FORMATION MECHANISMS AND CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR DIOXINS IN INCINERATION PROCESS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES

Dioxins, which are of the most toxic materials on the earth, are principal emitted from waste incineration process. The molecular structures, toxicity parameters, such as toxicity equivalency factor, tolerable daily intake and physic-chemical properties of dioxins are briefly summarized. Three formation mechanisms of dioxins in waste incineration process, namely as de novo synthesis, mechanisms involving small organic molecular as precursors and homogenous gas phase reaction mechanism are alto reviewed. The influencing factors for dioxins formation during waste incineration process are also discussed. Three major methods for reducing dioxins emission from waste incineration process are discussed based upon the formation mechanisms and influencing factors. A new waste incineration process with low dioxins emission and low hydrogen chloride corrosion has been proposed based on multi- stage unit operation principal according to formation mechanisms of dioxins and potential production location in waste incinerators.

Volatilization of heavy metals during incineration of municipal solid wastes

Incineration experiments with MSW, which had been impregnated with heavy metals, were presented to obtain information on the volatilization behavior of the elements cadmium(Cd), lead(Pb), and zinc(Zn) under different conditions. Experiments were carried out in a bubbling fluid bed system connected to a customized inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy(ICP-OES) for analyzing metals in the flue gas. The results indicated that the combustion temperature, the gas atmosphere, and the chlorine content in the flue gas could affect the volatilization behavior of heavy metals. In the fluidized bed combustion, a large surface area was provided by the bed sand particles, and they may act as absorbents for the gaseous ash-forming compound. Comparer with the metals Cd and Pb, the vaporization of Zn was low. The formation of stable compounds such as ZnO·Al 2O 3 could greatly decrease the metals volatilization. The presence of chlorine would enhance the volatilization of heavy metals by increasing the formation of metal chlorides. However, when the oxygen content was high, the chlorinating reaction was kinetically hindered, which heavy metals release would be delayed.

Recycling combustibles from aged municipal solid wastes(MSW)to improve fresh MSW incineration in Shanghai:Investigation of necessity and feasibility

Aged municipal solid wastes(MSW)excavated from landfills and dumpsites were characterized to analyze their fraction composition,moisture content,and lower heat value(LHV).The necessity and feasibility of recycling combustibles from aged MSW to improve the incineration of fresh MSW were investigated.The results showed that combustibles in aged MSW were easily separated from other components and than LHV of the separated combustibles are higher than 11000 kJ/kg.The fresh MSW are of high moisture contents with average LHV below 6500 kJ/kg,making their stable combustion difficult to maintain in MSW incinerators.For both fresh MSW and aged MSW,plastics are the main contributor to their LHV.To improve incineration of fresh MSW that are characterized with low LHV,combustibles separated from aged MSW were made into refuse derived fuel(RDF)pellets and were then added to fresh MSW by 2%wt.–5%wt.LHV variation and air supply resistance change of the MSW layer on the incinerator grate caused by the addition of RDF was checked,and no significant changes were found.No obvious difference was observed for the‘burn-out time’between RDF pellets and fresh MSW either.RDF made from aged MSW combustibles is found to be a promising auxiliary fuel to improve the incineration of fresh MSW,and aged MSW from old landfill cells and dumpsites can be finally disposed of jointly with fresh MSW by recycling combustible from the former to be coincinerated with the latter in the incineration plants.

Microstructural analysis of marl stabilized with municipal solid waste and nano-MgO

Municipal solid waste(MSW)is accumulating over elapsed time across the world,and it is observed in many projects associated with weak soils,such as marl.Therefore,effective solutions to the environmental problem are essential.Conventional techniques for stabilizing marl generally use substances such as lime and cement,which could exacerbate pollution.For this,some new stabilizers,e.g.nano-MgO,are used.There are large quantities of marls and MSW in Shiraz City,Iran.The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using nano-MgO as a green low-carbon binder to remove MSW from the environment and make construction projects more cost-effective.Consolidated drained shear tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of the nano-MgO treated marl specimens at high normal stresses.The marl specimens containing MSW percentages of 15%,25%,35%,and 45%and nano-MgO percentages of 0.25%,0.5%,0.75%,and 1%,were used.It is found that the marl containing 15%and 25%MSW and 0.5%nano-MgO at 28-d curing can perform cation exchange and form new cementitious products.The soils with merely MSW show good performance due to the removal of the kaolinite and the formation of brucite.However,the soil with 25%MSW and 0.5%nano-MgO shows the same strength enhancement as the specimen with the optimal nano-MgO(0.75%)through the formation of dolomite,with a 20.59%increase in strain energy(SE).

