Environmental pollution from shipbreaking industry : international law and national legal response

The international legal regime on shipbreaking is in its formative years. At the international level, the shipbreaking industry is partially governed by the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. However, how far this convention will be applicable for all aspects of transboundary movement of end-of-life ships is still, at least in the view of some scholars, a debatable issue. Against this backdrop, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has adopted a new, legally binding convention for shipbreaking. There is a rising voice from the developing countries that the convention is likely to impose more obligations on recycling facilities in the developing countries than on shipowners from rich nations. This may be identified as a clear derogation from the globally recognized international environmental law principle of common but differentiated treatment. This article will examine in detail major international conventions regulating transboundary movement and environmentally sound disposal of obsolete ships, as well as the corresponding laws of Bangladesh for implementing these conventions in the domestic arena. Moreover this article will examine in detail the recently adopted IMO Ship Recycling Convention.

Influence of pH on the retention of heavy metal ions by fly ash

Clay liners have been widely used to contain toxic and hazardous wastes. Clays adsorb the contaminant cations due to their exchange capacity. To improve the performance of the clay liner, fly ash, a waste material arising out of combustion of coal has been studied as a pre-filter material. The results indicate that fly ash has the potential to retain heavy metal ions. This study concerns the retention of zinc by fly ash. The influence of pH on retention as well as leaching characteristics are examined. The results obtained from the retention experiments by permeameter method indicate that fly ash retains the zinc ions through precipitation in the pores as well as onto the surface when the ambient pH value is more than 6.9, and only through adsorption when the pH value is less than 6.9. It has been observed that fly ash did not release the retained zinc ions when the pH value is between 3.5 and 10.0. Hence, the retention of zinc ions by fly ash is likely to be permanent since the pH of most of the landfill leachates are between 3.7 to 8.8.

Sistema de Gerenciamento Integrado de resíduos perigosos: modelagem e validação nos laboratórios da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Apesar dos impactos ambientais ocasionados pela poluição e acidentes químicos, constata-se que algumas organizações ainda investem pouco na prevenção, redução ou eliminação de seus resíduos. Em algumas Instituições de Ensino e Pesquisa (IES) do Brasil, não é incomum o manejo inadequado dos resíduos perigosos gerados em laboratórios de ensino e pesquisa, aumentando tais riscos. Para minimizar ou eliminar tais riscos, há que se realizarem investimentos em processos tecnológicos de tratamento e na seleção de métodos adequados ao gerenciamento. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi modelar um Sistema de Gerenciamento Integrado de Resíduos Perigosos e validá-lo através de sua aplicação em estudo piloto nos laboratórios dos Institutos de Química e Biologia da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. A pesquisa empírica e exploratória foi realizada através de revisão bibliográfica e coleta de dados sobre o estado da arte no gerenciamento de resíduos em algumas IES nacionais e internacionais, seguido da seleção do sistema adequado a ser modelado e aplicado nestes contextos. O trabalho de campo consistiu na coleta de dados através de observação direta e aplicação de questionário junto aos responsáveis pelos laboratórios. As etapas do estudo foram: levantamento das instalações dos laboratórios; observação do manejo e geração dos resíduos; elaboração do banco de dados; análise qualitativa e quantitativa dos dados; modelagem do Sistema de Gerenciamento Integrado de Resíduos Perigosos SIGIRPE; implantação do modelo; apresentação e avaliação dos resultados; elaboração do manual para uso do sistema. O monitoramento quantitativo de resíduos foi feito através de ferramentas do sistema para a sua análise temporal. Os resultados da pesquisa permitiram conhecer a dinâmica e os problemas existentes nos laboratórios, bem como verificar a potencialidade do modelo. Conclui-se que o SIGIRPE pode ser aplicado a outros contextos desde que seja adequado para tal fim. É imprescindível ter uma estrutura institucional que elabore o Plano de Gerenciamento Integrado de Resíduos e viabilize sua implementação. A universidade, enquanto formadora dos futuros profissionais, é um lócus privilegiado na construção e disseminação do conhecimento, tendo o dever de realizar boas práticas no trato das questões ambientais, em particular, com relação aos resíduos. Assim, elas devem estabelecer entre suas estratégias de ação, a inclusão de políticas ambientais em seus campi, onde a Educação Ambiental deve ser permanente. Espera-se que este trabalho contribua com o planejamento e o gerenciamento dos resíduos perigosos gerados em laboratórios e com as mudanças necessárias rumo à sustentabilidade ambiental. O SIGIRPE foi elaborado e testado, mas não foi possível verificar sua aplicação por outros usuários. É o que se espera com a continuidade desta pesquisa e no desenvolvimento de futuros trabalhos, tais como: teste do sistema em hospitais, laboratórios, clínicas; estudar outras aplicações na área de segurança química de laboratórios através da inclusão de roteiro de transporte interno de resíduos, rotas de fuga, mapas de risco, localização de equipamentos de proteção individual e coletiva; demonstrar a potencialidade de uso do sistema e sensibilizar os segmentos envolvidos através de palestras, mini-cursos e outras estratégias de informação em revistas científicas especializadas.

