute to second generation studies aimed at inferring causal relationships.

Description and hydrogeologic evaluation of nine hazardous-waste sites in Kansas, 1984-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, R.J.; Spruill, T.B.

1988-01-01

Wastes generated at nine hazardous-waste sites in Kansas were disposed in open pits, 55-gal drums, or large storage tanks. These disposal methods have the potential to contaminate groundwater beneath the sites, the soil on the sites, and nearby surface water bodies. Various activities on the nine sites included production of diborane, transformer oil waste, production of soda ash, use of solvents for the manufacture of farm implements, reclamation of solvents and paints, oil-refinery wastes, meat packaging, and the manufacture and cleaning of tanker-truck tanks. Monitoring wells were installed upgradient and downgradient from the potential contamination source on each site. Strict decontamination procedures were followed to prevent cross contamination between well installations. Air-quality surveys were made on each site before other investigative procedures started. Hydrogeologic investigative techniques, such as terrain geophysical surveys, gamma-ray logs, and laboratory permeameter tests, were used. Groundwater level measurements provide data to determine the direction of flow. Groundwater contamination detected under the sites posed the greatest threat to the environment because of possible migration of contaminants by groundwater flow. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and trace metals were detected in the groundwater at several of the sites. Many of the same compounds detected in the groundwater also were detected in soil and bed-material samples collected onsite or adjacent to the sites. Several contaminants were detected in background samples of groundwater and soil. (USGS)

Topic I: Induced changes in hydrology at low-level radioactive waste repository sites: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Engineering practices, including the excavation of trenches, placement of waste, nature of waste forms, backfilling procedures and materials, and trench-cover construction and materials at low-level radioactive-waste repository sites greatly affect the geohydrology of the sites. Engineering practices are dominant factors in eventual stability and isolation of the waste. The papers presented relating to Topic I were discussions of the hydrogeologic setting at existing low-level radioactive-waste repository sites and changes in the hydrology induced by site operations. Papers summarizing detailed studies presented at this workshop include those at sites near Sheffield, Ill.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.; West Valley, N.Y.; Maxey Flats, Ky.; Barnwell, S.C.; and Beatty, Nev. 

Increased levels of lead in the blood and frequencies of lymphocytic micronucleated binucleated cells among workers from an electronic-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; He, An M; Gao, Bo; Chen, Lan; Yu, Qiang Z; Guo, Huan; Shi, Bin J; Jiang, Pu; Zhang, Zeng Y; Li, Ping L; Sheng, Ying G; Fu, Mo J; Wu, Chun T; Chen, Min X; Yuan, Jing

2011-01-01

In recent years, adverse health effects of chemicals from electronic waste (e-waste) have been reported. However, little is known about the genotoxic effects of chemicals in e-waste. In the present study, air concentrations of the toxic metals at e-waste and control sites were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Levels of toxic metals (lead, copper and cadmium) in blood and urine were detected using atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 48 exposed individuals and 56 age- and sex-matched controls. The frequencies of lymphocytic micronucleated binucleated cells (MNBNCs) were determined using a cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. Results indicated that blood lead levels were significantly higher in the exposed group (median: 11.449 μg/dL, 1st/3rd quartiles: 9.351-14.410 μg/dL) than in the control group (median: 9.104 μg/dL, 1st/3rd quartiles: 7.275-11.389 μg/dL). The exposed group had higher MNBNCs frequencies (median: 4.0 per thousand, 1st/3rd quartiles: 2.0-7.0 per thousand) compared with the controls (median: 1.0 per thousand, 1st/3rd quartiles: 0.0-2.0 per thousand). Additionally, MNBNCs frequencies and blood lead levels were positively correlated (r = 0.254, p<0.01). Further analysis suggested that a history of working with e-waste was a predictor for increased blood lead levels and MNBNCs frequencies in the subjects. The results suggest that both the living and occupational environments at the e-waste site may be risk factors for increased MNBNCs frequencies among those who are exposed.

36 CFR 6.6 - Solid waste disposal sites within new additions to the National Park System.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.6 Solid waste disposal sites within new additions to the National Park System. (a) An operator...

36 CFR 6.6 - Solid waste disposal sites within new additions to the National Park System.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Solid waste disposal sites... NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 6.6 Solid waste disposal sites within new additions to the National Park System. (a) An operator...

Assessment of cadmium exposure for neonates in Guiyu, an electronic waste pollution site of China.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Huo, Xia; Liu, Junxiao; Peng, Lin; Li, Weiqiu; Xu, Xijin

2011-06-01

This study aimed to determine the levels of placental cadmium (PCd) and cord blood cadmium (CBCd) and the resulting expression of placental metallothionein (MT) in neonates and to investigate cadmium (Cd) exposure levels in neonates and mothers who live in Guiyu, China, an electronic waste (e-waste) pollution site. Among the 423 mothers included in the study from 2004/2005 to 2007, 289 lived in Guiyu (exposed group) and 134 lived in Chaonan, located 10 km away from Guiyu (controls) and had never been exposed to e-waste pollution. CBCd and PCd levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Placental MT was examined by immunohistochemistry. Information on maternal and neonatal characteristics and exposure conditions was obtained from hospital records and by personal interviews. For the 3 years, the median CBCd was higher for Guiyu neonates than for controls (3.61 vs. 1.25 μg/L), with 25.61% of Guiyu subjects exhibiting a median CBCd that exceeded the safety limit defined by the World Health Organization (5 μg/L), as compared with 14.18% of control neonates (p < 0.01). In Guiyu, the mean PCd was higher than that for controls (0.17 ± 0.48 vs. 0.10 ± 0.11 μg/g, p ≤ 0.01). The high levels of CBCd and PCd were significantly associated with parents' occupational and environmental exposure to e-waste recycling pollutants. Staining for MT was positive and dense for 67.00% (67/100) of Guiyu neonates as compared with 32.69% (17/52) of controls (p < 0.01). Exposure to e-waste recycling pollutants increased Cd exposure in neonates, which was accompanied by increased placental MT expression.

Cleanup Verification Package for the 600-47 Waste Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. J. Cutlip

This cleanup verification package documents completion of interim remedial action for the 600-47 waste site. This site consisted of several areas of surface debris and contamination near the banks of the Columbia River across from Johnson Island. Contaminated material identified in field surveys included four areas of soil, wood, nuts, bolts, and other metal debris.

Pyramiding tumuli waste disposal site and method of construction thereof

DOEpatents

Golden, Martin P.

1989-01-01

An improved waste disposal site for the above-ground disposal of low-level nuclear waste as disclosed herein. The disposal site is formed from at least three individual waste-containing tumuli, wherein each tumuli includes a central raised portion bordered by a sloping side portion. Two of the tumuli are constructed at ground level with adjoining side portions, and a third above-ground tumulus is constructed over the mutually adjoining side portions of the ground-level tumuli. Both the floor and the roof of each tumulus includes a layer of water-shedding material such as compacted clay, and the clay layer in the roofs of the two ground-level tumuli form the compacted clay layer of the floor of the third above-ground tumulus. Each tumulus further includes a shield wall, preferably formed from a solid array of low-level handleable nuclear wate packages. The provision of such a shield wall protects workers from potentially harmful radiation when higher-level, non-handleable packages of nuclear waste are stacked in the center of the tumulus.

