Caracterização e classificação do resíduo sólido "pó do balão", gerado na indústria siderúrgica não integrada a carvão vegetal: estudo de um caso na região de Sete Lagoas/MG

This research was developed by considering that the solid waste produced in the process of pig iron production represents the loss of raw materials and the increase in environmental problem. The charcoal based mini blast-furnace off gases dust named CHARCOK was collected from SIDERPA ¾ Siderúrgica Paulino Ltda, located in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais. The Charcok was characterized and classified according to ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas) standard. The results showed that the Charcok should be classified as Class I Wastes ¾ "Hazard Wastes" because of its high concentration of phenols (54.5mg C6H5OH/kg). The Charcok had high concentration of iron and charcoal which can be used as energy source.

Similar problems, different solutions: Comparing refuse collection in the Netherlands and Spain

Local public service provision can vary greatly because of differences in institutional arrangements, public service markets, and national traditions regarding government intervention. In this paper we compare the procedures adopted by the local governments of the Netherlands and Spain in arranging for the provision of solid waste collection. We find that Spain faces a consolidation problem, opting more frequently to implement policies of privatization and cooperation, at the expense of competition. By contrast, the Netherlands has, on average, larger municipalities, resorting somewhat less to privatization and cooperation, and more to competition. The two options - cooperation and competition - have their merits when striving to strike a balance between transaction costs and scale economies. The choices made in organizational reform seem to be related to several factors, among which the nature of the political system and the size of municipalities appear to be relevant.

Resíduos sólidos de curtumes como adsorventes para a remoção de corantes em meio aquoso

The tanning process in the leather industry generates very high quantities of chromium-containing solid waste ("wet blue" leather). Environmental concerns and escalating landfill-costs are becoming increasingly serious problems for the leather industry and an alternative disposal is needed. In this work, we are presenting a novel application for this solid waste, which is the removal of organic contaminants from aqueous-solution. The adsorption isotherm of "wet blue" leather waste from the AUREA tanning company in Erechim-RS (Brazil) showed that this material presents high adsorption capacities of the reactive textile dyes.

Emprego de planejamento fatorial no desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para extração de zinco de resíduos galvânicos

The plating process generates solid waste rich in heavy metals and aiming to reduce environmental impact of such waste, this work suggests a methodology for zinc reduction, through a 2(4) factorial planning, studying the influence of the following variables: acid concentration (15, 20 or 30% v/v), acid type (sulfuric or hydrochloric), acid volume (15, 20 or 25 mL) and extraction time (12, 24 or 36 h). Through this methodology it is possible to establish the optimal conditions (15 mL of a 30% hydrochloric acid concentration during 12 h) to get a 100% efficiency in zinc extraction.

A gestão integrada de resíduos sólidos urbanos - perspectiva ambiental e económico-energética

The importance of urban solid waste integrated systems is characterized by the several components of these systems, which are, basically, formed by physical, chemical and biological methods. This article, characterizes these methods and, which is also important, identifies the several and potential environmental impacts of those techniques. It's also extremely important to make a study of the economic rentability of those infrastructures and, also, characterize the quantitative energetic contributions of some components of these systems. This study was analysed and their results are presented in this article.

Caracterização e classificação de resíduo sólido "pó de rocha granítica" gerado na indústria de rochas ornamentais

The ornamental rock industry generates huge amounts of wastes during the process of extraction and sawing of rock blocks. The ornamental rock powder waste is a non-biodegradable material, which represents the increase in environmental problem. The waste was collected from a granitic rock sawing plant located in Santo Antônio de Pádua, Rio de Janeiro. The chemical-environmental characterization and classification of the waste were done according to ABNT standards. The results showed that the granitic rock powder waste should be classified as Class II A - "No Inert", because of its high concentrations of lead, chrome, iron and manganese.

Caracterização e classificação quanto ao risco ambiental do estéril da mina de cromita do município de Andorinha, Bahia

The mineral waste studied was host rock from a chromite mine located in Andorinha/Bahia, extracted and stockpiled in yards without specific application. Host rock was submitted to chemical analysis, XRD, SEM-EDS, IR and TGA and classified according to ABNT standards for solid waste classification. Analyses confirmed that this host rock, classified as ultrabasic, consists mainly of dolomite, calcite and diopside. Hazard assessment results showed this host rock should be classified as class II B - inert waste, important for its potential application in agriculture as a soil acidity correction agent.

