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A comparative study of PCDD/F emissions from medical and industrial waste incinerators in Medellin-Colombia (South America)

Abstract

Municipal waste management often combines different strategies such as recycling, composting, thermal treatment or landfill disposal. In Colombia, urban solid waste is landfill disposed but, industrial and medical wastes are incinerated. The total medical and pathological wastes generated in this zone are about 1643 ton/year from which 1022 ton/year are incinerated in six plants operating in Medellin metropolitan area. As a result, new regulations governing stack gas emissions have been enforced with the aim of reducing air pollutant emissions. Few incinerators are equipped with a gas-cleaning system and thus, most do not have any cleaning system. Medical waste incineration has been recognized as one of the major known sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF). To the best of our knowledge, there are not reports about emissions of dioxins and furans from the incineration sector in Colombia. The first aim of this work was to evaluate PCDD/PCDF emissions from the largest incinerators operating in Medellin (Colombia). In this contribution we report results obtained from three incinerators (A, B and C). The incinerated waste in plant A consisted of polymerization sludge, whereas in plants B and C medical and pathological residues were incinerated. Common medical wastes include dirty bandages, culture  More>>
Authors:
Aristizabal, B; Montes, C; Cobo, M; [1]  Abad, E; Rivera, J [2] 
  1. Antioquia Univ., Medellin (Colombia)
  2. CID-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain). Dept. of Ecotechnologies
Publication Date:
Sep 15, 2004
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
ETDE-DE-1546
Resource Relation:
Conference: Dioxin 2004: 24. international symposium on halogenated environmental organic pollutants and POPs, Berlin (Germany), 6-10 Sep 2004; Related Information: In: Dioxin 2004: 24. international symposium on halogenated environmental organic pollutants and POPs. Proceedings, Organohalogen Compounds v. 66, 4035 pages.
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; WASTE INCINERATORS; INDUSTRIAL WASTES; MEDICAL SUPPLIES; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; AIR POLLUTION CONTROL; SAMPLING; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Sponsoring Organizations:
Bundesmin. fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)
OSTI ID:
20827951
Research Organizations:
Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Technischen Umweltschutz
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 3-928379-30-5; TRN: DE07G1568
Availability:
Available as CD-ROM; www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/20827951-FAQnij/; Commercial reproduction prohibited; OSTI as DE20827951
Submitting Site:
DE
Size:
page(s) 936-939
Announcement Date:
Jan 29, 2007

Citation Formats

Aristizabal, B, Montes, C, Cobo, M, Abad, E, and Rivera, J. A comparative study of PCDD/F emissions from medical and industrial waste incinerators in Medellin-Colombia (South America). Germany: N. p., 2004. Web.
Aristizabal, B, Montes, C, Cobo, M, Abad, E, & Rivera, J. A comparative study of PCDD/F emissions from medical and industrial waste incinerators in Medellin-Colombia (South America). Germany.
Aristizabal, B, Montes, C, Cobo, M, Abad, E, and Rivera, J. 2004. "A comparative study of PCDD/F emissions from medical and industrial waste incinerators in Medellin-Colombia (South America)." Germany.
@misc{etde_20827951,
title = {A comparative study of PCDD/F emissions from medical and industrial waste incinerators in Medellin-Colombia (South America)}
author = {Aristizabal, B, Montes, C, Cobo, M, Abad, E, and Rivera, J}
abstractNote = {Municipal waste management often combines different strategies such as recycling, composting, thermal treatment or landfill disposal. In Colombia, urban solid waste is landfill disposed but, industrial and medical wastes are incinerated. The total medical and pathological wastes generated in this zone are about 1643 ton/year from which 1022 ton/year are incinerated in six plants operating in Medellin metropolitan area. As a result, new regulations governing stack gas emissions have been enforced with the aim of reducing air pollutant emissions. Few incinerators are equipped with a gas-cleaning system and thus, most do not have any cleaning system. Medical waste incineration has been recognized as one of the major known sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF). To the best of our knowledge, there are not reports about emissions of dioxins and furans from the incineration sector in Colombia. The first aim of this work was to evaluate PCDD/PCDF emissions from the largest incinerators operating in Medellin (Colombia). In this contribution we report results obtained from three incinerators (A, B and C). The incinerated waste in plant A consisted of polymerization sludge, whereas in plants B and C medical and pathological residues were incinerated. Common medical wastes include dirty bandages, culture dishes, plastic, surgical gloves and instruments (including needles) as well as human tissue.}
place = {Germany}
year = {2004}
month = {Sep}
}