Hazardous Waste Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This paper discusses both occupational health risks to workers and environmental health risks to residents and workers. The report presents an overview of the available health literature for causes of diseases, injuries, and accidents... more

This paper discusses both occupational health risks to workers and environmental health risks to residents and workers. The report presents an overview of the available health literature for causes of diseases, injuries, and accidents from solid waste management collection, treatment, and disposal technologies. Illnesses discussed include infectious diseases, allergies, respiratory damage, and cancers. Some diseases are derived from direct ingestion of infectious micro-organisms, others involve infection through contamination of the food chain, whereby animals or other vectors have ingested infectious micro-organisms. Injuries include joint and spinal damage, fractures, puncture wounds, damage to eyes and ears. Accidents include slides from unstable disposal piles, cave-ins of disposal site surfaces, fires, explosions, being caught in processing equipment, and being run over by mobile equipment. As the next steps toward improving occupational and environmental health and safety in s...

This is the second paper of two companion papers presenting the results of laboratory bench-scale experimental studies on electrokinetic extraction of lead from two different kaolinites. The theoretical formulation and numerical... more

This is the second paper of two companion papers presenting the results of laboratory bench-scale experimental studies on electrokinetic extraction of lead from two different kaolinites. The theoretical formulation and numerical simulation of the process are presented in the first paper. Two different kaolinites were used in the study: (1) Georgia kaolinite and (2) Milwhite kaolinite. The lead spiked in

"Volatile fatty acids (VFA) including acetic, butyric, formic and propionic are extensively utilized in contemporary industry. Their commercial value is of high significance while their often derive from petroleum which is non-abundance... more

"Volatile fatty acids (VFA) including acetic, butyric, formic and propionic are extensively utilized in contemporary industry. Their commercial value is of high significance while their often derive from petroleum which is non-abundance source. Other methods for the production and recovery from these substances have been proposed and investigated. Waste effluent streams are potential candidates for VFA recovery, especially if for their processing filtration technology will be used. Membrane filtration is an effective and efficient choice as it is a low cost, low energy, easy integrated method tested for the separation and concentration.
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Hazardous chemicals used in electronic and electrical consumer products can re-enter commerce when these products are recycled. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the possible sources of unexpected chemicals and elements in... more

Hazardous chemicals used in electronic and electrical consumer products can re-enter commerce when these products are recycled. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the possible sources of unexpected chemicals and elements in consumer products, including the use of recycled E-waste plastics and 2) demonstrate bromine detection with nondestructive spectroscopy as an indicator of brominated flame retardants contaminating new products via recycled waste streams. More than 1500 consumer products of diverse types purchased in 2012-2014 were examined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for correlations between bromine and other elements. New electronic products were much more likely than new non-electronics to contain greater than 1000 ppm bromine, consistent with intentionally added flame retardants, while non-electronic products were more likely to contain between 5 and 100 ppm bromine, suggesting unintentional contamination. A typical suite of elements present in E-waste was found in a majority of plastic products. Two product categories, vinyl floor tiles and beaded necklaces/garlands, were explored in more detail. Specific flame retardant chemicals in bead samples were identified by mass spectrometry and their distribution in beads was studied using scanning electron microsco-py and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Five brominated chemicals typically used as flame retar-dants, including BDE-209, were identified in 50 of 50 Mardi Gras beads analyzed.

A survey was conducted in a small New England town following the discovery that the town’s water supply had become contaminated by industrial chemicals. Principal findings include: (1) respondents from more affluent households were more... more

A survey was conducted in a small New England town following the discovery that the town’s water supply had become contaminated by industrial chemicals. Principal findings include: (1) respondents from more affluent households were more concerned about the pollution problem; (2) long-term or older residents tended to be less concerned; and (3) women with young children viewed the problem as particularly serious. The first two findings are consistent with previous research on similar "technological catastrophes" and on environmental protection in general. The third finding has not appeared in environmental protection research, but it is consistent with reports from Three Mile Island. Such technological catastrophes transform environmental issues into safety issues, thereby raising parents’ anxieties about the safety of their children -- perhaps more so for women than for men. These safety concerns may eventually be generalized to broader environmental issues, as toxic waste and other disasters continue to occur.