Species transformation of trace elements and their distribution prediction in dyestuff residue incineration

The release of heavy metals from the combustion of hazardous wastes is an environmental issue of increasing concern. The species transformation characteristics of toxic heavy metals and their distribution are considered to be a complex problem of mechanism. The behavior of hazardous dyestuff residue is investigated in a tubular furnace under the general condition of hazardous waste pyrolysis and gasfication. Data interpretation has been aided by parallel theoretical study based on a thermodynamic equilibrium model based on the principle of Gibbs free energy minimization. The results show that Ni, Zn, Mn, and Cr are more enriched in dyestuff residue incineration than other heavy metals (Hg, As, and Se) subjected to volatilization. The thermodynamic model calculation is used for explaining the experiment data at 800 degrees C and analyzing species transformation of heavy metals. These results of species transformation are used to predict the distribution and emission characteristics of trace elements. Although most trace element predictions are validated by the measurements, cautions are in order due to the complexity of incineration systems.

Prospect for EPM application to environmental technology

EPM seems to have good prospects for the future not only in the materials processing but also in environmental technologies by the help of superior features like contactless processing, clean heating and melting, and good controllability. In the present paper, the authors commentate on the possibility of EPM to avoid environmental issues of energy, resources and hazardous wastes by the use of the functions of Lorentz force and Joule heating. Firstly, the present situation and future trend of electric power generation is outlined, and then some examples of the application of EPM to environmental technologies are introduced, which have been performed by the author’s group. Examples are as follows: production of spherical solar cell from a liquid jet by using intermittent electromagnetic force; fabrication of semi-solid Al-Si slurry for die-casting of vehicle-parts to reduce the weight of vehicle; electromagnetic separation of nonmetallic inclusions from liquid Al scrap and its application to the fabrication of partially particle-reinforced aluminum alloy; electromagnetic melting of hazardous wastes from power plants to stabilize wastes in glass state.

Sustainable Chemical Regulation in a Global Environment

The globalisation and unintended impacts of chemicals sets substantial challenges for sustainable development and the protection of natural resources such as land and water. Currently, there are three key chemical Conventions, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal which came into force in 1992, the 1993 Rotterdam Convention on Trade in Dangerous Chemicals and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (2004). These Conventions have as common features a mechanism for assessment of chemical safety, a process for the addition of new chemicals to a list of controlled substances and capacity building in developed countries. However, they only cover a small fraction of the chemicals manufactured and traded across the world. Defining effective regulation of chemicals is an on-going debate that has the potential to have a significant impact on vested commercial and political interests. A sustainable chemical industry should take account of evidence-based standards and through legal mechanisms adopt long-term precautionary evaluations rather than short-term market driven decisions. It is argued in this paper that effective international chemical regulation in the future will come from the adoption of sound chemical management and corporate social responsibility, but it recognised that this will face the challenge of economic disparity between countries and the potential export of regulatory risk from big chemical conglomerates to poorly regulated jurisdictions.

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de automação para uma planta de inertização de resíduos por plasma

The traditional processes for treatment of hazardous waste are questionable for it generates other wastes that adversely affect people s health. As an attempt to minimize these problems, it was developed a system for treatment of hazardous waste by thermal plasma, a more appropriate technology since it produces high temperatures, preventing the formation of toxic pollutants to human beings. The present work brings out a solution of automation for this plant. The system has local and remote monitoring resources to ensure the operators security as well as the process itself. A special attention was given to the control of the main reactor temperature of the plant as it is the place where the main processing occurs and because it presents a complex mathematical model. To this, it was employed cascaded controls based on Fuzzy logic. A process computer, with a particular man-machine interface (MMI), provides information and controls of the plant to the operator, including by Internet. A compact PLC module is in charge of the central element of management automation and plant control which receives information from sensors, and sends it to the MMI