Effects of Using Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Tailings as Lightweight Aggregate on the Mechanical Properties of Specified Density Concrete

Municipal solid waste incineration tailings were used as lightweight aggregate(MSWIT-LA)in the preparation of specified density concrete to study the effects on compressive strength,axial compressive strength,flexural strength,microhardness,total number of pores,pore area,and pore spacing.The results showed that the internal curing and morphological effects induced by an appropriate quantity of MSWIT-LA improved the compressive response of specified density concrete specimens,whereas an excessive quantity of MSWIT-LA significantly reduced their mechanical properties.An analysis of pore structure indicated that the addition of MSWIT-LA increased the total quantity of pores and promoted cement hydration,resulting in a denser microstructure than that of ordinary concrete.The results of a principal component analysis showed that the mechanical response of specified density concrete prepared with 25%MSWIT-LA was superior to that of an equivalent ordinary concrete.It was therefore concluded that MSWIT-LA can be feasibly applied to achieve excellent specified density concrete properties while utilising municipal solid waste incineration tailings to protect the environment and alleviate shortages of sand and gravel resources.

Characteristics of the stabilized/solidified municipal solid wastes incineration fly ash and the leaching behavior of Cr and Pb

Fly ash is a hazardous byproduct of municipal solid wastes incineration （MSWI）. An alkali activated blast fumace slag-based cementifious material was used to stabilize/solidify the fly ash at experimental level. The characteristics of the stabilized/solidified fly ash, including metal leachability, mineralogical characteristics and the distributions of metals in matrices, were tested by toxic characteristic leaching procedure （TCLP）, X-ray diffrac- tion （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer （SEM-EDS） respectively. Contin- uous acid extraction was utilized to extract metal ions and characterize their leaching behavior. The stabilization/ solidification procedure for MSWI fly ash demonstrates a strong fixing capacity for the metals by the formation of C- S-H phase, hydrated calcium aluminosilicate and ettringite. The stabilized/solidified fly ash shows a dense and homogeneous microstructure. Cr is mainly solidified in hydrated calcium aluminosilicate, C-S-H and ettringite phase through physical encapsulation, precipitation, adsorption or substitution mechanisms, and Pb is mainly solidified in C-S-H phase and absorbed in the Si-O structure.

Model Prediction and Optimal Control of Gas Oxygen Content for A Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Process

In the municipal solid waste incineration process,it is difficult to effectively control the gas oxygen content by setting the air flow according to artificial experience.To address this problem,this paper proposes an optimization control method of gas oxygen content based on model predictive control.First,a stochastic configuration network is utilized to establish a prediction model of gas oxygen content.Second,an improved differential evolution algorithm that is based on parameter adaptive and t-distribution strategy is employed to address the set value of air flow.Finally,model predictive control is combined with the event triggering strategy to reduce the amount of computation and the controller's frequent actions.The experimental results show that the optimization control method proposed in this paper obtains a smaller degree of fluctuation in the air flow set value,which can ensure the tracking control performance of the gas oxygen content while reducing the amount of calculation.

Occupational Exposure to Municipal Solid Wastes and Development of Toxic Neuropathies:Possible Role of Nutrient Supplementation,Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Chemoprevention

Achieving effective municipal solid waste （MSW） management remains a major challenge and waste generation and accumulation continue to constitute important environmental and public health concern, particularly in most developing countries. Although the general population is at risk of adverse health consequences and hazards associated with exposure to MSW, the waste management workers （WMWs） are the most vulnerable because of their direct involvement in the disposal of waste, with increasing evidence of work-related health and safety risks among these individuals. Among the numerous work-related health hazards prevalent in WMWs, development of toxic neuropathies following chronic occupational exposure remains poorly recognized. However, the risk or predisposition to toxic neuropathies is becoming evident considering the increasing recognition of large amount of neurotoxic heavy metals and hazardous industrial materials present in MSW in mostparts of the world. The present review seeks to draw attention to the continuous vulnerability of the WMWs to developing toxic neuropathies. This is aimed at facilitating conscious efforts by relevant governmental and non- governmental agencies towards promoting risk reduction and ensuring adequate protection against possible toxic polyneuropathies associated with occupational exposure to solid wastes. While continuous education of the WMWs on the need for adequate compliance to safety regulations and practice remains sacrosanct towards achieving significant reduction in toxic neuropathies and related adverse health consequences of waste handling, it is also our intention in this review to underscore the possible relevance of nutrient supplementation and alternative medicines in chemoprevention.