Oceanografia e Química: unindo conhecimentos em prol dos oceanos e da sociedade

The marine environment is certainly one of the most complex systems to study, not only because of the challenges posed by the nature of the waters, but especially due to the interactions of physical, chemical and biological processes that control the cycles of the elements. Together with analytical chemists, oceanographers have been making a great effort in the advancement of knowledge of the distribution patterns of trace elements and processes that determine their biogeochemical cycles and influences on the climate of the planet. The international academic community is now in prime position to perform the first study on a global scale for observation of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment (GEOTRACES) and to evaluate the effects of major global changes associated with the influences of megacities distributed around the globe. This action can only be performed due to the development of highly sensitive detection methods and the use of clean sampling and handling techniques, together with a joint international program working toward the clear objective of expanding the frontiers of the biogeochemistry of the oceans and related topics, including climate change issues and ocean acidification associated with alterations in the carbon cycle. It is expected that the oceanographic data produced this coming decade will allow a better understanding of biogeochemical cycles, and especially the assessment of changes in trace elements and contaminants in the oceans due to anthropogenic influences, as well as its effects on ecosystems and climate. Computational models are to be constructed to simulate the conditions and processes of the modern oceans and to allow predictions. The environmental changes arising from human activity since the 18th century (also called the Anthropocene) have made the Earth System even more complex. Anthropogenic activities have altered both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and the legacy of these impacts in the oceans include: a) pollution of the marine environment by solid waste, including plastics; b) pollution by chemical and medical (including those for veterinary use) substances such as hormones, antibiotics, legal and illegal drugs, leading to possible endocrine disruption of marine organisms; and c) ocean acidification, the collateral effect of anthropogenic emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, irreversible in the human life time scale. Unfortunately, the anthropogenic alteration of the hydrosphere due to inputs of plastics, metal, hydrocarbons, contaminants of emerging concern and even with formerly "exotic" trace elements, such us rare earth elements is likely to accelerate in the near future. These emerging contaminants would likely soon present difficulties for studies in pristine environments. All this knowledge brings with it a great responsibility: helping to envisage viable adaptation and mitigation solutions to the problems identified. The greatest challenge faced by Brazil is currently to create a framework project to develop education, science and technology applied to oceanography and related areas. This framework would strengthen the present working groups and enhance capacity building, allowing a broader Brazilian participation in joint international actions and scientific programs. Recently, the establishment of the National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCTs) for marine science, and the creation of the National Institute of Oceanographic and Hydrological Research represent an exemplary start. However, the participation of the Brazilian academic community in the latest assaults on the frontier of chemical oceanography is extremely limited, largely due to: i. absence of physical infrastructure for the preparation and processing of field samples at ultra-trace level; ii. limited access to oceanographic cruises, due to the small number of Brazilian vessels and/or absence of "clean" laboratories on board; iii. restricted international cooperation; iv. limited analytical capacity of Brazilian institutions for the analysis of trace elements in seawater; v. high cost of ultrapure reagents associated with processing a large number of samples, and vi. lack of qualified technical staff. Advances in knowledge, analytic capabilities and the increasing availability of analytical resources available today offer favorable conditions for chemical oceanography to grow. The Brazilian academic community is maturing and willing to play a role in strengthening the marine science research programs by connecting them with educational and technological initiatives in order to preserve the oceans and to promote the development of society.

