Solid waste generation from oil and gas industries in United Arab Emirates

Solid wastes generated from oil and gas industrial activities are very diverse in their characteristics, large in their amounts and many of which are hazardous in nature. Thus, quantifying and characterizing the generated amounts in association with their types, classes, sources, industrial activities, and their chemical and biological characteristics is an obvious mandate when evaluating the possible management practices. This paper discusses the types, amounts, generation units, and the factors related to solid waste generation from a major oil and gas field in the United Arab Emirates (Asab Field). The generated amounts are calculated based on a 1-year data collection survey and using a database software specially developed and customized for the current study. The average annual amount of total solid waste generated in the studied field is estimated at 4061 t. Such amount is found equivalent to 650 kg/capita, 0.37 kg/barrel oil, and 1.6 kg/m³ of extracted gas. The average annual amount of hazardous solid waste is estimated at 55 t and most of which (73%) is found to be generated from gas extraction-related activities. The majority of other industrial non-hazardous solid waste is generated from oil production-related activities (41%), The present analysis does also provide the estimated generation amounts per waste type and class, amounts of combustible, recyclable, and compostable wastes, and the amounts dumped in uncontrolled way as well as disposed into special hazardous landfill facilities. The results should help the decision makers in evaluating the best alternatives available to manage the solid wastes generated from the oil and gas industries.     

Hazardous waste generation and management in China: a review

Associated with the rapid economic growth and tremendous industrial prosperity, continues to be the accelerated increase of hazardous waste generation in China. The reported generation of industrial hazardous waste (IHW) was 11.62milliontons in 2005, which accounted for 1.1% of industrial solid waste (ISW) volume. An average of 43.4% of IHW was recycled, 33.0% was stored, 23.0% was securely disposed, and 0.6% was discharged without pollution controlling. By the end of 2004, there were 177 formal treatment and disposal centers for IHW management. The reported quantity of IHW disposed in these centers was only 416,000tons, 65% of which was landfilled, 35% was incinerated. The quantity of waste alkali and acid ranked the first among IHW categories, which accounted for 30.9%. And 39.0% of IHW was generated from the raw chemical materials and chemical products industry sectors. South west China had the maximum generation of IHW, accounted for 40.0%. In addition, it was extrapolated that 740,000tons of medical wastes were generated per year, of which only 10% was soundly managed. The generation of discarded household hazardous waste (HHW) is another important source of hazardous waste. A great proportion of HHW was managed as municipal solid waste (MSW). Hazardous waste pollution controlling has come into being a huge challenge faced to Chinese environmental management.     

Profiling hazardous waste generation for management planning

Results of a survey of the hazardous wastes generated by the industrial sector of the United States' economy are presented. Although data availabilityA method is also presented for building the results of waste generation surveys into hazardous waste management models. This requires the creation of a     

Hazardous waste management and weight-based indicators--the case of Haifa Metropolis

The quantity control of hazardous waste in Israel relies primarily on the Environmental Services Company (ESC) reports. With limited management tools, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) has no applicable methodology to confirm or monitor the actual amounts of hazardous waste produced by various industrial sectors. The main goal of this research was to develop a method for estimating the amounts of hazardous waste produced by various sectors. In order to achieve this goal, sector-specific indicators were tested on three hazardous waste producing sectors in the Haifa Metropolis: petroleum refineries, dry cleaners, and public hospitals. The findings reveal poor practice of hazardous waste management in the dry cleaning sector and in the public hospitals sector. Large discrepancies were found in the dry cleaning sector, between the quantities of hazardous waste reported and the corresponding indicator estimates. Furthermore, a lack of documentation on hospitals' pharmaceutical and chemical waste production volume was observed. Only in the case of petroleum refineries, the reported amount was consistent with the estimate.     