Framework for implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in the small island developing states of the Caribbean subregion

Includes bibliography

Contaminação radioativa: aspectos fundamentais associados à poluição nuclear

Since its discovery, radioactivity has brought numerous benefits to human societies. It has many applications in medicine, serving as a tool for non-invasive methods for diagnosis and therapies against diseases such as cancer. It also applies to technologies for energy in nuclear power plants with relatively low impacts on terms of perfect security. All applications, however, have risks, requiring maximum caution to drive processes and operations involving radioactive elements because, once released into the environment, they have extremely harmful effects on organisms affected. This paper presents fundamental concepts and principles of nuclear physics in order to understand the effects of radioactive elements released into the environment, culminating on the issue of radioactive contamination. Literature review allowed us to understand the radioactive contamination problem on living beings. Three major nuclear accidents have happened in the last thirty years, two of them in consecutive years. The nuclear accident at Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, polluted large areas, condemning hundreds of thousands of people to live with consequences of the accident and effects of radiation, killing thousands of people throughout the years. In 1987, a major radiological accident occurred in Goiania (GO) when a source of radioactive cesium was violated, leading to the death of those who had direct or indirect contact with cesium. The most recent accident, in March, 2011, was located at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the region. There is no extensive and accurate knowledge about the consequences of the contamination entailed in that accident, although it is possible to verify signals on a global scale. An analysis of reports of contamination of large areas generated by nuclear plants with release of hazardous wastes suggests it is necessary to rethink the energy matrix of the various countries...

O comércio internacional de resíduos rerigosos entre países OCDE e não OCDE: uma análise empírica com destaque para o Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Processo biotecnologico a cellule immobilizzate per la produzione di acidi grassi volatili da acque di vegetazione

Le acque di vegetazione (AV) costituiscono un serio problema di carattere ambientale, sia a causa della loro elevata produzione sia per l’ elevato contenuto di COD che oscilla fra 50 e 150 g/l. Le AV sono considerate un refluo a tasso inquinante fra i più elevati nell’ambito dell’industria agroalimentare e la loro tossicità è determinata in massima parte dalla componente fenolica. Il presente lavoro si propone di studiare e ottimizzare un processo non solo di smaltimento di tale refluo ma anche di una sua valorizzazione, utlizzandolo come materia prima per la produzione di acidi grassi e quindi di PHA, polimeri biodegradabili utilizzabili in varie applicazioni. A tale scopo sono stati utilizzati due bioreattori anaerobici a biomassa adesa, di identica configurazione, con cui si sono condotti due esperimenti in continuo a diverse temperature e carichi organici al fine di studiare l’influenza di tali parametri sul processo. Il primo esperimento è stato condotto a 35°C e carico organico pari a 12,39 g/Ld, il secondo a 25°C e carico organico pari a 8,40 g/Ld. Si è scelto di allestire e mettere in opera un processo a cellule immobilizzate in quanto questa tecnologia si è rivelata vantaggiosa nel trattamento continuo di reflui ad alto contenuto di COD e carichi variabili. Inoltre si è scelto di lavorare in continuo poiché tale condizione, per debiti tempi di ritenzione idraulica, consente di minimizzare la metanogenesi, mediata da microrganismi con basse velocità specifiche di crescita. Per costituire il letto fisso dei due reattori si sono utilizzati due diversi tipi di supporto, in modo da poter studiare anche l’influenza di tale parametro, in particolare si è fatto uso di carbone attivo granulare (GAC) e filtri ceramici Vukopor S10 (VS). Confrontando i risultati si è visto che la massima quantità di VFA prodotta nell’ambito del presente studio si ha nel VS mantenuto a 25°C: in tale condizione si arriva infatti ad un valore di VFA prodotti pari a 524,668 mgCOD/L. Inoltre l’effluente in uscita risulta più concentrato in termini di VFA rispetto a quello in entrata: nell’alimentazione la percentuale di materiale organico presente sottoforma di acidi grassi volatili era del 54 % e tale percentuale, in uscita dai reattori, ha raggiunto il 59 %. Il VS25 rappresenta anche la condizione in cui il COD degradato si è trasformato in percentuale minore a metano (2,35 %) e questo a prova del fatto che l’acidogenesi ha prevalso sulla metanogenesi. Anche nella condizione più favorevole alla produzione di VFA però, si è riusciti ad ottenere una loro concentrazione in uscita (3,43 g/L) inferiore rispetto a quella di tentativo (8,5 g/L di VFA) per il processo di produzione di PHA, sviluppato da un gruppo di ricerca dell’università “La Sapienza” di Roma, relativa ad un medium sintetico. Si può constatare che la modesta produzione di VFA non è dovuta all’eccessiva degradazione del COD, essendo questa nel VS25 appena pari al 6,23%, ma piuttosto è dovuta a una scarsa concentrazione di VFA in uscita. Questo è di buon auspicio nell’ottica di ottimizzare il processo migliorandone le prestazioni, poiché è possibile aumentare tale concentrazione aumentando la conversione di COD in VFA che nel VS25 è pari a solo 5,87%. Per aumentare tale valore si può agire su vari parametri, quali la temperatura e il carico organico. Si è visto che il processo di acidogenesi è favorito, per il VS, per basse temperature e alti carichi organici. Per quanto riguarda il reattore impaccato con carbone attivo la produzione di VFA è molto ridotta per tutti i valori di temperatura e carichi organici utilizzati. Si può quindi pensare a un’applicazione diversa di tale tipo di reattore, ad esempio per la produzione di metano e quindi di energia.

