WEEE treatment and system management in Italy and Serbia: A comparison.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) represent one of the growing waste streams in Europe, whose content of hazardous substances and valuable materials focus on how it is handled. However, there are differences between countries regarding e-waste management system in Europe. This paper analyses and presents data regarding the e-waste management system in Italy, one of the founding countries of the EU and Serbia - EU candidate country. Within this work, the following aspects were considered: legislative framework and EU directive goals in terms of e-waste, institutional setup, collection system, and existing recycling and treatment technologies. In addition, material flow analysis is used to model mass balance within WEEE treatment plants in both countries. Finally, through assessment and comparison of current systems in both countries, problems and shortages of Serbia's e-waste management system are addressed.

Emerging technologies for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from the end-of-life electronic wastes: a review on progress, challenges, and perspectives.

The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has significantly increased due to their indispensable uses in integrated circuits of modern technology. However, due to the extensive use of high-tech applications in our daily life and the depletion of their primary ores, REE's recovery from secondary sources is today needed. REEs have now attracted attention to policymakers and scientists to develop novel recovery technologies for materials' supply sustainability. This paper summarizes the recent progress for the recovery of REEs using various emerging technologies such as bioleaching, biosorption, cryo-milling, electrochemical processes and nanomaterials, siderophores, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and supercritical CO2. The challenges facing this recovery are discussed comprehensively and some possible improvements are presented. This work also highlights the economic and engineering aspects of the recovery of REE from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Finally, this review suggests that greener and low chemical consuming technologies, such as siderophores and electrochemical processes, are promising for the recovery of REEs present in small quantities. These technologies present also a potential for large-scale application.

Material flow analysis and heavy hydrocarbon removal in a full-scale biopile and soil washing plant in northern Italy.

This study aimed to assess the mass fluxes and removal efficiencies of heavy hydrocarbons in a full-scale plant located in northern Italy. This plant receives and treats contaminated soil, soils and rocks from construction and demolition activities, incineration slags and street cleaning residues. The plant has three sections, consisting of bioremediation using biopile, a soil washing stage and a stabilization/solidification unit, which can perform independently or together with the others. The material flow analysis showed how the crisis in the construction industry changed the final destination of waste after the treatment: as the market demand for coarse material decreased, waste was sent directly to landfills for inert waste, instead of being recovered. Hydrocarbon mass fluxes showed that a considerable amount of pollutants was removed. In the period 2009-2014, the removal efficiencies of the bioremediation, the soil washing section and the entire plant were respectively 73%, 58% and 62%. The percentages of removal attained at the facility in study were sufficient to ensure the possibility of recovering the waste or disposing of it in different landfill categories, according to the national regulations.

Non-conventional stabilisation/solidification treatment of industrial wastes with residual powdered paints.

Stabilisation/solidification technologies are widely used for rendering industrial wastes inert. In this study, residual powdered paints were applied to treat different types of industrial wastes by stabilisation/solidification: Fumes from steel-making process, sludge from coagulation/flocculation treatments and powders from brushing and polishing metallic objects. Stabilisation/solidification trials were performed both under static conditions and in motion. It was observed that the residual paints could polymerise well in 60 min at 120 °C. The addition of water during the treatment resulted in highly porous and friable materials and, therefore, is not recommended. The mixture between wastes and paint influenced polymerisation. Specific heating conditions needed to be tested for each waste, varying from 80 °C to 150 °C. Significant reduction on leachability after treatment could be reached in most cases. Reduction on chlorides release up to 92.0% were achieved. Contents of other elements on the leachates, such as copper, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and dissolved organic carbon, could also be reduced in percentages up to 96.9%, 97.6%, 98.8%, 95.7% and 96.9%, respectively. For some types of wastes, however, especially those containing high contents of copper and mineral oils, the treatment was ineffective. Polymerisation in motion apparently improved binding capacity, but tests with increased content of paints are recommended to reduce the release of dissolved organic carbon.