Τίτλος:
Metal leachability, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in fly and bottom ashes of a medical waste incineration facility
Γλώσσες Τεκμηρίου:
Αγγλικά
Περίληψη:
Medical waste from hospitals and other healthcare institutions has become an imperative environmental and public safety problem. Medical waste in Greece has become one of the most urgent environmental problems, because there are 14 000 tons produced annually, of which only a small proportion is incinerated. In the prefecture of Attica there is only one modern municipal medical waste incinerator (started 2004) burning selected infectious hospital waste (5-6 tons day-1). Fly and bottom residues (ashes) are collected and stored temporarily in barrels. High values of metal leachability prohibit the landfilling of these ashes, as imposed by EU directives. In the present study we determined quantitatively the heavy metals and other elements in the fly and bottom ashes of the medical waste incinerator, by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP) and by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). Heavy metals, which are very toxic, such as Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn were found in high concentrations in both fly and bottom ashes. Metal leachability of fly and bottom ashes by water and kerosene was measured by ICP and the results showed that toxic metals in both ashes, such as Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu and Zn, have high leaching values. These values indicate that metals can become soluble and mobile if ash is deposited in landfills, thus restricting their burial according to EU regulations. Analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fly and bottom ashes showed that their concentrations were very low. This is the first known study in Greece and the results showed that incineration of medical waste can be very effective in minimizing the most hazardous and infectious health-care waste. The presence of toxic metals with high leachability values remains an important draw back of incineration of medical waste and various methods of treating these residues to diminish leaching are been considered at present to overcome this serious technical problem. © ISWA 2008.
Συγγραφείς:
Valavanidis, A.
Iliopoulos, N.
Fiotakis, K.
Gotsis, G.
Περιοδικό:
Waste Management and Research
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
Aromatic hydrocarbons; Environmental protection; Health care; Heavy metals; Leaching; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Waste incineration, Medical waste, Industrial wastes, cadmium; chromium; copper; heavy metal; kerosene; lead; nickel; polychlorinated biphenyl; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; water; zinc, Aromatic hydrocarbons; Environmental protection; Health care; Heavy metals; Industrial wastes; Leaching; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Waste incineration, European Union; heavy metal; incineration; industrial waste; landfill; leaching; PAH; PCB; quantitative analysis; regulatory framework; waste management, article; ash; atmospheric deposition; atomic emission spectrometry; controlled study; European Union; fly ash; government regulation; Greece; hazardous waste; hospital waste; incineration; infection control; landfill; leaching; priority journal; quantitative analysis; waste management; waste minimization; X ray analysis, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Greece; Incineration; Medical Waste Disposal; Metals, Heavy; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Polycyclic Compounds; Spectrum Analysis, Attica; Eurasia; Europe; Greece; Southern Europe
DOI:
10.1177/0734242X07083345