Toward Identifying the Next Generation of Superfund and Hazardous Waste Site Contaminants

PubMed Central

Ela, Wendell P.; Sedlak, David L.; Barlaz, Morton A.; Henry, Heather F.; Muir, Derek C.G.; Swackhamer, Deborah L.; Weber, Eric J.; Arnold, Robert G.; Ferguson, P. Lee; Field, Jennifer A.; Furlong, Edward T.; Giesy, John P.; Halden, Rolf U.; Henry, Tala; Hites, Ronald A.; Hornbuckle, Keri C.; Howard, Philip H.; Luthy, Richard G.; Meyer, Anita K.; Sáez, A. Eduardo; vom Saal, Frederick S.; Vulpe, Chris D.; Wiesner, Mark R.

2011-01-01

Background This commentary evolved from a workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences titled “Superfund Contaminants: The Next Generation” held in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2009. All the authors were workshop participants. Objectives Our aim was to initiate a dynamic, adaptable process for identifying contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that are likely to be found in future hazardous waste sites, and to identify the gaps in primary research that cause uncertainty in determining future hazardous waste site contaminants. Discussion Superfund-relevant CECs can be characterized by specific attributes: They are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, occur in large quantities, and have localized accumulation with a likelihood of exposure. Although still under development and incompletely applied, methods to quantify these attributes can assist in winnowing down the list of candidates from the universe of potential CECs. Unfortunately, significant research gaps exist in detection and quantification, environmental fate and transport, health and risk assessment, and site exploration and remediation for CECs. Addressing these gaps is prerequisite to a preventive approach to generating and managing hazardous waste sites. Conclusions A need exists for a carefully considered and orchestrated expansion of programmatic and research efforts to identify, evaluate, and manage CECs of hazardous waste site relevance, including developing an evolving list of priority CECs, intensifying the identification and monitoring of likely sites of present or future accumulation of CECs, and implementing efforts that focus on a holistic approach to prevention. PMID:21205582

Toward identifying the next generation of superfund and hazardous waste site contaminants.

PubMed

Ela, Wendell P; Sedlak, David L; Barlaz, Morton A; Henry, Heather F; Muir, Derek C G; Swackhamer, Deborah L; Weber, Eric J; Arnold, Robert G; Ferguson, P Lee; Field, Jennifer A; Furlong, Edward T; Giesy, John P; Halden, Rolf U; Henry, Tala; Hites, Ronald A; Hornbuckle, Keri C; Howard, Philip H; Luthy, Richard G; Meyer, Anita K; Sáez, A Eduardo; Vom Saal, Frederick S; Vulpe, Chris D; Wiesner, Mark R

2011-01-01

This commentary evolved from a workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences titled "Superfund Contaminants: The Next Generation" held in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2009. All the authors were workshop participants. Our aim was to initiate a dynamic, adaptable process for identifying contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that are likely to be found in future hazardous waste sites, and to identify the gaps in primary research that cause uncertainty in determining future hazardous waste site contaminants. Superfund-relevant CECs can be characterized by specific attributes: They are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, occur in large quantities, and have localized accumulation with a likelihood of exposure. Although still under development and incompletely applied, methods to quantify these attributes can assist in winnowing down the list of candidates from the universe of potential CECs. Unfortunately, significant research gaps exist in detection and quantification, environmental fate and transport, health and risk assessment, and site exploration and remediation for CECs. Addressing these gaps is prerequisite to a preventive approach to generating and managing hazardous waste sites. A need exists for a carefully considered and orchestrated expansion of programmatic and research efforts to identify, evaluate, and manage CECs of hazardous waste site relevance, including developing an evolving list of priority CECs, intensifying the identification and monitoring of likely sites of present or future accumulation of CECs, and implementing efforts that focus on a holistic approach to prevention.

Estimation of future outflows of e-waste in India.

PubMed

Dwivedy, Maheshwar; Mittal, R K

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study is to construct an approach and a methodology to estimate the future outflows of electronic waste (e-waste) in India. Consequently, the study utilizes a time-series multiple lifespan end-of-life model proposed by Peralta and Fontanos for estimating the current and future quantities of e-waste in India. The model estimates future e-waste generation quantities by modeling their usage and disposal. The present work considers two scenarios for the approximation of e-waste generation based on user preferences to store or to recycle the e-waste. This model will help formal recyclers in India to make strategic decisions in planning for appropriate recycling infrastructure and institutional capacity building. Also an extension of the model proposed by Peralta and Fontanos is developed with the objective of helping decision makers to conduct WEEE estimates under a variety of assumptions to suit their region of study. During 2007-2011, the total WEEE estimates will be around 2.5 million metric tons which include waste from personal computers (PC), television, refrigerators and washing machines. During the said period, the waste from PC will account for 30% of total units of WEEE generated. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of future outflows of e-waste in India

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dwivedy, Maheshwar, E-mail: dwivedy_m@bits-pilani.ac.i; Mittal, R.K.

2010-03-15

The purpose of this study is to construct an approach and a methodology to estimate the future outflows of electronic waste (e-waste) in India. Consequently, the study utilizes a time-series multiple lifespan end-of-life model proposed by Peralta and Fontanos for estimating the current and future quantities of e-waste in India. The model estimates future e-waste generation quantities by modeling their usage and disposal. The present work considers two scenarios for the approximation of e-waste generation based on user preferences to store or to recycle the e-waste. This model will help formal recyclers in India to make strategic decisions in planningmore » for appropriate recycling infrastructure and institutional capacity building. Also an extension of the model proposed by Peralta and Fontanos is developed with the objective of helping decision makers to conduct WEEE estimates under a variety of assumptions to suit their region of study. During 2007-2011, the total WEEE estimates will be around 2.5 million metric tons which include waste from personal computers (PC), television, refrigerators and washing machines. During the said period, the waste from PC will account for 30% of total units of WEEE generated.« less

Application of geographical information system in disposal site selection for hazardous wastes.

PubMed

Rezaeimahmoudi, Mehdi; Esmaeli, Abdolreza; Gharegozlu, Alireza; Shabanian, Hassan; Rokni, Ladan

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to provide a scientific method based on Geographical Information System (GIS) regarding all sustainable development measures to locate a proper landfill for disposal of hazardous wastes, especially industrial (radioactive) wastes. Seven effective factors for determining hazardous waste landfill were applied in Qom Province, central Iran. These criteria included water, slope, population centers, roads, fault, protected areas and geology. The Analysis Hierarchical Process (AHP) model based on pair comparison was used. First, the weight of each factor was determined by experts; afterwards each layer of maps entered to ARC GIS and with special weight multiplied together, finally the best suitable site was introduced. The most suitable sites for burial were in northwest and west of Qom Province and eventually five zones were introduced as the sample sites. GIs and AHP model is introduced as the technical, useful and accelerator tool for disposal site selection. Furthermore it is determined that geological factor is the most effective layer for site selection. It is suggested that geological conditions should be considered primarily then other factors are taken into consideration.

IONSIV(R) IE-911 Performance in Savannah River Site Radioactive Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, D.D.