Hazardous waste reduction from mixed acid titanium etching

This paper presents the findings of a technical study performed by the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology to evaluate process modifications that would reduce hazardous waste generated from the manufacture of titanium alloy turbine blades. This study focused on the acid etch process step in which titanium alloy turbine blades are immersed in a mixed nitric and hydrofluoric acid solution to chemically mill the blades; which is one of a sequence of finishing steps. The spent acid is a hazardous waste that is sent off-site for disposal. A pollution prevention approach identified several process and operational improvements that would significantly reduce the amount of hazardous acid waste generated. Implementation of process improvements identified in this study resulted in reducing the quantity of hazardous waste generated from 502 tons/year in the Baseline year to less than 210 tons/year in Year 2, thereby resulting in a cost savings of nearly 43% per year. Full implementation of the study recommendations are expected to reduce the hazardous waste quantity to 71 tons/year, thereby achieving a cost savings of nearly 70% due to an 86% reduction in waste generation and a 66% reduction of total acid purchase and disposal costs.     

Off-site toxic consequence assessment: a simplified modeling procedure and case study

The new "Hazardous Waste Management Regulation" was published in the Official Newspaper of the Chilean Republic on 12 June 2003, being in force 365 days after its publication (i.e., 12 June 2004). During the next 180 days after its publication (i.e., until 12 December 2004), each industrial facility was obligated to present a "Hazardous Waste Management Plan" if the facility generates more than 12 ton/year hazardous wastes or more than 12 kg/year acute toxic wastes. Based on the Chilean industrial figures and this new regulation, hazardous waste management plans were carried out in three facilities of the most important sectors of Chilean industrial activity: a paper production plant, a Zn and Pb mine and a sawmill and wood remanufacturing facility. Hazardous wastes were identified, classified and quantified in all facilities. Used oil and oil-contaminated materials were determined to be the most important hazardous wastes generated. Minimization measures were implemented and re-use and recycling options were analyzed. The use of used oil as alternative fuel in high energy demanding facilities (i.e., cement facilities) and the re-refining of the used oil were found to be the most suitable options. In the Zn and Pb mine facility, the most important measure was the beginning of the study for using spent oils as raw material for the production of the explosives used for metals recovery from the rock. In Chile, there are three facilities producing alternative fuels from used oil, while two plants are nowadays re-refining oil to recycle it as hydraulic fluid in industry. In this sense, a proper and sustainable management of the used oil appears to be promissory.     

Treatment of hazardous sorbents generated from the adsorption of heavy metals during incineration

The emission of heavy metals during waste incineration can be effectively reduced through the practice of employing non-toxic sorbents. These sorbents can react with toxic metals at high temperatures and create metal binding between them by various physical and chemical mechanisms. After the adsorption process, the used sorbents, which contain heavy metals, need to be desorbed to reduce their potential environmental hazards or provide reusable sorbents for economical aspect. The sorbent's adsorption efficiency is affected by different operating conditions and waste elemental compositions during incineration, which, in turn, affect their desorption characteristics. However, the effects of operating condition and waste elemental composition on the stability of heavy metals in the sorbents and the desorption efficiencies have been little studied. This study investigates the desorption characteristics of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cu, and Cd) from the hazardous sorbents with different extracting reagents (H(2)O, HCl, EDTA, and Na(2)S(2)O(5)). The hazardous sorbents were generated under different adsorption time and various input waste elemental compositions during incineration process.     

Personal viewpoint: hemodialysis--water, power, and waste disposal: rethinking our environmental responsibilities

While medical health professionals are trained to detect, treat, and comfort, they are not trained to consider the environmental impact of the services they provide. Dialysis practitioners seem particularly careless in the use of natural resources—especially water and power—and seem broadly ignorant of the profound medical waste issues created by single use dialysis equipment. If the data we have collected is an indication, then extrapolation of this data to a dialysis population currently estimated at ~2 million patients worldwide, a “world dialysis service” would use ~156 billion liters of water and discard ~2/3 of that during reverse osmosis. This waste occurs, despite the discarded water being high-grade “gray water” of potable standard. The same world dialysis service would consume 1.62 billion kWh of power—mostly generated from coal and other environmentally damaging sources. Our world dialysis service, based on ~2 kg of waste from each dialysis treatment, would generate ~625,000 tonnes of plastic waste—waste that would be potentially reusable if simple sterilizing techniques were applied to it at the point of generation. Dialysis services must begin to explore eco-dialysis potentials. The continued plundering of resources without considering reuse or recycling, exploration of renewable energy options, or the reduction of the carbon footprint of the dialysis process . . . is unsustainable. Sustainable dialysis practices should be a global goal in the coming decade.     

