Quantitative risk assessment of occupational exposure to PCDD/Fs in the waste incineration industry / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To analyze the level of PCDD/Fs exposure of occupational workers in the waste incineration industry and explore the risk of occupational exposure. Methods: In September 2021, literature on environmental PCDD/Fs exposure in waste incineration plants published from the establishment of the database to February 10, 2021 was retrieved from CNKI database. A total of 1365 literatures were retrieved, and 7 met the criteria for inclusion. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inhalation risk model was used to assess and analyze carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PCDD/Fs exposure among occupational workers in the waste incineration industry. Results: A total of 86 sampling sites were included in incineration plants in 7 regions. The study of Wuhan area showed that the concentration of working environment near the waste incinerator in the same factory was the highest, followed by the rest and office area in the factory. The concentration of PCDD/Fs in waste incinerators was the highest in Southwest China (4880.00-24880.00 pg TEQ/m(3)), and the lowest in Shenzhen (0.02-0.44 pg TEQ/m(3)). According to the cancer risk assessment, with the increase of exposure years, the risk of cancer increased. The highest risk of cancer was found in the waste incineration plants in Southwest China. When the exposure period was 1 year, the risk was moderate (22.40×10(-6)-114.20×10(-6)). When the exposure time was more than 5 years, the risk of cancer was high. In Jinan, workers working near the incinerator had a moderate risk of cancer after five years of exposure. In Zhejiang, workers were at medium risk of cancer after exposure for more than 20 years. Workers in Wuhan, Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta were still at low risk of cancer after 40 years of occupational exposure. HQ>1 of workers working near the waste incinerators in Jinan, Zhejiang Province and Southwest China, and the qualitative evaluation results showed that the non-carcinogenic risk was unacceptable. Conclusion: There are great differences in PCDD/Fs of occupational exposure in waste incineration industry, and the occupational exposure exceeding the occupational exposure limit has higher carcinogenic and non carcinogenic risks.

Análise do monitoramento ambiental da incineração de resíduos sólidos urbanos na Europa e a necessidade de alterações na legislação brasileira / Environmental monitoring analysis of municipal solid waste incineration in Europe and the needs for changes in brazilian legislation

RESUMO A incineração é uma tecnologia de tratamento térmico de resíduos sólidos cujo principal objetivo é a redução do volume e da massa dos resíduos a serem depositados em aterros. Os incineradores construídos nas últimas décadas trazem a possibilidade de recuperação energética dos resíduos, na forma de vapor e/ou energia elétrica, entretanto essa tecnologia ainda gera questionamentos sobre possíveis impactos ambientais relacionados às suas emissões. A incineração é regulada na Europa por legislação específica que, entre outras questões, obriga a divulgação de dados de monitoramento ambiental de incineradores. No presente trabalho, são analisados dados de emissões atmosféricas de incineradores associados à Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP), por meio de buscas nos websites dos respectivos incineradores, em artigos científicos e relatórios técnicos. Foram examinados dados de monitoramento de todos os poluentes de medição contínua e periódica definidos na legislação da UE, em séries temporais de 2010 a 2017. Todos os valores médios anuais de emissões nos incineradores analisados estiveram abaixo dos limites definidos pela diretiva europeia, com pequena variação ao longo dos anos observados. A comparação dos padrões de emissão europeus com os brasileiros mostra a necessidade de mudança na legislação local referente à incineração para que, caso essa tecnologia seja implementada no Brasil, ela possa operar respeitando limites seguros, com garantia de minimização de impactos ao ambiente e às populações do entorno.