2001-06-04

This report describes cesium sorption from high-level radioactive waste solutions onto IONSIV(R) IE-911 at ambient temperature. Researchers characterized six radioactive waste samples from five high-level waste tanks in the Savannah River Site tank farm, diluted the wastes to 5.6 M Na+, and made equilibrium and kinetic measurements of cesium sorption. The equilibrium measurements were compared to ZAM (Zheng, Anthony, and Martin) model predictions. The kinetic measurements were compared to simulant solutions whose column performance has been measured.

Chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) for the dismantlement of nuclear facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallada, Marc R.; Seiffert, Stephan L.; Walter, Robert F.; Vetrovec, John

2000-05-01

The dismantlement of obsolete nuclear facilities is a major challenge for both the US Department of Energy and nuclear power utilities. Recent demonstrations have shown that lasers can be highly effective for size reduction cutting, especially for the efficient storage and recycling of materials. However, the full benefits of lasers can only be realized with high average power beams that can be conveniently delivered, via fiber optics, to remote and/or confined areas. Industrial lasers that can meet these requirements are not available now or for the foreseeable future. However, a military weapon laser, a Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL), which has been demonstrated at over a hundred kilo Watts, could be adapted to meet these needs and enable entirely new industrial applications. An 'industrialized' COIL would enable rapid sectioning of thick and complex structures, such as glove boxes, reactor vessels, and steam generators, accelerating dismantlement schedules and reducing worker hazards. The full advantages of lasers in dismantlement could finally be realized with a portable COIL which is integrated with sophisticated robotics. It could be built and deployed in less than two years, breaking the paradigm of labor-intensive dismantlement operations and cutting processing times and costs dramatically.

Burden of disease from toxic waste sites in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines in 2010.

PubMed

Chatham-Stephens, Kevin; Caravanos, Jack; Ericson, Bret; Sunga-Amparo, Jennifer; Susilorini, Budi; Sharma, Promila; Landrigan, Philip J; Fuller, Richard

2013-07-01

Prior calculations of the burden of disease from toxic exposures have not included estimates of the burden from toxic waste sites due to the absence of exposure data. We developed a disability-adjusted life year (DALY)-based estimate of the disease burden attributable to toxic waste sites. We focused on three low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Sites were identified through the Blacksmith Institute's Toxic Sites Identification Program, a global effort to identify waste sites in LMICs. At least one of eight toxic chemicals was sampled in environmental media at each site, and the population at risk estimated. By combining estimates of disease incidence from these exposures with population data, we calculated the DALYs attributable to exposures at each site. We estimated that in 2010, 8,629,750 persons were at risk of exposure to industrial pollutants at 373 toxic waste sites in the three countries, and that these exposures resulted in 828,722 DALYs, with a range of 814,934-1,557,121 DALYs, depending on the weighting factor used. This disease burden is comparable to estimated burdens for outdoor air pollution (1,448,612 DALYs) and malaria (725,000 DALYs) in these countries. Lead and hexavalent chromium collectively accounted for 99.2% of the total DALYs for the chemicals evaluated. Toxic waste sites are responsible for a significant burden of disease in LMICs. Although some factors, such as unidentified and unscreened sites, may cause our estimate to be an underestimate of the actual burden of disease, other factors, such as extrapolation of environmental sampling to the entire exposed population, may result in an overestimate of the burden of disease attributable to these sites. Toxic waste sites are a major, and heretofore underrecognized, global health problem.

Burden of Disease from Toxic Waste Sites in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines in 2010

PubMed Central

Caravanos, Jack; Ericson, Bret; Sunga-Amparo, Jennifer; Susilorini, Budi; Sharma, Promila; Landrigan, Philip J.; Fuller, Richard

2013-01-01

Background: Prior calculations of the burden of disease from toxic exposures have not included estimates of the burden from toxic waste sites due to the absence of exposure data. Objective: We developed a disability-adjusted life year (DALY)-based estimate of the disease burden attributable to toxic waste sites. We focused on three low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Methods: Sites were identified through the Blacksmith Institute’s Toxic Sites Identification Program, a global effort to identify waste sites in LMICs. At least one of eight toxic chemicals was sampled in environmental media at each site, and the population at risk estimated. By combining estimates of disease incidence from these exposures with population data, we calculated the DALYs attributable to exposures at each site. Results: We estimated that in 2010, 8,629,750 persons were at risk of exposure to industrial pollutants at 373 toxic waste sites in the three countries, and that these exposures resulted in 828,722 DALYs, with a range of 814,934–1,557,121 DALYs, depending on the weighting factor used. This disease burden is comparable to estimated burdens for outdoor air pollution (1,448,612 DALYs) and malaria (725,000 DALYs) in these countries. Lead and hexavalent chromium collectively accounted for 99.2% of the total DALYs for the chemicals evaluated. Conclusions: Toxic waste sites are responsible for a significant burden of disease in LMICs. Although some factors, such as unidentified and unscreened sites, may cause our estimate to be an underestimate of the actual burden of disease, other factors, such as extrapolation of environmental sampling to the entire exposed population, may result in an overestimate of the burden of disease attributable to these sites. Toxic waste sites are a major, and heretofore underrecognized, global health problem. PMID:23649493

Thermodynamic model for uranium release from hanford site tank residual waste.

PubMed

Cantrell, Kirk J; Deutsch, William J; Lindberg, Mike J

2011-02-15

A thermodynamic model of U solid-phase solubility and paragenesis was developed for Hanford Site tank residual waste that will remain in place after tank closure. The model was developed using a combination of waste composition data, waste leach test data, and thermodynamic modeling of the leach test data. The testing and analyses were conducted using actual Hanford Site tank residual waste. Positive identification of U phases by X-ray diffraction was generally not possible either because solids in the waste were amorphous or their concentrations were not detectable by XRD for both as-received and leached residual waste. Three leachant solutions were used in the studies: deionized water, CaCO3 saturated solution, and Ca(OH)2 saturated solution. Analysis of calculated saturation indices indicate that NaUO2PO4·xH2O and Na2U2O7(am) are present in the residual wastes initially. Leaching of the residual wastes with deionized water or CaCO3 saturated solution results in preferential dissolution Na2U2O7(am) and formation of schoepite. Leaching of the residual wastes with Ca(OH)2 saturated solution appears to result in transformation of both NaUO2PO4·xH2O and Na2U2O7(am) to CaUO4. Upon the basis of these results, the paragenetic sequence of secondary phases expected to occur as leaching of residual waste progresses for two tank closure scenarios was identified.

High metal reactivity and environmental risks at a site contaminated by glass waste.

PubMed

Augustsson, A; Åström, M; Bergbäck, B; Elert, M; Höglund, L O; Kleja, D B

2016-07-01

This study addresses the reactivity and risks of metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As and Sb) at a Swedish site with large glass waste deposits. Old glassworks sites typically have high total metal concentrations, but as the metals are mainly bound within the glass waste and considered relatively inert, environmental investigations at these kinds of sites are limited. In this study, soil and landfill samples were subjected to a sequential chemical extraction procedure. Data from batch leaching tests and groundwater upstream and downstream of the waste deposits were also interpreted. The sequential extraction revealed that metals in <2 mm soil/waste samples were largely associated with geochemically active fractions, indicating that metals are released from pristine glass and subsequently largely retained in the surrounding soil and/or on secondary mineral coatings on fine glass particles. From the approximately 12,000 m(3) of coarse glass waste at the site, almost 4000 kg of Pb is estimated to have been lost through corrosion, which, however, corresponds to only a small portion of the total amount of Pb in the waste. Metal sorption within the waste deposits or in underlying soil layers is supported by fairly low metal concentrations in groundwater. However, elevated concentrations in downstream groundwater and in leachates of batch leaching tests were observed for several metals, indicating on-going leaching. Taken together, the high metal concentrations in geochemically active forms and the high amounts of as yet uncorroded metal-rich glass, indicate considerable risks to human health and the environment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment and evaluation of engineering options at a low-level radioactive waste storage site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanehiro, B. Y.; Guvanasen, V.