Regulatory framework for the thermal treatment of various waste streams

Since 1990, regulations and standards have changed considerably. This article is an update of the regulatory requirements for the thermal treatment of various waste streams. The waste categories covered, along with the laws they are governed under, include: Hazardous waste under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and under the Clean Air Act; municipal solid waste under Subtitle D of the RCRA; medical waste under Subtitle J of the RCRA; Superfund waste under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); toxic waste under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); and sludge waste under the Clean Water Act (CWA).     

Anaerobic treatment of pinkwater in a fluidized bed reactor containing GAC

Pinkwater is generated during the handling and demilitarization of conventional explosives. This listed hazardous waste contains dissolved trinitrotoluene (TNT) and cyclo trimethylene trinitramine (RDX), as well as some by-products. It represents the largest quantity of hazardous waste generated by the operations support command, and its treatment produces a by-product hazardous waste--spent granular activated carbon (GAC).Anaerobic treatment in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) containing GAC is an emerging technology for organic compounds resistant to aerobic biological treatment. Bench scale batch studies using an anaerobic consortium of bacteria fed ethanol as the sole electron donor demonstrated the transformation of TNT to triaminotoluene (TAT), which then degrades to undetectable end products. RDX is sequentially degraded to nitroso-, dinitroso-, trinitroso- and hydroxylaminodinitroso-RDX before the triazine ring is presumably cleaved, forming methanol and formaldehyde as major end products. The bacterial members of the anaerobic consortia are typically found in sludge digesters at municipal or industrial wastewater treatment plants.The results of a pilot scale evaluation of this process that was conducted at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP, OK) over a 1 year period are reported in this paper. The pilot test experienced wide fluctuations in influent concentrations, representative of true field conditions. The FBR was a 20 in. (51 cm) diameter column with an overall height of 15 ft (4.9 m) and a bed of GAC occupying 11 ft (3.4m). Water was recirculated through the column continuously at 30 gpm (114 l/min) to keep the GAC fluidized, and pinkwater for treatment was pumped into the recirculation line. Several flowrates were evaluated to determine the proper mass loading rate (mass of TNT and RDX per reactor volume per time, kg/m(3) per day) which the reactor could handle while meeting the discharge limitations. Based on the tests performed, a 1 gpm (3.785 l/min) rate in the 188 gal (710 l) volume of the fluidized GAC bed was determined to consistently meet the discharge requirements.This information was used to develop a cost estimate for a system capable of treating the total effluent currently produced at MCAAP. The cost of installing and operating this system was compared to the cost of GAC adsorption for MCAAP at current pinkwater generation rates. The GAC-FBR system had an annual operating cost of approximately US$ 19K, compared to US$ 71 K annually for GAC adsorption. When including the amortization of the capital equipment required for the GAC-FBR, the payback period for installation of this new process was estimated at 3.7 years.     

Chemical and physical properties of cyclone fly ash from the grate-fired boiler incinerating forest residues at a small municipal district heating plant (6MW)

In Finland, the new limit values for maximal allowable heavy metal concentrations for materials used as an earth construction agent came into force in July 2006. These limit values are applied if ash is utilized, e.g. in roads, cycling paths, pavements, car parks, sport fields, etc. In this study we have determined the most important chemical and physical properties of the cyclone fly ash originating from the grate-fired boiler incinerating forest residues (i.e. wood chips, sawdust and bark) at a small municipal district heating plant (6 MW), Northern Finland. This study clearly shows that elements are enriched in cyclone fly ash, since the total element concentrations in the cyclone fly ash were within 0.2-10 times higher than those in the bottom ash. The total concentrations of Cd (25 mg kg(-1); d.w.), Zn (3630 mg kg(-1); d.w.), Ba (4260 mg kg(-1); d.w.) and Hg (1.7 mg kg(-1); d.w.) exceeded the limit values, and therefore the cyclone fly ash cannot be used as an earth construction agent. According to the leached amounts of Cr (38 mg kg(-1); d.w.), Zn (51 mg kg(-1); d.w.) and sulphate (50,000 mg kg(-1); d.w.), the cyclone fly ash is classified as a hazardous waste, and it has to be deposited in a hazardous waste landfill.     