Method for C/N ratio estimation using Mask R-CNN and a depth camera for organic fraction of municipal solid wastes

Fast assessment of the initial carbon to nitrogen ratio(C/N)of organic fraction of municipal solid waste(OFMSW)is an important prerequisite for automatic composting control to improve efficiency and stability of the bioconversion process.In this study,a novel approach was proposed to estimate the C/N of OFMSW,where an instance segmentation model was applied to predict the masks for the waste images.Then,by combining the instance segmentation model with the depth-camera-based volume calculation algorithm,the volumes occupied by each type of waste were obtained,therefore the C/N could be estimated based on the properties of each type of waste.First,an instance segmentation dataset including three common classes of OFMSW was built to train mask region-based convolutional neural networks(Mask R-CNN)model.Second,a volume measurement algorithm was proposed,where the measurement result of the object was derived by accumulating the volumes of small rectangular cuboids whose bottom area was calculated with the projection property.Then the calculated volume was corrected with linear regression models.The results showed that the trained instance segmentation model performed well with average precision scores AP_(50)=82.9,AP_(75)=72.5,and mask intersection over unit(Mask IoU)=45.1.A high correlation was found between the estimated C/N and the ground truth with a coefficient of determination R2=0.97 and root mean square error RMSE=0.10.The relative average error was 0.42%and the maximum error was only 1.71%,which indicated this approach has potential for practical applications.

Heavy Metals Contents of Municipal Solid Waste Dumpsites in Potiskum, Yobe State Nigeria

The concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Fe and Zn in selected dumpsites in Potiskum were determined with Buck Scientific 210VGB Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) AVG 210. One-way ANOVA was deployed at p < 0.05 level of significance for obtained triplicate values. It was found that the concentration (mg·kg-1) of studied heavy metals in Potiskum dumpsites ranged from 0.108 ± 0.02 - 262.536 ± 0.68 with pattern of accumulation Pb (262.536 ± 0.02) > Zn (183.369 ± 0.58) > Fe (159.453 ± 0.50) > Cu (111.382 ± 0.62) > Cr (43.523 ± 0.36) > Ni (6.419 ± 0.26) > Cd (0.679 ± 0.01) > As (0.108 ± 0.02) mg·kg-1. The concentrations of As, Cr, Ni, Fe and Zn fell below the WHO standards while those of Pb, Cd and Cu were above set limits by WHO. High acidity corresponds markedly with high levels of Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn and requires urgent attention as this trend is capable of groundwater contamination that will cause public health concern in affected areas.

Release of volatile organic compounds during bio-drying of municipal solid waste

Three treatments were tested to investigate the release concentrations of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） during the bio-drying of municipal solid waste （MSW） by the aerobic and combined hydrolytic-aerobic processes.Results showed that VOCs were largely released in the first 4 days of bio-drying and the dominant components were：dimethyl disulfide,dimethyl sulfide,benzene,2-butanone,limonene and methylene chloride.Thus,the combined hydrolytic-aerobic process was suggested for MSW bio-drying due to fewer aeration quantities in this phase when compared with the aerobic process,and the treatment strategies should base on the key properties of these prominent components.Malodorous sulfur compounds and terpenes were mainly released in the early phase of bio-drying,whereas,two peaks of release concentrations appeared for aromatics and ketones during bio-drying.Notably,for the combined hydrolytic-aerobic processes there were also high concentrations of released aromatics in the shift from hydrolytic to aerobic stages.High concentrations of released chlorinateds were observed in the later phase.For the VOCs produced during MSW bio-drying,i.e.,malodorous sulfur compounds,terpenes and chlorinateds,their release concentrations were mainly determined by production rates;for the VOCs presented initially in MSW,such as aromatics,their transfer and transport in MSW mainly determined the release concentrations.