1982-09-01

Solutions to hydrologic and geotechnical problems associated with existing disposal sites were sought and the efficiency of engineering options that were proposed to improve the integrity of such sites were evaluated. The Weldon Spring site is generally like other low-level nuclear waste sites, except that the wastes are primarily in the form of residues and contaminated rubble from the processing of uranium and thorium ores rather than industrial isotopes or mill tailings.

Enhanced Fuzzy-OWA model for municipal solid waste landfill site selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Siti Zubaidah; Ahamad, Mohd Sanusi S.; Yusoff, Mohd Suffian; Abujayyab, Sohaib K. M.

2017-10-01

In Malaysia, the municipal solid waste landfill site is an essential facility that needs to be evaluated as its demand is infrequently getting higher. The increment of waste generation forces the government to cater the appropriate site for waste disposal. However, the selection process for new landfill sites is a difficult task with regard to land scarcity and time consumption. In addition, the complication will proliferate when there are various criteria to be considered. Therefore, this paper intends to show the significance of the fuzzy logic-ordered weighted average (Fuzzy-OWA) model for the landfill site suitability analysis. The model was developed to generalize the multi-criteria combination that was extended to the GIS applications as part of the decision support module. OWA has the capability to implement different combination operators through the selection of appropriate order weight that is possible in changing the form of aggregation such as minimum, intermediate and maximum types of combination. OWA give six forms of aggregation results that have their specific significance that indirectly evaluates the environmental, physical and socio-economic (EPSE) criteria respectively. Nevertheless, one of the aggregated results has shown similarity with the weighted linear combination (WLC) method.

Electronic waste (e-waste): material flows and management practices in Nigeria.

PubMed

Nnorom, Innocent Chidi; Osibanjo, Oladele

2008-01-01

The growth in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) production and consumption has been exponential in the last two decades. This has been as a result of the rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities, decrease in prices, and the growth in internet use. This creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic devices (e-waste) in developed countries. There is high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as secondhand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) in Nigeria, most of which rely on imported secondhand devices. This paper attempts to review the material flow of secondhand/scrap electronic devices into Nigeria, the current management practices for e-waste and the environmental and health implications of such low-end management practices. Establishment of formal recycling facilities, introduction of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and the confirmation of the functionality of secondhand EEE prior to importation are some of the options available to the government in dealing with this difficult issue.

Electronic waste (e-waste): Material flows and management practices in Nigeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nnorom, Innocent Chidi; Osibanjo, Oladele

The growth in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) production and consumption has been exponential in the last two decades. This has been as a result of the rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities, decrease in prices, and the growth in internet use. This creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic devices (e-waste) in developed countries. There is high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as secondhand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal advancement in information and communication technology (ICT)more » in Nigeria, most of which rely on imported secondhand devices. This paper attempts to review the material flow of secondhand/scrap electronic devices into Nigeria, the current management practices for e-waste and the environmental and health implications of such low-end management practices. Establishment of formal recycling facilities, introduction of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and the confirmation of the functionality of secondhand EEE prior to importation are some of the options available to the government in dealing with this difficult issue.« less

USE OF ELECTROKINETICS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE REMEDIATION

EPA Science Inventory

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program was authorized as part of the 1986 amendments to the Superfund legislation. It represents a joint effort between U.S. EPA`s Office of Research and Development and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. The progr...

Importance of geologic characterization of potential low-level radioactive waste disposal sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weibel, C.P.; Berg, R.C.

1991-01-01

Using the example of the Geff Alternative Site in Wayne County, Illinois, for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste, this paper demonstrates, from a policy and public opinion perspective, the importance of accurately determining site stratigraphy. Complete and accurate characterization of geologic materials and determination of site stratigraphy at potential low-level waste disposal sites provides the frame-work for subsequent hydrologic and geochemical investigations. Proper geologic characterization is critical to determine the long-term site stability and the extent of interactions of groundwater between the site and its surroundings. Failure to adequately characterize site stratigraphy can lead to the incorrect evaluation of the geology of a site, which in turn may result in a lack of public confidence. A potential problem of lack of public confidence was alleviated as a result of the resolution and proper definition of the Geff Alternative Site stratigraphy. The integrity of the investigation was not questioned and public perception was not compromised. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Know History, Know Self: Art Therapists' Responsibility to Dismantle White Supremacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamrick, Cassie; Byma, Christine

2017-01-01

In this article, we call on white art therapists to assume responsibility for dismantling white supremacy in the field of art therapy, in personal as well as political-structural arenas. We respond to calls from scholars and writers of color for white people to assume increased responsibility for dismantling white supremacy in white communities…

SRS: Site ranking system for hazardous chemical and radioactive waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rechard, R.P.; Chu, M.S.Y.; Brown, S.L.

1988-05-01

This report describes the rationale and presents instructions for a site ranking system (SRS). SRS ranks hazardous chemical and radioactive waste sites by scoring important and readily available factors that influence risk to human health. Using SRS, sites can be ranked for purposes of detailed site investigations. SRS evaluates the relative risk as a combination of potentially exposed population, chemical toxicity, and potential exposure of release from a waste site; hence, SRS uses the same concepts found in a detailed assessment of health risk. Basing SRS on the concepts of risk assessment tends to reduce the distortion of results foundmore » in other ranking schemes. More importantly, a clear logic helps ensure the successful application of the ranking procedure and increases its versatility when modifications are necessary for unique situations. Although one can rank sites using a detailed risk assessment, it is potentially costly because of data and resources required. SRS is an efficient approach to provide an order-of-magnitude ranking, requiring only readily available data (often only descriptive) and hand calculations. Worksheets are included to make the system easier to understand and use. 88 refs., 19 figs., 58 tabs.« less

Waste deposit influences on groundwater quality as a tool for waste type and site selection for final storage quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneth, Jan-Dirk; Milde, Gerald; Kerndorff, Helmut; Schleyer, Ruprecht

Leachates from deposits of wastes may, in the long run, adversely influence groundwater quality. Since tipping still constitutes the most important form of waste disposal, strategies must be developed which are capable of protecting groundwater against contamination from leachates. In the first instance such protective measures must provide for a minimization of contamination by setting up optimal barriers. Since it would seem difficult to reach this goal in a forseeable future, the avoidance of substances with a high potential for groundwater hazards has to be attributed much importance. In former times, little attention was given to impermeability or avoidance of substances with a high potential for groundwater hazards contained in wastes. Therefore, results of the investigation of groundwater near abandoned sites can be used to optimize groundwater protection on future tipping sites. In the present study, the results of chemical investigation of groundwater from the vicinity of 92 waste disposal sites in the Federal Republic of Germany are presented and the changes in groundwater quality owing to the penetration of leachates are discussed separately for inorganic and organic contaminants.

