Health risk assessment of municipal solid waste incineration emissions based on regression analysis

This study examined the potential health risks posed by the operation of 96 waste-to-energy(WtE)plants in 30 cities in the Bohai Rim of China.Utilizing a sophisticated simulation approach,the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model coupled with the California Puff(CALPUFF)model,we obtained the spatial distribution of pollutants emitted by WtE plants in the atmosphere.Hazard indices(HI)and cancer risks(CR)were calculated for each plant using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's recommended methodologies.The results indicated that both HIs and CRs were generally low,with values below the accepted threshold of 1.0 and 1.0×10^(-6),respectively.Specifically,the average HI and CR values for the entire study area were 2.95×10^(-3)and 3.43×10^(-7),respectively.However,some variability in these values was observed depending on the location and type of WtE plant.A thorough analysis of various parameters,such as waste composition,moisture content,and operating conditions,was conducted to identify the factors that influence the health risks associated with incineration.The findings suggest that proper waste sorting and categorization,increased cost of construction,and elevated height of chimneys are effective strategies for reducing the health risks associated with incineration.Overall,this study provides valuable insights into the potential health risks associated with WtE plants in the Bohai Rim region of China.The findings can serve as useful guidelines for law enforcement wings and industry professionals seeking to minimize the risks associated with municipal solid waste(MSW)management and promote sustainable development.

Distribution of PCDD/Fs in a food waste anaerobic digestion process with biogas utilization

Food waste(FW)is a major component of municipal solid waste(MSW)in developing countries such as China.Anaerobic digestion(AD)is a widely-applied FW biological treatment method following MSW classification.With FW diversion from conventional incineration plants,the environmental risk caused by trace toxic pollutants,such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs),should be reevaluated.This study investigated a full-scale FW-AD plant in Shenzhen,China,and addressed two important underexplored issues:the distribution patterns of PCDD/Fs during the FW-AD process and PCDD/F emission characteristics of the biogas utilization exhaust gas.Mass balance demonstrated a negative balance of 2.48μg I-TEQ/t of raw FW(RFW),thus indicating that AD produced moderate PCDD/F emissions.The detailed findings were as follows:1)PCDD/F toxic equivalents(TEQs)in pure FW(RFW without impurities)were lower than in RFW,indicating that MSW source separation is crucial for decreasing the PCDD/F input into the AD system;2)PCDD/F contents(6.20–8.27 pg I-TEQ/g dry weight)in solid digestate were near the screening value of development land in China’s national standard(GB36600-2018),thus indicating that the potential environmental risk from the land application of solid digestate should be considered;and 3)PCDD/F TEQs(0.001–0.022 ng I-TEQ/Nm^(3))in biogas utilization exhaust gas were roughly equivalent to those produced by MSW incinerators in Shenzhen.This study indicated that compared with co-incineration with other waste,FW-AD will reduce PCDD/F emissions(air)from MSW incineration plants by 12.5%–21.3%at the national level under an FW separation scenario.