Biodrying of municipal solid waste with high water content by combined hydrolytic-aerobic technology

The high water content of municipal solid waste(MSW)will reduce the effciency of mechanical sorting,consequently unfavorable for beneficial utilization.In this study,a combined hydrolytic-aerobic biodrying technology was introduced to remove water from MSW.The total water removals were proved to depend on the ventilation frequency and the temporal span in the hydrolytic stage. The ventilation frequency of 6 times/d was preferable in the hydrolytic stage.The hydrolytic span should not be prolonged more than ...

Effects of Sulfur Compounds on Cd Partitioning in a Simulated Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator

The effect of sulfur compounds （including sulfur, sulfide, sulfite and sulfate）, initial concentration of heavy metal and operating conditions on Cd emission in municipal solid waste （MSW） incineration were investi-gated using a simulated tubular furnace and simulated MSW spiked with Cd. The concentration of Cd was meas-ured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry （ICP-AES） after digesting the samples including bottom ash, fly ash and flue gas according to related USEPA methods. The results show that S and Na2S tend to in- crease Cd partitioning in bottom ash, whereas Na2SO3 and Na2SO4 tend to reduce Cd partitioning in bottom ash. The effect of sulfur compounds on Cd partitioning in bottom ash was in the sequence of Na2S〉S〉Na2SO3〉 Na2SO4. chemical equilibrium analysis is also performed to determine the effect of sorbents on Cd adsorption. The calculations show that S presents strong affinity for Cd and restrains Cd adsorption by SiO2, whereas when temperature rises to between 830℃ and 1030℃, Cd adsorption efficiency of SiO2 is over 80% and the efficiency of Al2O3 is up to 85%.

Solidification of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration FlyAsh with Cement and Its Leaching Behaviors of Heavy Metals

The solidifying effect of cement addition on municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWFA for short,collected from the gas exhaust system of MSW incinerator),the interaction of MSWFA with cement and water and the leaching of heavy metals from cement solidified MSWFA are investigated.The main results show that:(1) when MSWFA is mixed with cement and water,H 2 evolution,the formation and volume expansion of AFt will take place,the volume expansion can be reduced by ground rice husk ash addition;(2) heavy metals do leach from cement solidified MSWFA and at lower pH more leaching will occur;(3) compared with cement-solidified fly ash,the leachate of solidified MSWFA is with higher heavy metal contents;(4) with the increment of cement addition leached heavy metals are decreased;and (5) concentrations of Zn,Mn,Cu and Cd in all the leachates can meet the relevant Standards of Japan,but as the regulations for soil and groundwater protection of Japan are concerned,precautions against the leaching of Pb,Cl - and Cr 6+ and so on are needed.

Environmental monitoring and fuzzy synthetic evaluation of municipal solid waste transfer stations in Beijing in 2001-2006

Transfer station(TS)is an integral part of present-day municipal solid waste(MSW)management systems.To provide information for the incorporation of waste facilities within the current integrated waste management system,the authors measured the existing environmental quality at five MSW TSs.Discharged wastewater,air,and noise were monitored and assayed at the five TSs in Beijing in 2001-2006 during rainy seasons(RSs)and dry seasons(DSs).Except Ammonia(NH_3)and hydrogen sulfide(H_2S),the analytical results of...

Chemical speciation and mobility of heavy metals in municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash

Chemical speciation is a significant factor that governs the toxicity and mobility of heavy metals in municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash. Sequential extraction procedure is applied to fractionate heavy metals(Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Cr) into five defined groups: exchangeable, carbonate, Fe-Mn oxide, organic, and residual fractions. The mobility of heavy metals is also investigated with the aid of toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. In the fly ash sample, Pb is primarily presented in the carbonate(51%) and exchangeable(20%) fractions; Cd and Zn mainly exist as the exchangeable(83% and 49% respectively); Cu is mostly contained in the last three fractions(totally 87%); and Cr is mainly contained in the residual fraction(62%). Pb, Zn and Cd showed the high mobility in the investigation, thus might be of risk to the natural environment when municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash is landfilled or reutilized.