Química Sem Fronteiras: o desafio da energia

Coal, natural gas and petroleum-based liquid fuels are still the most widely used energy sources in modern society. The current scenario contrasts with the foreseen shortage of petroleum that was spread out in the beginning of the XXI century, when the concept of "energy security" emerged as an urgent agenda to ensure a good balance between energy supply and demand. Much beyond protecting refineries and oil ducts from terrorist attacks, these issues soon developed to a portfolio of measures related to process sustainability, involving at least three fundamental dimensions: (a) the need for technological breakthroughs to improve energy production worldwide; (b) the improvement of energy efficiency in all sectors of modern society; and (c) the increase of the social perception that education is a key-word towards a better use of our energy resources. Together with these technological, economic or social issues, "energy security" is also strongly influenced by environmental issues involving greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity in environmentally sensitive areas, pollution and poor solid waste management. For these and other reasons, the implementation of more sustainable practices in our currently available industrial facilities and the search for alternative energy sources that could partly replace the fossil fuels became a major priority throughout the world. Regarding fossil fuels, the main technological bottlenecks are related to the exploitation of less accessible petroleum resources such as those in the pre-salt layer, ranging from the proper characterization of these deep-water oil reservoirs, the development of lighter and more efficient equipment for both exploration and exploitation, the optimization of the drilling techniques, the achievement of further improvements in production yields and the establishment of specialized training programs for the technical staff. The production of natural gas from shale is also emerging in several countries but its production in large scale has several problems ranging from the unavoidable environmental impact of shale mining as well as to the bad consequences of its large scale exploitation in the past. The large scale use of coal has similar environmental problems, which are aggravated by difficulties in its proper characterization. Also, the mitigation of harmful gases and particulate matter that are released as a result of combustion is still depending on the development of new gas cleaning technologies including more efficient catalysts to improve its emission profile. On the other hand, biofuels are still struggling to fulfill their role in reducing our high dependence on fossil fuels. Fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel) from vegetable oils and ethanol from cane sucrose and corn starch are mature technologies whose market share is partially limited by the availability of their raw materials. For this reason, there has been a great effort to develop "second-generation" technologies to produce methanol, ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, biogas (methane), bio-oils, syngas and synthetic fuels from lower grade renewable feedstocks such as lignocellulosic materials whose consumption would not interfere with the rather sensitive issues of food security. Advanced fermentation processes are envisaged as "third generation" technologies and these are primarily linked to the use of algae feedstocks as well as other organisms that could produce biofuels or simply provide microbial biomass for the processes listed above. Due to the complexity and cost of their production chain, "third generation" technologies usually aim at high value added biofuels such as biojet fuel, biohydrogen and hydrocarbons with a fuel performance similar to diesel or gasoline, situations in which the use of genetically modified organisms is usually required. In general, the main challenges in this field could be summarized as follows: (a) the need for prospecting alternative sources of biomass that are not linked to the food chain; (b) the intensive use of green chemistry principles in our current industrial activities; (c) the development of mature technologies for the production of second and third generation biofuels; (d) the development of safe bioprocesses that are based on environmentally benign microorganisms; (e) the scale-up of potential technologies to a suitable demonstration scale; and (f) the full understanding of the technological and environmental implications of the food vs. fuel debate. On the basis of these, the main objective of this article is to stimulate the discussion and help the decision making regarding "energy security" issues and their challenges for modern society, in such a way to encourage the participation of the Brazilian Chemistry community in the design of a road map for a safer, sustainable and prosper future for our nation.

TRATAMENTO DA VINHAÇA POR ADSORÇÃO EM CARVÃO DE BAGAÇO DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR

The aim of this study was to develop an effective and economically viable technology for the treatment of vinasse, prior to its disposal in the soil for fertirrigation, aiming this way at reducing the environmental impacts generated by inadequately discarding this effluent. The primary treatment of vinasse by adsorption was evaluated. Adsorbents were prepared from sugar cane bagasse and their efficiency evaluated in relation to the treatment of vinasse. The process of preparation of activated carbon consisted of carbonizing bagasse at different temperatures followed by chemical activation with NaOH. The carbon samples obtained by solely carbonizing sugar cane bagasse were more efficient for removing turbidity of vinasse than samples activated with NaOH. The sample carbonized at 800 °C was the most efficient for removing turbidity of wastewater (83%). During a process of adsorption of vinasse in two stages, it was possible to obtain color removal, turbidity and COD of approximately 76, 85 and 69%, respectively. After the adsorption step of vinasse, the solid waste generated in the second stage of adsorption can be burned in the boilers of the power plant itself, affording an energy of 4606 cal g-1.