Abstract Incineration is a solid waste treatment technology whose main purpose is to reduce the volume and mass of the waste to be disposed of in landfills. The incinerators built in the last decades bring the possibility of energy recovery from waste, in the form of steam and/or electric energy. However, this technology still raises questions about possible environmental impacts related to its emissions. Incineration is regulated in Europe through specific legislation which, among other issues, requires the disclosure of environmental monitoring data for incinerators. In the present work, atmospheric emissions data from incinerators associated with the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP) are analyzed by searching the websites of the respective incinerators, scientific articles and technical reports. Monitoring data on all continuous and periodic measured pollutants defined in the legislation in time series from 2010 to 2017 were analyzed. All annual average emission values of the incinerators analyzed were below the limits defined by the European Union's Directive, with little variation over the observed years. The comparison of European with Brazilian emission standards shows the need for a change in local legislation on incineration so that, if this technology is implemented in Brazil, it will operate within safe limits, with a guarantee of minimizing impacts on the environment and surrounding populations.

Application of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in occupational health risk assessment in domestic waste incineration plant / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo explore the applicability of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in occupational health risk assessment in domestic waste incineration industry. MethodsThe flue gas purification system in a domestic waste incineration plant was selected as the study subject. The risk assessment of chemical hazards were conducted using semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in the “Guidelines for occupational health risk assessment of chemicals in the workplace” （GBZ/T 298—2017）. ResultsThe occupational health risk levels of hydrogen chloride， sulfur dioxide and activated carbon were low while using flue gas purification system， while the risk levels of lead and lead compounds， cadmium and cadmium compounds， ammonia and sodium hydroxide were medium. ConclusionThe assessment results of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method are basically consistent with the current situation of occupational health risk of flue gas purification system in a domestic waste incineration plant， which can provide the basis for enterprises to take occupational health risk control measures.

Application of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in occupational health risk assessment in domestic waste incineration plant / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo explore the applicability of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in occupational health risk assessment in domestic waste incineration industry. MethodsThe flue gas purification system in a domestic waste incineration plant was selected as the study subject. The risk assessment of chemical hazards were conducted using semi-quantitative comprehensive index method in the “Guidelines for occupational health risk assessment of chemicals in the workplace” （GBZ/T 298—2017）. ResultsThe occupational health risk levels of hydrogen chloride， sulfur dioxide and activated carbon were low while using flue gas purification system， while the risk levels of lead and lead compounds， cadmium and cadmium compounds， ammonia and sodium hydroxide were medium. ConclusionThe assessment results of semi-quantitative comprehensive index method are basically consistent with the current situation of occupational health risk of flue gas purification system in a domestic waste incineration plant， which can provide the basis for enterprises to take occupational health risk control measures.

Risk assessment of dioxin in the surrounding area of a waste incineration plant in Beijing / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#Assess the health risks faced by local residents, based on the results of dioxin detection in the surrounding area of a waste incineration plant in Beijing.@*Methods@#Select three representative points plant near the waste incineration plant--the people's government, Central Primary School and a community, collect 4 air and soil samples and detect their dioxin concentrations from March to December 2016, respectively, simulate people's intake through breathing, skin contact and soil intake, assess residents' lifetime cancer risk according to epidemiological studies.@*Results@#The daily average concentration in air at three test points were 0.15, 0.17, 0.19 pg/m3, and 12.5, 20.2, 6.1 ng/kg in soil. At three representative sites, residents' lifetime cancer risk through breathing from 9.55×10-6, 1.08×10-5, 1.21×10-5 in the people's government, Central Primary School and a community, while through skin contact were 3.40×10-7, 5.50×10-7, 1.65×10-7, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk through soil intake range from 2.08×10-6 to 6.91×10-6. The lifetime cancer risk of eating vegetables ranges from 5.50×10-6 to 6.98×10-6. The lifetime cancer risk of eating chicken or eggs ranges from 2.72 ×10-9 to 6.30×10-9. Residents' lifetime cancer risk through soil intake, eating vegetables and eating chicken or eggs ranges from 2.08×10-6 to 6.30×10-9.@*Conclusion@#Under all exposures, the life time risk of cancer for residents around the waste incineration is under the upper end of the range of acceptability(10-4).