A multi-technique phytoremediation approach to purify metals contaminated soil from e-waste recycling site.

PubMed

Luo, Jie; Cai, Limei; Qi, Shihua; Wu, Jian; Sophie Gu, Xiaowen

2017-12-15

Multiple techniques for soil decontamination were combined to enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of Eucalyptus globulese and alleviate the corresponding environmental risks. The approach constituted of chelating agent using, electrokinetic remediation, plant hormone foliar application and phytoremediation was designed to remediate multi-metal contaminated soils from a notorious e-waste recycling town. The decontamination ability of E. globulese increased from 1.35, 58.47 and 119.18 mg per plant for Cd, Pb and Cu in planting controls to 7.57, 198.68 and 174.34 mg per plant in individual EDTA treatments, respectively, but simultaneously, 0.9-11.5 times more metals leached from chelator treatments relative to controls. Low (2 V) and moderate (4 V) voltage electric fields provoked the growth of the species while high voltage (10 V) had an opposite effect and metal concentrations of the plants elevated with the increment of voltage. Volumes of the leachate decreased from 1224 to 134 mL with voltage increasing from 0 to 10 V due to electroosmosis and electrolysis. Comparing with individual phytoremediation, foliar cytokinin treatments produced 56% more biomass and intercepted 2.5 times more leachate attributed to the enhanced transpiration rate. The synergistic combination of the individuals resulted in the most biomass production and metal accumulation of the species under the stress condition relative to other methods. Time required for the multi-technique approach to decontaminate Cd, Pb and Cu from soil was 2.1-10.4 times less than individual chelator addition, electric field application or plant hormone utilization. It's especially important that nearly no leachate (60 mL in total) was collected from the multi-technique system. This approach is a suitable method to remediate metal polluted site considering its decontamination efficiency and associated environmental negligible risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Special Analysis of Transuranic Waste in Trench T04C at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greg Shott, Vefa Yucel, Lloyd Desotell

2008-05-01

This Special Analysis (SA) was prepared to assess the potential impact of inadvertent disposal of a limited quantity of transuranic (TRU) waste in classified Trench 4 (T04C) within the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The Area 5 RWMS is a low-level radioactive waste disposal site in northern Frenchman Flat on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The Area 5 RWMS is regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE Order 435.1 and DOE Manual (DOE M) 435.1-1. The primary objective of the SA is to evaluate if inadvertent disposal of limitedmore » quantities of TRU waste in a shallow land burial trench at the Area 5 RWMS is in compliance with the existing, approved Disposal Authorization Statement (DAS) issued under DOE M 435.1-1. In addition, supplemental analyses are performed to determine if there is reasonable assurance that the requirements of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 191, Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level, and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes, can be met. The 40 CFR 191 analyses provide supplemental information regarding the risk to human health and the environment of leaving the TRU waste in T04C. In 1989, waste management personnel reviewing classified materials records discovered that classified materials buried in trench T04C at the Area 5 RWMS contained TRU waste. Subsequent investigations determined that a total of 102 55-gallon drums of TRU waste from Rocky Flats were buried in trench T04C in 1986. The disposal was inadvertent because unclassified records accompanying the shipment indicated that the waste was low-level. The exact location of the TRU waste in T04C was not recorded and is currently unknown. Under DOE M 435.1-1, Chapter IV, Section P.5, low-level waste disposal facilities must obtain a DAS. The DAS specifies conditions that must be met to operate within the radioactive waste management basis

Where next on e-waste in Australia?

PubMed

Golev, Artem; Schmeda-Lopez, Diego R; Smart, Simon K; Corder, Glen D; McFarland, Eric W

2016-12-01

For almost two decades waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE or e-waste, has been considered a growing problem that has global consequences. The value of recovered materials, primarily in precious and base metals, has prompted some parts of the world to informally and inappropriately process e-waste causing serious environmental and human health issues. Efforts in tackling this issue have been limited and in many ways unsuccessful. The global rates for formal e-waste treatment are estimated to be below the 20% mark, with the majority of end-of-life (EoL) electronic devices still ending up in the landfills or processed through rudimentary means. Industrial confidentiality regarding device composition combined with insufficient reporting requirements has made the task of simply characterizing the problem difficult at a global scale. To address some of these key issues, this paper presents a critical overview of existing statistics and estimations for e-waste in an Australia context, including potential value and environmental risks associated with metals recovery. From our findings, in 2014, on average per person, Australians purchased 35kg of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) while disposed of 25kg of WEEE, and possessed approximately 320kg of EEE. The total amount of WEEE was estimated at 587kt worth about US$ 370million if all major metals are fully recovered. These results are presented over the period 2010-2014, detailed for major EEE product categories and metals, and followed by 2015-2024 forecast. Our future projection, with the base scenario fixing EEE sales at 35kg per capita, predicts stabilization of e-waste generation in Australia at 28-29kg per capita, with the total amount continuing to grow along with the population growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 52.249-3 - Termination for Convenience of the Government (Dismantling, Demolition, or Removal of Improvements).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Convenience of the Government (Dismantling, Demolition, or Removal of Improvements). 52.249-3 Section 52.249-3... Convenience of the Government (Dismantling, Demolition, or Removal of Improvements). As prescribed in 49.502(b)(2), insert the following clause: Termination for Convenience of the Government (Dismantling...

Decision Support System For Management Of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal At The Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shott, G.; Yucel, V.; Desotell, L.

2006-07-01

The long-term safety of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) low-level radioactive disposal facilities is assessed by conducting a performance assessment -- a systematic analysis that compares estimated risks to the public and the environment with performance objectives contained in DOE Manual 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual. Before site operations, facilities design features such as final inventory, waste form characteristics, and closure cover design may be uncertain. Site operators need a modeling tool that can be used throughout the operational life of the disposal site to guide decisions regarding the acceptance of problematic waste streams, new disposal cell design, environmental monitoringmore » program design, and final site closure. In response to these needs the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) has developed a decision support system for the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site in Frenchman Flat on the Nevada Test Site. The core of the system is a probabilistic inventory and performance assessment model implemented in the GoldSim{sup R} simulation platform. The modeling platform supports multiple graphic capabilities that allow clear documentation of the model data sources, conceptual model, mathematical implementation, and results. The combined models have the capability to estimate disposal site inventory, contaminant concentrations in environmental media, and radiological doses to members of the public engaged in various activities at multiple locations. The model allows rapid assessment and documentation of the consequences of waste management decisions using the most current site characterization information, radionuclide inventory, and conceptual model. The model is routinely used to provide annual updates of site performance, evaluate the consequences of disposal of new waste streams, develop waste concentration limits, optimize the design of new disposal cells, and assess the adequacy of

E-waste Management and Refurbishment Prediction (EMARP) Model for Refurbishment Industries.

PubMed

Resmi, N G; Fasila, K A

2017-10-01

This paper proposes a novel algorithm for establishing a standard methodology to manage and refurbish e-waste called E-waste Management And Refurbishment Prediction (EMARP), which can be adapted by refurbishing industries in order to improve their performance. Waste management, particularly, e-waste management is a serious issue nowadays. Computerization has been into waste management in different ways. Much of the computerization has happened in planning the waste collection, recycling and disposal process and also managing documents and reports related to waste management. This paper proposes a computerized model to make predictions for e-waste refurbishment. All possibilities for reusing the common components among the collected e-waste samples are predicted, thus minimizing the wastage. Simulation of the model has been done to analyse the accuracy in the predictions made by the system. The model can be scaled to accommodate the real-world scenario. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unfair trade: e-waste in Africa.