Bioremediation of PAHs - Limitations and soultions

Introduction 1.1 Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the environment Worldwide industrial and agricultural developments have released a large number of natural and synthetic hazardous compounds into the environment due to careless waste disposal, illegal waste dumping and accidental spills. As a result, there are numerous sites in the world that require cleanup of soils and groundwater. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the major groups of these contaminants (Da Silva et al., 2003). PAHs constitute a diverse class of organic compounds consisting of two or more aromatic rings with various structural configurations (Prabhu and Phale, 2003). Being a derivative of benzene, PAHs are thermodynamically stable. In addition, these chemicals tend to adhere to particle surfaces, such as soils, because of their low water solubility and strong hydrophobicity, and this results in greater persistence under natural conditions. This persistence coupled with their potential carcinogenicity makes PAHs problematic environmental contaminants (Cerniglia, 1992; Sutherland, 1992). PAHs are widely found in high concentrations at many industrial sites, particularly those associated with petroleum, gas production and wood preserving industries (Wilson and Jones, 1993). 1.2 Remediation technologies Conventional techniques used for the remediation of soil polluted with organic contaminants include excavation of the contaminated soil and disposal to a landfill or capping - containment - of the contaminated areas of a site. These methods have some drawbacks. The first method simply moves the contamination elsewhere and may create significant risks in the excavation, handling and transport of hazardous material. Additionally, it is very difficult and increasingly expensive to find new landfill sites for the final disposal of the material. The cap and containment method is only an interim solution since the contamination remains on site, requiring monitoring and maintenance of the isolation barriers long into the future, with all the associated costs and potential liability. A better approach than these traditional methods is to completely destroy the pollutants, if possible, or transform them into harmless substances. Some technologies that have been used are high-temperature incineration and various types of chemical decomposition (for example, base-catalyzed dechlorination, UV oxidation). However, these methods have significant disadvantages, principally their technological complexity, high cost , and the lack of public acceptance. Bioremediation, on the contrast, is a promising option for the complete removal and destruction of contaminants. 1.3 Bioremediation of PAH contaminated soil & groundwater Bioremediation is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade or detoxify hazardous wastes into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide, water and cell biomass Most PAHs are biodegradable unter natural conditions (Da Silva et al., 2003; Meysami and Baheri, 2003) and bioremediation for cleanup of PAH wastes has been extensively studied at both laboratory and commercial levels- It has been implemented at a number of contaminated sites, including the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989, the Mega Borg spill off the Texas coast in 1990 and the Burgan Oil Field, Kuwait in 1994 (Purwaningsih, 2002). Different strategies for PAH bioremediation, such as in situ , ex situ or on site bioremediation were developed in recent years. In situ bioremediation is a technique that is applied to soil and groundwater at the site without removing the contaminated soil or groundwater, based on the provision of optimum conditions for microbiological contaminant breakdown.. Ex situ bioremediation of PAHs, on the other hand, is a technique applied to soil and groundwater which has been removed from the site via excavation (soil) or pumping (water). Hazardous contaminants are converted in controlled bioreactors into harmless compounds in an efficient manner. 1.4 Bioavailability of PAH in the subsurface Frequently, PAH contamination in the environment is occurs as contaminants that are sorbed onto soilparticles rather than in phase (NAPL, non aqueous phase liquids). It is known that the biodegradation rate of most PAHs sorbed onto soil is far lower than rates measured in solution cultures of microorganisms with pure solid pollutants (Alexander and Scow, 1989; Hamaker, 1972). It is generally believed that only that fraction of PAHs dissolved in the solution can be metabolized by microorganisms in soil. The amount of contaminant that can be readily taken up and degraded by microorganisms is defined as bioavailability (Bosma et al., 1997; Maier, 2000). Two phenomena have been suggested to cause the low bioavailability of PAHs in soil (Danielsson, 2000). The first one is strong adsorption of the contaminants to the soil constituents which then leads to very slow release rates of contaminants to the aqueous phase. Sorption is often well correlated with soil organic matter content (Means, 1980) and significantly reduces biodegradation (Manilal and Alexander, 1991). The second phenomenon is slow mass transfer of pollutants, such as pore diffusion in the soil aggregates or diffusion in the organic matter in the soil. The complex set of these physical, chemical and biological processes is schematically illustrated in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, biodegradation processes are taking place in the soil solution while diffusion processes occur in the narrow pores in and between soil aggregates (Danielsson, 2000). Seemingly contradictory studies can be found in the literature that indicate the rate and final extent of metabolism may be either lower or higher for sorbed PAHs by soil than those for pure PAHs (Van Loosdrecht et al., 1990). These contrasting results demonstrate that the bioavailability of organic contaminants sorbed onto soil is far from being well understood. Besides bioavailability, there are several other factors influencing the rate and extent of biodegradation of PAHs in soil including microbial population characteristics, physical and chemical properties of PAHs and environmental factors (temperature, moisture, pH, degree of contamination). Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing possible rate-limiting processes during bioremediation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in a contaminated soil-water system (not to scale) (Danielsson, 2000). 1.5 Increasing the bioavailability of PAH in soil Attempts to improve the biodegradation of PAHs in soil by increasing their bioavailability include the use of surfactants , solvents or solubility enhancers.. However, introduction of synthetic surfactant may result in the addition of one more pollutant. (Wang and Brusseau, 1993).A study conducted by Mulder et al. showed that the introduction of hydropropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPCD), a well-known PAH solubility enhancer, significantly increased the solubilization of PAHs although it did not improve the biodegradation rate of PAHs (Mulder et al., 1998), indicating that further research is required in order to develop a feasible and efficient remediation method. Enhancing the extent of PAHs mass transfer from the soil phase to the liquid might prove an efficient and environmentally low-risk alternative way of addressing the problem of slow PAH biodegradation in soil.