Characteristics of gaseous product from municipal solid waste gasification with hot blast furnace slag

Possibility of combustible gas production from municipal solid waste （MSW） using hot blast furnace （BF） slag has been studied.The objective of this work is to generate combustible gas from MSW using heated BF slag.In this experiment,the thermal stability of the MSW was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis,and effects of temperature,gasifying agent （air,N2,steam） and BF slag on the gas products were investigated at 600？900 ？C.The thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the weight loss of MSW includes four stages：evaporation of the moisture,combustion of volatile materials,burning of carbon residue and burnout of ash.The contents of the combustible gas increase with increasing temperature,and the lower calorific value （LCV） increases rapidly at 600？900 ？C.It is found that volume fraction of CO,H2 and CH4 at different atmospheres increases in the order N2〈air〈steam.It is believed that BF slag acts as the catalyst and the heat carrier,which promotes the gasification reactivity of MSW.

Effect of Moisture on Partitioning of Heavy Metals in Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste

The effect of moisture in municipal solid waste (MSW) on partitioning of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) was studied in a laboratory tubular furnace by using simulated MSW. The moisture in MSW influences heavy metals in following ways, to increase the moisture in flue gas and decrease the combustion temperature, to prolong the combustion time, and to prolong the releasing time of volatiles with the furnace temperature decreased by increasing the moisture. The volatilization of Pb, Zn and Cd was enhanced by increasing the moisture in MSW because of the prolonged combustion time. For Pb and Zn, the combustion time was important at higher temperature, while for Cd, it was important at low temperature. The moisture content showed slight effect on Cu partitioning. When extra chlorine was added to MSW, such as 1%PVC + 0.5%NaCl, the volatilization of Pb, Zn and Cu was enhanced by increasing the moisture because water evaporation reduced the temperature and increased devolatilization time. At higher temperature, NaCl tends to decompose and generates more free chlorine, producing more metal chlorides. Since Cd is a strong volatile heavy metal in MSW, the effect of moisture content on its volatilization is less than that of Pb, Zn or Cu during the MSW incineration.

Influence of temperature on performance of anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste

The influence of temperature on the performance of anaerobic reactors for treating the organic fraction of municipal sohd waste （OFMSW） was studied. Batch digestion of OFMSW was carded out for 32 d at different temperature （25℃, 35℃, 45℃ and 55℃） conditions for total solid concentrations （TS） 17% with the ratio of total organic carbon to nitrogen （C/N） being, 25：1 respectively, while keeping other parameters constant such as inoculum, start-up pH, reactor volume （2 L） and so on. Temperature can influence the methanogenic bacteria activity, accordingly inhibiting the OFMSW biodegradation and stabilization efficiency. Anaerobic reactors excelled at TS reduction, total volatile solid reduction, chemical oxygen demand reduction, increasing cumulative biogas production, whose rate was at temperature （35℃ and 55℃） conditions. Methane concentration in the biogas was above 65% in four reactors. In addition, the fluctuation of temperatures resulted in the biogas production variation. The data obtained indicated that temperature had a significant influence on anaerobic process.

Engineering properties for high kitchen waste content municipal solid waste

Engineering properties of municipal solid waste （MSW） depend largely on the waste＇s initial compositionand degree of degradation. MSWs in developing countries usually have a high kitchen waste content（called HKWC MSW）. After comparing and analyzing the laboratory and field test results of physicalcomposition, hydraulic properties, gas generation and gas permeability, and mechanical properties forHKWC MSW and low kitchen waste content MSW （called LKWC MSW）, the following findings wereobtained： （1） HKWC MSW has a higher initial water content （IWC） than LKWC MSW, but the field capacitiesof decomposed HKWC and LKWC MSWs are similar; （2） the hydraulic conductivity and gaspermeability for HKWC MSW are both an order of magnitude smaller than those for LKWC MSW; （3）compared with LKWC MSW, HKWC MSW has a higher landfill gas （LFG） generation rate but a shorterduration and a lower potential capacity; （4） the primary compression feature for decomposed HKWCMSW is similar to that of decomposed LKWC MSW, but the compression induced by degradation ofHKWC MSW is greater than that of LKWC MSW; and （5） the shear strength of HKWC MSW changessignificantly with time and strain. Based on the differences of engineering properties between these twokinds of MSWs, the geo-environmental issues in HKWC MSW landfills were analyzed, including highleachate production, high leachate mounds, low LFG collection efficiency, large settlement and slopestability problem, and corresponding advice for the management and design of HKWC MSW landfills wasrecommended.