PubMed

Schmidt, Charles W

2006-04-01

Africa is quickly becoming a destination for information technology in the form of tons of used computers, fax machines, cell phones, and other electronics. Although many of these machines can be repaired and resold, up to 75% of the electronics shipped to Africa is junk. This equipment, when dumped, may leach lead, mercury, and cadmium into the environment; when burned, it may release carcinogenic dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. In the United States, activists are working to limit the flow of e-waste to developing countries through international agreements and voluntary e-waste export reduction efforts.

Remaining Sites Verification Package for the 331 Life Sciences Laboratory Drain Field Septic System, Waste Site Reclassification Form 2008-020

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. M. Capron

2008-10-16

The 331 Life Sciences Laboratory Drain Field (LSLDF) septic system waste site consists of a diversion chamber, two septic tanks, a distribution box, and a drain field. This septic system was designed to receive sanitary waste water, from animal studies conducted in the 331-A and 331-B Buildings, for discharge into the soil column. However, field observations and testing suggest the 331 LSLDF septic system did not receive any discharges. In accordance with this evaluation, the confirmatory sampling results support a reclassification of the 331 LSLDF waste site to No Action. This site does not have a deep zone or othermore » condition that would warrant an institutional control in accordance with the 300-FF-2 ROD under the industrial land use scenario.« less

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the Sandia National Laboratory Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregory, Louis B.

This special analysis evaluates whether the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream (ASLA000001007, Revision 4) is suitable for disposal by shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream consists of debris from classified nuclear weapons components (SNL 2015). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream required a special analysis due to tritium (3H) exceeding the NNSS Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Action Levels (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office [NNSA/NFO] 2015). The SNL Classifiedmore » Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream had no significant effect on the maximum mean and 95th percentile results for the resident air pathway and all-pathways annual total effective dose (TED). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream increases the mean air pathway and all-pathways annual TED from approximately 100 to 200 years after closure. Addition of the SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream inventory shifts the maximum TED to approximately 100 years after closure and increases the TED for several alternative exposure scenarios. The maximum mean and the 95th percentile 222Rn flux density remain less than the performance objective throughout the compliance period. The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream is suitable for disposal by SLB at the Area 5 RWMS. The waste stream is recommended for approval without conditions.« less

Health consequences of exposure to e-waste: a systematic review.

PubMed

Grant, Kristen; Goldizen, Fiona C; Sly, Peter D; Brune, Marie-Noel; Neira, Maria; van den Berg, Martin; Norman, Rosana E

2013-12-01

The population exposed to potentially hazardous substances through inappropriate and unsafe management practices related to disposal and recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, collectively known as e-waste, is increasing. We aimed to summarise the evidence for the association between such exposures and adverse health outcomes. We systematically searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycNET, and CINAHL) for studies assessing the association between exposure to e-waste and outcomes related to mental health and neurodevelopment, physical health, education, and violence and criminal behaviour, from Jan 1, 1965, to Dec 17, 2012, and yielded 2274 records. Of the 165 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, we excluded a further 142, resulting in the inclusion of 23 published epidemiological studies that met the predetermined criteria. All studies were from southeast China. We assessed evidence of a causal association between exposure to e-waste and health outcomes within the Bradford Hill framework. We recorded plausible outcomes associated with exposure to e-waste including change in thyroid function, changes in cellular expression and function, adverse neonatal outcomes, changes in temperament and behaviour, and decreased lung function. Boys aged 8-9 years living in an e-waste recycling town had a lower forced vital capacity than did those living in a control town. Significant negative correlations between blood chromium concentrations and forced vital capacity in children aged 11 and 13 years were also reported. Findings from most studies showed increases in spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and premature births, and reduced birthweights and birth lengths associated with exposure to e-waste. People living in e-waste recycling towns or working in e-waste recycling had evidence of greater DNA damage than did those living in control towns. Studies of the effects of exposure to e-waste on thyroid function were not

E-waste environmental contamination and harm to public health in China.

PubMed

Xu, Xijin; Zeng, Xiang; Boezen, H Marike; Huo, Xia

2015-06-01

The adverse effects of electronic waste (e-waste) on the human body have stirred up concern in recent years. China is one of the countries that confront serious pollution and human exposure of e-waste, and the majority of the population is exposed to potentially hazardous substances that are derived from informal e-waste recycling processes. This study reviews recent reports on human exposure to e-waste in China, with particular focus on exposure routes (e.g., inhalation and ingestion) and several toxicities of human (e.g., endocrine system, respiratory system, reproductive system, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and genetic toxicity). Pieces of evidence that associate e-waste exposure with human health effects in China are assessed. The role of toxic heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and nickel) and organic pollutants (e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs), bisphenol A (BPA)) on human health is also briefly discussed.

Analysis of chromium status in the revegetated flora of a tannery waste site and microcosm studies using earthworm E. fetida.

PubMed

Nirola, Ramkrishna; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Subramanian, Avudainayagam; Thavamani, Palanisami; Ramadass, Kavitha; Aryal, Rupak; Saint, Christopher

2018-02-01

Chromium from tannery waste dump site causes significant environmental pollution affecting surrounding flora and fauna. The primary aims of this study were to survey vegetation, investigate the degree of soil pollution occurring near tannery waste dump site and make a systematic evaluation of soil contamination based on the chromium levels found in plants and earthworms from the impacted areas. This paper presents the pollution load of toxic heavy metals, and especially chromium, in 10 soil samples and 12 species of plants. Soil samples were analysed for heavy metals by using ICP-MS/ICP-OES method. Results indicated that Cr in soils exceeded soil quality guideline limits (SQGL). The total chromium present in the above ground parts of plants ranged from 1.7 mg kg -1 in Casuarina sp. to 1007 mg kg -1 in Sonchus asper. The Cr bioaccumulation in Eisenia fetida from tannery waste soil ranged from 5 to 194 mg kg -1 . The high enrichment factor of Cr in S. asper and bioaccumulation factor in earthworms indicate that there is a steady increase of toxic chromium risk in this area, which could be correlated with the past dumping activity. Emphasis needs to be put on control measures of pollution and remediation techniques in such areas to achieve an ecologically sustainable industrialisation.

Hydrogeologic factors in the selection of shallow land burial sites for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, John N.

1986-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed of by shallow land burial. Commercial low-level radioactive waste has been buried at six sites, and low-level radioactive waste generated by the Federal Government has been buried at nine major and several minor sites. Several existing low-level radioactive waste sites have not provided expected protection of the environment. These shortcomings are related, at least in part, to an inadequate understanding of site hydrogeology at the time the sites were selected. To better understand the natural systems and the effect of hydrogeologic factors on long-term site performance, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted investigations at five of the six commercial low-level radioactive waste sites and at three Federal sites. These studies, combined with those of other Federal and State agencies, have identified and confirmed important hydrogeologic factors in the effective disposal of low-level radioactive waste by shallow land burial. These factors include precipitation, surface drainage, topography, site stability, geology, thickness of the host soil-rock horizon, soil and sediment permeability, soil and water chemistry, and depth to the water table.

