Hazardous characteristics of dust waste from metal manufacturing industries in South Korea.

The Ministry of Environment, South Korea, is involved in efforts to reduce safety-related accidents that could occur during hazardous waste disposal and minimise the environmental impacts of waste disposal. To reach such goals, new factors have been added that contribute to the hazardous characteristics of hazardous waste. The Ministry is also expanding regulations on inorganic and organic components present in hazardous waste for these factors and continues to correct the classification system to establish standards for waste components.

Measurement and analysis of biomass content using gas emissions from solid refuse fuel incineration.

In this study, we compared the results of biomass and biocarbon content analysis of Solid Refuse Fuels using C method and selective dissolution method. Solid Refuse fuel Samples for biomass and biocarbon contents analysis were each collected from the silos and stack of the respective three facilities. Samples collected for 1, 10, 20, and 30 days for each method were analyzed.

Assessment of quality test methods for solid recovered fuel in South Korea.

Management of solid recovered fuel (SRF) in South Korea is unique from most other countries in that it is based on a single standard. All SRFs are distributed at the same price irrespective of their performance, resulting in utilization problems and a low degree of acceptance among consumers. Moreover, the difficulty of temperature maintenance during transportation, excessive ash content, and the use of inappropriate microwave acid digestion methods pose challenges to SRF reliability.

Strategic environmental assessment for effective waste management in Korea: A review of the new policy framework.

This study examines the new policy framework, which includes effective environmental assessment procedure to manage waste in Korea. Concept of this framework pursues the important strategies toward the waste reduction, preservation of landfill area, stabilization and removal of hazardous substance in wastes, and optimal treatment for energy and material recovery from wastes. Therefore, it has begun on three points.

Characteristics of PCDDs/PCDFs in stack gas from medical waste incinerators.

Toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in 45 stack gas samples were measured from 19 medical waste incinerators in South Korea using high-resolution gas chromatography equipped with a high-resolution mass spectrometer. The average concentrations of the sum of 17 toxic PCDD/PCDF congeners emitted from the medical waste incinerators ranged from 0.153 to 101.

Determination and characterization of pharmaceuticals in sludge from municipal and livestock wastewater treatment plants.

This study investigated 24 pharmaceuticals compounds belonging to the classes of analgesics, stimulants, anti-seizures, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antibiotics in the sludge of 12 municipal sewage treatment plants (S-sludge) and 4 livestock wastewater treatment plants (L-sludge) located across Korea. Over 70% of the target compounds were detected in at least one sample of S-sludge and L-sludge. The total concentration of the target pharmaceutical compounds detected in S-sludge was 2.

Characterization of wastes from construction and demolition sector.

In Republic of Korea, construction and demolition (C&D) waste accounts for 49.9% of the total waste. In the present work, the mineralogical composition, the concentrations of 11 heavy metals, 19 PAH, and 7 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners present in the 6 broad category (9 subcategories) of C&D hazardous waste were discussed along with their leaching characteristics.

Static and dynamic flow analysis of PBDEs in plastics from used and end-of-life TVs and computer monitors by life cycle in Korea.

This study focused on a quantitative substance flow analysis (SFA) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in plastics from obsolete TVs and computer monitors that often contain large amounts of the flame retardants. According to the results of the static SFA study, 1.87 tons and 0.

1H-NMR-based profiling of organic components in leachate from animal carcasses disposal site with time.

Leachate, generated by the decomposition of animal carcasses, presents many environmental, sanitary, and food safety hazards. However, research on the characteristics of leachate is lacking. In this study, we performed biochemical profiling of leachate from two animal species (pig and cattle) in two soil types (sandy loam and sandy soil) using (1)H-NMR-based profiling, followed by multivariate data analysis.

Ecological risk assessment of chemicals migrated from a recycled plastic product.

Objectives: Potential environmental risks caused by chemicals that could be released from a recycled plastic product were assessed using a screening risk assessment procedure for chemicals in recycled products.

Methods: Plastic slope protection blocks manufactured from recycled plastics were chosen as model recycled products. Ecological risks caused by four model chemicals -di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb)- were assessed.

Emission of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in use of electric/electronic equipment and recycling of e-waste in Korea.

The emission rates of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from electric/electronic products during their use and disposal were estimated. E-wastes, including televisions and refrigerators, gathered at recycling centers were also analyzed to estimate their emissions. The average concentrations of PBDEs in TV rear covers produced before and after the year 2000 were 145,027 mg/kg and 14,049 mg/kg, respectively.

Hazardous waste characterization among various thermal processes in South Korea: a comparative analysis.

Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (South Korea) is in progress of converting its current hazardous waste classification system to harmonize it with the international standard and to set-up the regulatory standards for toxic substances present in the hazardous waste. In the present work, the concentrations along with the trend of 13 heavy metals, F(-), CN(-) and 19 PAH present in the hazardous waste generated among various thermal processes (11 processes) in South Korea were analyzed along with their leaching characteristics. In all thermal processes, the median concentrations of Cu (3.

Nationwide monitoring of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in South Korea.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were measured in ambient air samples collected from different parts of South Korea in 2008, and the measured levels were used for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric PCDDFs and DL-PCBs in South Korea. The average concentrations of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs among the 37 sites were 28 fg I-TEQ m(-3) (ND~617) and 1 fg WHO-TEQ m(-3) (ND~0.016).

Assessment of fates of estrogens in wastewater and sludge from various types of wastewater treatment plants.

We measured five estrogens in the wastewater samples from the municipal wastewater treatment plants (M-WWTPs), livestock wastewater treatment plants (L-WWTPs), hospital WWTPs (H-WWTPs) and pharmaceutical manufacture WWTPs (P-WWTPs) in Korea. The L-WWTPs showed the highest total concentration (0.195-10.

Occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in wastewater from households, livestock farms, hospitals and pharmaceutical manufactures.

Twenty-four pharmaceuticals were measured in wastewater from 12 municipal wastewater treatment plants (M-WWTPs), four livestock WWTPs (L-WWTPs), four hospital WWTPs (H-WWTPs) and four pharmaceutical manufacture WWTPs (P-WWTPs). The total concentration of pharmaceuticals in the influent samples was highest in the L-WWTPs followed by the P-WWTPs, H-WWTPs and M-WWTPs. The effluents had different patterns of pharmaceuticals than their corresponding influents because of the different fate of each compound in the WWTPs.

Characteristics and emission factors of PCDD/Fs in various industrial wastes in South Korea.

Since South Korea ratified Stockholm Convention in January 2007, there is an obligation to survey the national emission of PCDD/Fs through environmental routes other than the air for taking actions to reduce and/or eliminate the release of PCDD/Fs. In this study, PCDD/F-containing wastes from various industrial emission sources in Korea (n=388) except from incinerators were investigated to elucidate the emission characteristics and their emission factors of PCDD/Fs in each industry. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in waste samples ranged ND-96,200 ng I-TEQ kg(-1) (or 66,600 ng WHO-TEQ kg(-1)) for solid phase samples and ND-11,100 pg I-TEQL(-1) (or 6800 ng WHO-TEQ L) for liquid samples, respectively.

Seasonal and particle size-dependent variations in gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs.

This study monitored particle size-dependent variations in atmospheric polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Two gas/particle partitioning models, the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P(L)(0)) and the octanol-air partition coefficient (K(OA)) model, were applied to each particle sizes. The regression coefficients of each fraction against the gas/particle partition coefficient (K(P)) were similar for separated particles within the same sample set but differed for particles collected during different periods.

National monitoring of PCDD/DFs in environmental media around incinerators in Korea.

To examine the levels of PCDD/DFs pollution in environmental samples in the vicinity of various incinerators, the levels of PCDD/DFs in air and soil samples collected near 17 incinerators and stack emission gases were investigated between 2003 and 2006. A total of 434 soil, 28 stack emission gas, and 38 air samples were analyzed for their PCDD/DFs concentrations. The PCDD/DFs concentrations in the flue gas samples ranged from 0.

Assessment of PCDD/F risk after implementation of emission reduction at a MSWI.

Municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) have been shown to be important sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The emission of PCDD/Fs by MSWIs is a controversial subject in human health risk assessment. In this study the effect of a MSWI on a residential area was assessed before and after the installation of an additional treatment system for flue gas.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in transformer oils from Korea.

Using Korean waste official method, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analyzed from 33 transformer oils collected under National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) in Republic of Korea (ROK) and their emission rate in Korea was estimated. Practical quantification limits analyzed by this method were in the ranges of 0.02 and 0.

Concentration and congener patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls in industrial and municipal waste incinerator flue gas, Korea.

In the present study, individual PCB congeners were determined in the flue gases of 10 industrial and 5 municipal solid waste incinerators using HRGC/HRMS. The total PCBs concentration of all congeners (168 tetra to deca-chlorinated congeners) ranged from 26 to 343 ng/Nm(3), and from 36 to 1095 ng/Nm(3) in industrial waste incinerators (IWI) and municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWI), respectively. The total TEQ concentrations of PCBs, calculated using WHO-TEF values, varied from 0.