Emerging technologies for the control of hazardous wastes

Investigations were conducted of new and emerging technologies for the disposal of hazardous wastes. These methods involve new technologies or a recent variation on an established one. In addition, a survey was made of potential users of hazardous waste information. The need for a data base for emerging hazardous waste techonologies and/or a newsletter was evaluated. Information on the emerging technologies was acquired by computerized search, library searching, and personal contacts. The emerging technologies discussed include molten salt combution, fluidized bed incineration, high energy electron treatment of trace organic compounds in aqueous solution, the catalyzed wet oxidation of toxic chemicals, dehalogenation of compounds by treatment with ultraviolet (UV) light and hydrogen, UV/ chlorinolysis of organics in aqueous solution, the catalytic hydrogenation-dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and ultraviolet/ozone destruction. Theory, specific wastes treated, and economics are discussed.The major technologies investigated in details were molten salt combustion, fluidized bed incineration, and ultra-violet/ozone destruction.Among the waste treated by emerging technologies are PCBs, various Dioxins, pesticides and herbicides, chemical warfare agents, explosives and propellants, nitrobenzene, and hydrazine plus its derivatives.This document encompasses a target audience ranging from laymen to natural scientists. The information presented here was derived solely for application to hazardous wastes. Readers requiring more specific information about theory and the economics of start-up plus operating and maintenance costs for technologies that may by applied to a specific hazardous waste not discussed in this report are referred to the literature cited in this report and to documents about state-of-the-art situations for a particular technology.     

Production of biogas from municipal solid waste with domestic sewage

In this study, experiments were conducted to investigate the production of biogas from municipal solid waste (MSW) and domestic sewage by using anaerobic digestion process. The batch type of reactor was operated at room temperature varying from 26 to 36 degrees C with a fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 25 days. The digester was operated at different organic feeding rates of 0.5, 1.0, 2.3, 2.9, 3.5 and 4.3kg of volatile solids (VS)/m(3) of digester slurry per day. Biogas generation was enhanced by the addition of domestic sewage to MSW. The maximum biogas production of 0.36m(3)/kg of VS added per day occurred at the optimum organic feeding rate of 2.9kg of VS/m(3)/day. The maximum reduction of total solids (TS) (87.6%), VS (88.1%) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (89.3%) occurred at the optimum organic loading rate of 2.9kg of VS/m(3)/day. The quality of biogas produced during anaerobic digestion process was 68-72%.     

Current research on the disposal of hazardous wastes

The Solid and Hazardous Waste Research Laboratory is one of six laboratories in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Environmental Research Center at Cincinnati, Ohio. The laboratory is responsible for research into new and improved systems of solid and hazardous waste management, development of technology, determination of environmental effects, and collection of data necessary for the establishment of processing and disposal guidelines. In the past, the laboratory concentrated on problems associated with municipal solid waste; but recently the emphasis has shifted, and present efforts are directed primarily toward the problem of industrial hazardous waste disposal on land. Under the solid waste program, investigations were initiated on the migration of municipal landfill leachate and leachate containment with synthetic liners. These studies have been underway for more than a year, but they will not be discussed here because of the present emphasis on industrial hazardous waste problems. Although none of our research projects is concerned specifically with the disposal of residues and sorbants generated during cleanup of hazardous material spills, much of the forthcoming information will be applicable to spill-cleanup problems. The extramural projects and program areas described here involve many activities that could be useful in spill problems.     