Stockpile Dismantlement Database Training Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-11-01

This document, the Stockpile Dismantlement Database (SDDB) training materials is designed to familiarize the user with the SDDB windowing system and the data entry steps for Component Characterization for Disposition. The foundation of information required for every part is depicted by using numbered graphic and text steps. The individual entering data is lead step by step through generic and specific examples. These training materials are intended to be supplements to individual on-the-job training.

Sensor system for buried waste containment sites

DOEpatents

Smith, Ann Marie; Gardner, Bradley M.; Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Partin, Judy K.; Lancaster, Gregory D.; Pfeifer, May Catherine

2000-01-01

A sensor system is disclosed for a buried waste containment site having a bottom wall barrier and/or sidewall barriers, for containing hazardous waste. The sensor system includes one or more sensor devices disposed in one or more of the barriers for detecting a physical parameter either of the barrier itself or of the physical condition of the surrounding soils and buried waste, and for producing a signal representing the physical parameter detected. Also included is a signal processor for receiving signals produced by the sensor device and for developing information identifying the physical parameter detected, either for sounding an alarm, displaying a graphic representation of a physical parameter detected on a viewing screen and/or a hard copy printout. The sensor devices may be deployed in or adjacent the barriers at the same time the barriers are deployed and may be adapted to detect strain or cracking in the barriers, leakage of radiation through the barriers, the presence and leaking through the barriers of volatile organic compounds, or similar physical conditions.

Electrokinetic remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site wastes: results from a pilot-scale on-site trial.

PubMed

Agnew, Kieran; Cundy, Andrew B; Hopkinson, Laurence; Croudace, Ian W; Warwick, Phillip E; Purdie, Philip

2011-02-28

This paper examines the field-scale application of a novel low-energy electrokinetic technique for the remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site soils, using soil wastes from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston site, Berkshire, UK as a test medium. Soils and sediments with varying composition, contaminated with Pu through historical site operations, were electrokinetically treated at laboratory-scale with and without various soil pre-conditioning agents. Results from these bench-scale trials were used to inform a larger on-site remediation trial, using an adapted containment pack with battery power supply. 2.4 m(3) (ca. 4t onnes) of Pu-contaminated soil was treated for 60 days at a power consumption of 33 kWh/m(3), and then destructively sampled. Radiochemical data indicate mobilisation of Pu in the treated soil, and migration (probably as a negatively charged Pu-citrate complex) towards the anodic compartment of the treatment cell. Soil in the cathodic zone of the treatment unit was remediated to a level below free-release disposal thresholds (1.7 Bq/g, or <0.4 Bq/g above background activities). The data show the potential of this method as a low-cost, on-site tool for remediation of radioactively contaminated soils and wastes which can be operated remotely on working sites, with minimal disruption to site infrastructure or operations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can Small Countries Benefit from the E-waste Global Value Chain?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meine Pieter, Dijk van, E-mail: mpvandijk@iss.nl

E-waste is a term used to cover items of all types of electrical and electronic equipment and its parts that have been discarded by the owners as waste without the intention of re-use, because this equipment has ceased to be of any value to its owners. E-waste is one of the fastestgrowing waste streams globally. Since the Rio Summit Earth summit organized by the United Nations in 1992, the concept of sustainability extends to rendering basic services such as Solid Waste Management and dealing with e-waste. People are afraid of e-waste because of its possible negative effects on health andmore » because it could pollute the environment. Indicators of unsustainable service provision concerninge-waste include irregular collection, open dumping, burning of solid and e-waste in open spaces. Often collection covers a small part of the country, cost recovery is limited or not existent, and one notes poor utilization of available resources with no or very limited reuse and recycling.« less

Habitat- and species-dependent accumulation of organohalogen pollutants in home-produced eggs from an electronic waste recycling site in South China: Levels, profiles, and human dietary exposure.

PubMed

Zeng, Yan-Hong; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Tang, Bin; Mai, Bi-Xian

2016-09-01

Organohalogen pollutants (OHPs) including chlorinated paraffins (CPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other halogenated flame retardants (OHFRs) (dechlorane plus (DP), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), hexabromobenzene (HBB), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)) originating from an e-waste recycling area in Guiyu, southern China were investigated in chicken and goose eggs. As expected, OHP concentrations were higher in chicken eggs collected from the location (site 1) approaching the e-waste recycling center than from the location (site 2) far from the e-waste recycling center. Also, much higher OHP levels were observed in goose eggs foraging in residential area (site 2) than that in agricultural area (site 1), suggesting a clear habitat dependent OHP bioaccumulation pattern both concerning distance from e-waste activities and type of foraging habitat. Goose eggs exhibited higher short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) concentrations but lower PBDE and OHFR levels than chicken eggs. The proportion of high brominated PBDEs (hepta-to deca-BDEs) was lower in goose eggs than that in chicken eggs and showed a clear decrease from site 1 to site 2. DP isomeric composition fanti values (the ratio of the anti-DP to the sum of the anti- and syn-DP) in goose eggs were significantly lower than those in chicken eggs (p < 0.001). These differences are likely a reflection of factors such as the species-specific differences in habitat preference and the differing environmental behaviors of the pollutants owing to their inherent properties (such as solubility and vapor pressure). Our findings suggested a high dietary intake of OHPs via home-produced eggs. For BDE99 there is a potential health concern with respect to the current dietary exposure via eggs. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

MEASUREMENT OF BIOAVAILABLE IRON AT TWO HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES

EPA Science Inventory

In the past, the concentrations of iron II in monitoring wells has been used to evaluate natural attenuation processes at hazardous waste sites. Changes in the aqueous concentrations of electron acceptors/products are important to the evaluation of natural biological attenuation...

Fires at storage sites of organic materials, waste fuels and recyclables.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Muhammad Asim; Alriksson, Stina; Kaczala, Fabio; Hogland, William

2013-09-01

During the last decade, the European Union has enforced the diversion of organic wastes and recyclables to waste management companies operating incineration plants, composting plants and recycling units instead of landfills. The temporary storage sites have been established as a buffer against fluctuations in energy demand throughout the year. Materials also need to be stored at temporary storage sites before recovery and recycling. However, regulations governing waste fuel storage and handling have not yet been developed, and, as a result, companies have engaged in risky practices that have resulted in a high number of fire incidents. In this study, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 249 of the 400 members of Avfall Sverige (Swedish Waste Management Association), which represents the waste management of 95% of the Swedish population. Information regarding 122 storage facilities owned by 69 companies was obtained; these facilities were responsible for the storage of 47% of the total treated waste (incineration + digestion + composting) in 2010 in Sweden. To identify factors related to fire frequency, the questionnaire covered the amounts of material handled and burnt per year, financial losses due to fires, storage duration, storage method and types of waste. The results show that 217 fire incidents corresponded to 170 kilotonnes of material burnt and cumulative losses of 49 million SEK (€4.3 million). Fire frequency and amount of material burnt per fire was found to be dependent upon type of management group (waste operator). Moreover, a correlation was found between fire frequency and material recycled during past years. Further investigations of financial aspects and externalities of fire incidents are recommended.

GROUTING TECHNIQUES IN BOTTOM SEALING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Bottom sealing of hazardous waste sites involves the injection or insertion of an inert impermeable and continuous horizontal barrier in soil below the source of contamination. This type of containment strategy could be used in conjunction with other technology such as slurry wal...