Etelä-Karjalan alueen yritysten jätevirrat ja jätteenkäsittelyn kannattavuus alueella

Diplomityön tavoitteena oli selvittää Etelä-Karjalan alueen yritysten jätevirtoja ja sekalaisen rakennusjätteen koostumusta. Jätevirtojen selvityksessä keskityttiin metsäteollisuuden, rakennusteollisuuden ja kaupan alan jätevirtoihin. Tarkoituksena oli selvittää mahdollisessa jätteenkäsittelylaitoksessa hyödynnettävien jätejakeiden määrät. Selvitettyjen tietojen perusteella arvioitiin erilaisten jätteenkäsittelyvaihtoehtojen kannattavuutta yritysnäkökul-masta Etelä-Karjalan alueella. Rakennusjätteen koostumusta tutkittiin lajittelemalla ja pun-nitsemalla sekalaisia rakennusjätekuormia jätejakeittain. Etelä-Karjalan alueen jätevirtoja selvitettiin muun muassa yrityshaastatteluin ja hyödyntämällä Lassila & Tikanoja Oyj:n tietokantaa. Sekalaisen rakennusjätteen lajittelututkimuksessa selvisi, että sekalaisissa rakennusjäte-kuormissa on lähes 50 m-% hyödynnettävissä olevia jätejakeita. Energiajaetta kuormissa oli yhteensä noin 34 m-% ja kaatopaikkajätettä noin 52 m-%. Kaupan alalta syntyy pää-sääntöisesti paljon pakkausmateriaaleista koostuvaa energiajaetta, kun taas metsäteollisuu-desta syntyy paljon erilaisia prosessijätteitä, joita ei voida hyödyntää työssä tutkituilla me-netelmillä. Lappeenrannan ja Imatran alueilla arvioidaan syntyvän energiajaetta metsäteol-lisuudesta, kaupan alalta ja rakennusteollisuudesta yhteensä noin 4 300 t, puujätettä noin 5 000 t ja sekalaista rakennusjätettä noin 11 700 t. Metsäteollisuuden, rakennusteollisuuden ja kaupan alan jätevirrat Etelä-Karjalassa eivät ole riittävät taloudellisesti kannattavan jätteenkäsittelylaitoksen perustamiseksi. Arvioinnissa huomioitiin laitoksen investointikustannukset sekä muut aiheutuvat kustannukset. Energiajakeen siirtokuormausasema todettiin kannattavaksi tilanteessa, jossa energiajae toimitettaisiin Etelä-Karjalan sijasta Lahteen tai Kouvolaan.

Sahateollisuuden jätteiden hyötykäyttö menetelmät ja viranomaisraportoinnin kehittäminen

Yritysten ympäristönsuojelua ohjailevat kansalliset lait ja asetukset kuten ympäristönsuojelulaki (86/2000) ja jätelaki (646/2011) sekä Euroopan unionin lainsäädäntö. Ympäristönsuojelu on yrityksille yhä tärkeämpi osa liiketoimintaa. Tähän ovat vaikuttaneet yhä enemmän kiristynyt lainsäädäntö ja taloudellisen hyödyn tavoittelu ympäristöasioiden hyvän hoidon seurauksena sekä sidosryhmien lisääntynyt kiinnostus yritysten ympäristöasioista. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli perehtyä uuden jätelain tuomiin muutoksiin sahateollisuuden osalta, selvittää sahateollisuuden jätteiden hyötykäyttö mahdollisuuksia yleisesti sekä kehittää viranomaisraportointia jätteiden osalta. Diplomityössä analysoidaan Kiteen sahan jätevirtoja ja niiden käsittelyä, sekä hyötykäyttöä. Tarkoituksena on pyrkiä tilanteeseen, jossa syntyvät jätteet käsiteltäisiin siten, että jätteiden käsittelystä aiheutuvat kustannukset pienenisivät ja kaatopaikalle sijoitettavan jätteen määrä vähenisi ilman investointien tarvetta. Työssä vertaillaan muiden Stora Enson Suomen sahojen jätevirtoja ja niiden hyötykäyttöä Kiteen sahan tilanteeseen. Tavoitteena on löytää sellaisia jätteiden hyötykäyttömahdollisuuksia, jotka olisivat hyödynnettävissä kaikilla Stora Enson Suomen sahoilla.