Demonstration plasma gasification/vitrification system for effective hazardous waste treatment

Plasma gasification/vitrification is a technologically advanced and environmentally friendly method of disposing of waste, converting it to commercially usable by-products. This process is a drastic non-incineration thermal process, which uses extremely high temperatures in an oxygen-starved environment to completely decompose input waste material into very simple molecules. The intense and versatile heat generation capabilities of plasma technology enable a plasma gasification/vitrification facility to treat a large number of waste streams in a safe and reliable manner. The by-products of the process are a combustible gas and an inert slag. Plasma gasification consistently exhibits much lower environmental levels for both air emissions and slag leachate toxicity than other thermal technologies. In the framework of a LIFE-Environment project, financed by Directorate General Environment and Viotia Prefecture in Greece, a pilot plasma gasification/vitrification system was designed, constructed and installed in Viotia Region in order to examine the efficiency of this innovative technology in treating industrial hazardous waste. The pilot plant, which was designed to treat up to 50kg waste/h, has two main sections: (i) the furnace and its related equipment and (ii) the off-gas treatment system, including the secondary combustion chamber, quench and scrubber.     

The Role of Household Food Waste in Comparing Environmental Impacts of Packaging Alternatives

This paper examines the environmental impacts of food waste and the influence that packaging alternatives can have on causing food waste. This paper presents the results of three life cycle assessment case studies on packed food products. The life cycle assessments were conducted for ham, dark bread and Soygurt drink (fermented soy‐based drink). In each case study, the environmental impacts of the products were assessed with different assumptions about the packaging sizes and alternative materials. The studies especially considered the environmental impacts resulting from food waste generated by consumers as a function of the variable packaging options. The food waste of other parts of the production chain of the studied products was also taken into account. A consumer survey was carried out to estimate the amounts of product waste generated in Finnish households connected to the three investigated products. The environmental impacts of the food products, household food waste and packaging were modelled by scenarios with varying rates of household food waste and different waste management options. The results indicated that the significance of the production and post‐consumer life of packaging was relatively low for climate change, eutrophication and acidification, in comparison with the production chain of the ham, dark bread and Soygurt. According to the results, packaging solutions that minimize the waste generation in households as well as in distribution and retail will lead to the lowest environmental impacts of the entire product‐packaging chain. Therefore, it is important to design packages that protect the food properly and allow the consumer to use the product fully. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sampling approaches for the measurement of volatile compounds at hazardous waste sites

Sampling approaches suitable for investigating emissions from hazardous waste sites are reviewed. Sampling approaches for measuring volatile compound emission rates and for measuring soil gas concentrations of volatile compounds are each discussed. Discussion of the former category includes emission isolation flux chamber, vent sampling, concentration-profile, transect, and mass balance approaches. Discussion of the latter category includes headspace analysis of soil cores, soil gas probes, and passive samplers. Each approach is described, the applicable equation presented, the researchers cited, and the approach discussed in terms of its utility for emissions investigations.     

Effect of fatty oil dispersion on oil-containing wastewater treatment

The performance of an immobilized continuous fluidized reactor for salad oil-containing model wastewater was examined at a high loading rate using polyurethane as a support, to be applied in fat- and oil-containing wastewater treatment, generated by daily activities in restaurant kitchens. At an organic loading rate higher than 0.6 kg/m3/day, there was a significant amount of white solid (WS), identified as a mixture of calcium di-stearate and di-palmitate, suggesting that saturated fatty acid degradation was limited at such a high loading rate, possibly due to its solubility in the wastewater. Increased oil dispersion by the addition of a surfactant ranging from 10 to 100 microm particle size could result in less than 30 mg/l oil concentration after the treatment at 5 kg/m3/day.     

Thermal plasma technology for the treatment of wastes: a critical review

This review describes the current status of waste treatment using thermal plasma technology. A comprehensive analysis of the available scientific and technical literature on waste plasma treatment is presented, including the treatment of a variety of hazardous wastes, such as residues from municipal solid waste incineration, slag and dust from steel production, asbestos-containing wastes, health care wastes and organic liquid wastes. The principles of thermal plasma generation and the technologies available are outlined, together with potential applications for plasma vitrified products. There have been continued advances in the application of plasma technology for waste treatment, and this is now a viable alternative to other potential treatment/disposal options. Regulatory, economic and socio-political drivers are promoting adoption of advanced thermal conversion techniques such as thermal plasma technology and these are expected to become increasingly commercially viable in the future.