This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture monitoring data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource... more

This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture monitoring data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) unit, located in Area 23 of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, during the October 1999-October 2000 period. Inspections of the Area

Disputes concerning industrial legacies such as the disposal of toxic wastes illustrate changing pressures on corporations and governments. Business and governments are now confronted with managing the expectations of a society... more

Disputes concerning industrial legacies such as the disposal of toxic wastes illustrate changing pressures on corporations and governments. Business and governments are now confronted with managing the expectations of a society increasingly aware of the social and environmental impacts and risks associated with economic development and demanding more equitable distribution and democratic management of such risks. The closed managerialist decision-making of the powerful bureaucracies and corporations of the industrial era is informed by traditional management theory which cannot provide a framework for the adequate governance of these risks. Recent socio-political theories have conceptualised some key themes that must be addressed in a more fitting approach to governance. We identify more recent management and governance theory which addresses these themes and develop a process-based approach to governance of environmental disputes that allows for the evolving nature of stakeholder relations in a highly complex multiple stakeholder arena.

For two decades, solid waste components in Bank projects have focused on collection of solid wastes, with equipment provided to upgrade operations at existing open dumps. Since early 1990, the private sector has become increasingly... more

For two decades, solid waste components in Bank projects have focused on collection of solid wastes, with equipment provided to upgrade operations at existing open dumps. Since early 1990, the private sector has become increasingly involved in the collection, disposal, and treatment of solid waste, and Bank projects have placed greater priority on implementation of new sanitary landfills. The following guidance provides an examination of some of the issues which need to be addressed in landfill siting and design.

Large-scale contaminated megasites like Bitterfeld in eastern Germany are characterized by a regional contamination of soil, surface water and groundwater as a result of a long and varied history of chemical production. While the... more

Large-scale contaminated megasites like Bitterfeld in eastern Germany are characterized by a regional contamination of soil, surface water and groundwater as a result of a long and varied history of chemical production. While the contaminants in soils and sediments mostly represent a localized problem, pollutants in groundwater may spread to uncontaminated areas and endanger receptors like surface water and drinking water wells according to the site-specific hydrologic regime. From the toxicological point of view, the contaminants at the Bitterfeld megasite represent a dangerous cocktail of various harmful substances coming from a multitude of sources. Appropriate remediation techniques must be able to remedy the specific problems arising from hot spot areas within the megasite in addition to preventing a further extension of the contaminated zone towards uncontaminated compartments. Therefore, a combination of specifically designed remediation technologies based on the pump and treat-principle with in situ technologies, such as reactive walls and monitored/enhanced natural attenuation, is necessary to efficiently address the miscellaneous challenges at this megasite. In this paper, the currently known contaminant distribution, the associated problems for human health and the environment and possible remediation strategies are presented for the Bitterfeld megasite.

Background: This Paper aims at analyzing and defining the reasons and factors that lead to the absence and failure of medical waste management in Yemen. This absence has a catastrophic effect by causes a wide spread of epidemics,... more

Background: This Paper aims at analyzing and defining the reasons and factors that lead to the absence and failure of medical waste management in Yemen. This absence has a catastrophic effect by causes a wide spread of epidemics, diseases, infections, pollutions, deaths and long-range effects on the environment. And despite the lake of data, statistics and rare previous studies in this field. This paper will be a systematic study of the key factors causing this poor performance of this important Field.

The CHMM Exam - Essential Practice by Farcas, Hammond, and Cena is, as the name implies, an essential set of questions for the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager exam. This book is well laid out in 14 sections. It draws the reader in,... more

The CHMM Exam - Essential Practice by Farcas, Hammond, and Cena is, as the name implies, an essential set of questions for the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager exam. This book is well laid out in 14 sections. It draws the reader in, which certainly assists with the increased retention of the amount of material that has to be covered. The questions are well introduced with a short narrative before introducing the pertinent equations and solution to the over 450 examples of essential questions. The book serves as a formidable preparation for the CHMM exam and a good review of basic principles, a reference for many of the day-to-day technical issues confronting the practicing worker’s safety, and a guide for raising awareness of potential problems for which alert action is required. The authors bring a breadth of experience and insight into the issues handled in the text. They bring context to the basic principles to be highlighted by the examples of the questions and their solutions. CHMM Exam - Essential Practice should be a must-have text for everyone in the field. Michael McCawley, Ph.D., West Virginia University.