Quality assurance of refuse derived fuel with machine vision

This thesis studies the use of machine vision in RDF quality assurance and manufacturing. Currently machine vision is used in recycling and material detection and some commer- cial products are available in the market. In this thesis an on-line machine vision system is proposed for characterizing particle size. The proposed machine vision system is based on the mapping between image segmenta- tion and the ground truth of the particle size. The results shows that the implementation of such machine vision system is feasible.

Kaupallisen sekajätteen mekaaniset käsittelyprosessit ja laitos investoinnin kannattavuus

Työn tavoitteena oli tutkia mekaanisia käsittelylaitteita ja -prosesseja kaupalliselle sekajätteelle ja selvittää mahdollisen laitoshankkeen kannattavuutta case-yritykselle. Jätehuollon yritykset ovat jatkuvan muutoksen alla kasvavien keräys- ja käsittelykustannusten takia, joka vaatii säästöjen etsimistä. Sekajäte sisältää arvokkaita kierrätysraaka-aineita ja näiden erottelu voisi luoda lisäarvoa alentuneina hävityskustannuksina ja lisääntyneinä myyntituottoina. Työssä selvitettiin kaupallisen sekajätteen koostumusta lajittelukokeen ja muiden sekajätetutkimusten avulla. Mekaanisia käsittelylaitteita tutkittiin kirjallisuuden ja case-esimerkkien kautta. Laitoshakkeen kannattavuutta arvioitiin taulukkolaskentamallin avulla. Laitosvaihtoehtoja tarkasteltiin 10-30 tuhannen tonnin kapasiteetin välillä. Laskelmien ja kirjallisuustutkimuksen pohjalta kannattavimpana vaihtoehtona nähtiin SRF kierrätyspolttoainetta valmistava laitos. Kirjallisuustutkimuksen ja case-laitosten pohjalta luotiin kaksi investointiskenaariota, joille laskettiin taulukkolaskentamallin avulla yksikkökustannukset, nettonykyarvot ja sisäiset korot. Kustannusaineisto oli peräisin case-yritykseltä ja muista laitostutkimuksista. Kannattavuuslaskelmien mukaan skenaario 2, jossa SRF-tuotannon lisäksi eroteltaisiin sekalaisia muoveja, on kannattavampi. Skenaarioiden 1 ja 2 kriittiset pisteet olivat noin 15,3 ja 13,6 tuhatta tonnia vuodessa. Kumpikaan skenaarioista ei kuitenkaan ole kannattava case-yrityksen omilla vuotuisilla kuormilla (10 000 tonnia). Lisää käsiteltävää jätettä tulisi hankkia ulkopuolisilta yrityksiltä taloudellisesti edullisen vaakamaksun avulla. Skenaarion 2 ongelmaksi kuitenkin muodostuu sekalaisten muovien poistuminen SRF:n komponenttina, mikä vaikuttaa SRF:n markkinoitavuuteen tehollisen lämpöarvon alenemisen takia.

Studies on the effect of pollution, with special reference to benthos, in Cochin backwaters

Considerable number of factories and related establishments forming an industrial complex are located in the upper reaches of the estuary from Varapuzha about 10km from cochin barmouth to Alwaye while lower down are the retting grounds at Vaduthala and nearby places at about 5km from the barmouth. Muncipal wastes from the city population of over 5 lakhs effluents and solid waste from several fish processing factories and other land washings around Willington island reach the estuary move near its lower reaches close to the barmouth. Cochin estuary is the biggest in the state providing water front for the largest number of industries from the small retting grounds of Vaduthala to the huge fertilizer factories of Udyogamandal and receiving the highest quantity of town sewage and land drainage. The estuary contributes itself as nursery ground for shrimps and related fishery as well. Study of this estuary therefore contributes to a typical environment as regards to pollution problems in the tropics and hence the scope of the present investigation