Estimating contamination potential at waste-disposal sites using a natural tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, William J.

1992-05-01

Chloride is a conservative, natural tracer found in precipitation, soil water, and groundwater. The chloride mass-balance approach, long used to estimate groundwater recharge, also provides a downward flux of moisture and solute at sites where there is a potential for groundwater contamination. The flux is obtained by dividing the product of the mean annual precipitation and total annual chloride input (via precipitation and dust) by the mean soil-water chloride content. Chlorideversusdepth profiles can also be used to determine optimum depth of waste burial to minimize deterioration of waste containers. The method has been applied to three sites in arid alluvial-basin settings in New Mexico, U.S.A.: a proposed landfill, a battery recycling plant, and a hazardous-waste disposal facility. It is concluded that the method is reliable, economical, and practical. Furthermore, it can be applied at any stage in the development of a site. The chloride method should apply in any recharge area where the base of the root zone is separated from the water table by at least 3 m or so and chloride in soil water comes only from precipitation and dust.

Emission of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in use of electric/electronic equipment and recycling of e-waste in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Eun; Kang, Young-Yeul; Kim, Woo-Il; Jeon, Tae-Wan; Shin, Sun-Kyoung; Jeong, Mi-Jeong; Kim, Jong-Guk

2014-02-01

The emission rates of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from electric/electronic products during their use and disposal were estimated. E-wastes, including televisions and refrigerators, gathered at recycling centers were also analyzed to estimate their emissions. The average concentrations of PBDEs in TV rear covers produced before and after the year 2000 were 145,027 mg/kg and 14,049 mg/kg, respectively. The PBDEs concentration in TV front covers was lower than the concentration in TV rear covers. The concentration in the components of the refrigerator samples ranged from ND to 445 mg/kg. We estimated the atmospheric emissions of PBDEs based on the concentrations. The annual emissions from TV rear covers produced before 2000 were calculated to be approximately 162.1 kg and after 2000, the annual emissions were 18.7 kg. Refrigerators showed the lowest annual emissions of PBDEs (0.7 kg). The atmospheric concentrations were also measured to calculate emissions generated during the recycling process. The highest concentration was 16.86 ng/m(3) emitted from the TV sets during the dismantling process. The concentrations of PBDEs generated in the plastic processing field ranged from 2.05 to 5.43 ng/m(3) depending on the products, and ambient air in open-air yards showed concentrations in the range of 0.32 to 5.55 ng/m(3). Emission factors for the recycling process were calculated using the observed concentrations. The estimated emissions according to the emission factors ranged from 0.3×10(-1) to 90.3 kg/year for open-air yards and from 0.1×10(-1) to 292.7 kg/year for the dismantling and crushing processes of TV set, depending on the production year. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transport and fate of organic wastes in groundwater at the Stringfellow hazardous waste disposal site, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenheer, J.A.; Hsu, J.; Barber, L.B.

2001-01-01

In January 1999, wastewater influent and effluent from the pretreatment plant at the Stringfellow hazardous waste disposal site were sampled along with groundwater at six locations along the groundwater contaminant plume. The objectives of this sampling and study were to identify at the compound class level the unidentified 40-60% of wastewater organic contaminants, and to determine what organic compound classes were being removed by the wastewater pretreatment plant, and what organic compound classes persisted during subsurface waste migration. The unidentified organic wastes are primarily chlorinated aromatic sulfonic acids derived from wastes from DDT manufacture. Trace amounts of EDTA and NTA organic complexing agents were discovered along with carboxylate metabolites of the common alkylphenolpolyethoxylate plasticizers and nonionic surfactants. The wastewater pretreatment plant removed most of the aromatic chlorinated sulfonic acids that have hydrophobic neutral properties, but the p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid which is the primary waste constituent passed through the pretreatment plant and was discharged in the treated wastewaters transported to an industrial sewer. During migration in groundwater, p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid is removed by natural remediation processes. Wastewater organic contaminants have decreased 3- to 45-fold in the groundwater from 1985 to 1999 as a result of site remediation and natural remediation processes. The chlorinated aromatic sulfonic acids with hydrophobic neutral properties persist and have migrated into groundwater that underlies the adjacent residential community. Copyright ?? 2001 .

Eco-toxicity and metal contamination of paddy soil in an e-wastes recycling area.

PubMed

Jun-hui, Zhang; Hang, Min

2009-06-15

Paddy soil samples taken from different sites in an old primitive electronic-waste (e-waste) processing region were examined for eco-toxicity and metal contamination. Using the environmental quality standard for soils (China, Grade II) as reference, soil samples of two sites were weakly contaminated with trace metal, but site G was heavily contaminated with Cd (6.37 mg kg(-1)), and weakly contaminated with Cu (256.36 mg kg(-1)) and Zn (209.85 mg kg(-1)). Zn appeared to be strongly bound in the residual fraction (72.24-77.86%), no matter the soil was metal contaminated or not. However, more than 9% Cd and 16% Cu was present in the non-residual fraction in the metal contaminated soils than in the uncontaminated soil, especially for site G and site F. Compared with that of the control soil, the micronucleus rates of site G and site F soil treatments increased by 2.7-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively. Low germination rates were observed in site C (50%) and site G (50%) soil extraction treated rice seeds. The shortest root length (0.2377 cm) was observed in site G soil treated groups, which is only 37.57% of that of the control soil treated groups. All of the micronucleus ratio of Vicia faba root cells, rice germination rate and root length after treatment of soil extraction indicate the eco-toxicity in site F and G soils although the three indexes are different in sensitivity to soil metal contamination.

Site and soil characterization of hazardous waste sites using an expert system guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cameron, Roy E.

1993-03-01

An expert system guide (knowledge book) has been devised to assist field personnel who must identify, describe, sample, and interpret size and soil characteristics of hazardous waste sites. The guide takes an approach that will be unfamiliar to most soil and environmental scientists and is directed to on-scene coordinators and project managers and others who may have little soil science training. It meets the need of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for standard procedures, guidelines, or protocols that address soil and site contamination, particularly heavy metals. The guide is organized to include: (1) general considerations and processes for collecting and using site and soils data, (2) detailed knowledge frames (descriptive profiles) of likely site and soil conditions, (3) a citation of references, (4) an appendix listing common sources of characterization data, and (5) a glossary of more than 900 general definitions.

Life cycle assessment of electronic waste treatment.

PubMed

Hong, Jinglan; Shi, Wenxiao; Wang, Yutao; Chen, Wei; Li, Xiangzhi

2015-04-01

Life cycle assessment was conducted to estimate the environmental impact of electronic waste (e-waste) treatment. E-waste recycling with an end-life disposal scenario is environmentally beneficial because of the low environmental burden generated from human toxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, and marine ecotoxicity categories. Landfill and incineration technologies have a lower and higher environmental burden than the e-waste recycling with an end-life disposal scenario, respectively. The key factors in reducing the overall environmental impact of e-waste recycling are optimizing energy consumption efficiency, reducing wastewater and solid waste effluent, increasing proper e-waste treatment amount, avoiding e-waste disposal to landfill and incineration sites, and clearly defining the duties of all stakeholders (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, recycling companies, and consumers). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.