Synthetic zeolites and other microporous oxide molecular sieves

Use of synthetic zeolites and other microporous oxides since 1950 has improved insulated windows, automobile air-conditioning, refrigerators, air brakes on trucks, laundry detergents, etc. Their large internal pore volumes, molecular-size pores, regularity of crystal structures, and the diverse framework chemical compositions allow “tailoring” of structure and properties. Thus, highly active and selective catalysts as well as adsorbents and ion exchangers with high capacities and selectivities were developed. In the petroleum refining and petrochemical industries, zeolites have made possible cheaper and lead-free gasoline, higher performance and lower-cost synthetic fibers and plastics, and many improvements in process efficiency and quality and in performance. Zeolites also help protect the environment by improving energy efficiency, reducing automobile exhaust and other emissions, cleaning up hazardous wastes (including the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant and other radioactive wastes), and, as specially tailored desiccants, facilitating the substitution of new refrigerants for the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons banned by the Montreal Protocol.

Development of a Household Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Program for Atlanta, Georgia: An Analysis of Risk Factors and Public Awareness with a Comprehensive Collection Plan

Decades of mixed messages from three federal agencies left many Americans unaware of the hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of unwanted or expired medicines. For this Capstone project, a systematic review of state and federal regulations was undertaken to determine how these laws obstruct household pharmaceutical waste collection. In addition, a survey of 654 Atlanta residents was conducted to evaluate unwanted medicine disposal habits, awareness of pharmaceutical compounds being detected in drinking water, surface, and ground waters, and willingness to participate in a household pharmaceutical waste collection program. Survey responses were tabulated to provide overall results and by age group, gender, and race. A household pharmaceutical waste collection plan was developed for the city and included as an appendix.