Showing papers on "Waste disposal published in 1983"

Yield Stress Measurement for Concentrated Suspensions

Abstract: The measurement and use of the flow properties of highly concentrated solid‐liquid suspensions is a topic of considerable practical interest in a broad spectrum of industries. The yield stress is a rheological property that all highly concentrated suspensions may have in common. In this work four established methods for determining the yield stress are compared with a fifth and new method based on a vane test developed in soil mechanics. It is clearly shown that a single‐point measurement with the vane device is sufficient to determine accurately the yield stress in a region of high concentration where the four conventional methods are extremely tedious or not applicable. Furthermore, the vane method does not rely on any previous shearing of a suspension and hence is applicable for study of the kinetics of thixotropic systems. The work has been motivated by the need to know the yield stress of highly concentrated bauxite residue suspensions in order to establish a waste disposal strategy for the residue which is a waste product in the production of alumina from bauxite.

A review of distributed parameter groundwater management modeling methods

Abstract: Models which solve the governing groundwater flow or solute transport equations in conjunction with optimization techniques, such as linear and quadratic programing, are powerful aquifer management tools. Groundwater management models fall in two general categories: hydraulics or policy evaluation and water allocation. Groundwater hydraulic management models enable the determination of optimal locations and pumping rates of numerous wells under a variety of restrictions placed upon local drawdown, hydraulic gradients, and water production targets. Groundwater policy evaluation and allocation models can be used to study the influence upon regional groundwater use of institutional policies such as taxes and quotas. Furthermore, fairly complex groundwater-surface water allocation problems can be handled using system decomposition and multilevel optimization. Experience from the few real world applications of groundwater optimization-management techniques is summarized. Classified separately are methods for groundwater quality management aimed at optimal waste disposal in the subsurface. This classification is composed of steady state and transient management models that determine disposal patterns in such a way that water quality is protected at supply locations. Classes of research missing from the literature are groundwater quality management models involving nonlinear constraints, models which join groundwater hydraulic and quality simulations with political-economic management considerations, and management models that include parameter uncertainty.

Landscape planning - environmental applications.

Abstract: An Introduction to the Book and the Field 1. Landscape Planning: Roots, Problems, and Content 2. The Physiographic Framework of the United States and Canada 3. Landscape Form and Function in Planning 4. Topography, Slopes, and Land Use Planning 5. Soil, Land Use Suitability, and Waste Disposal 6. Soils and Wastewater Disposal Systems 7. Groundwater, Land Use, and Aquifer Protection 8. Stormwater Discharge, Water Management, and Landscape Change 9. Watersheds, Drainage Nets, and Land use 10. Streamflow, River Valleys, and Flood Hazard 11. Water Quality, Runoff, and Land Use 12. Soil Erosion, Land Use, and Stream Sedimentation 13. Best Management Practices, Watersheds, and Development Sites 14. Streams, Channel Forms, and the Riparian Landscape 15. Shoreline Processes, Sand Dunes, and Coastal Zone Management 16. Sun Angles, Solar Heating, and Environment 17. Microclimate, Air Pollution, and Urban Environment 18. Ground Frost, Permafrost, Land Use, and Environment 19. Vegetation, Land Use, and Environmental Assessment 20. Landscape Ecology, Land Use, and Habitat Conservation Planning 21. Wetlands, Habitat, and Land Use Planning Glossary Appendix A: U.S. and Canadian Soil Classification Systems Appendix B: Landforms and Soil Materials and Their Drainage Characteristics Appendix C: U.S. Raw Surface Water Standards for Public Water Supplies Appendix D: U.S. National Air Quality Standards Appendix E: U.S. Noise Standards Appendix F: Common and Scientific Names of North American Wetland Plants

Facility siting and public opposition

Abstract: This book shows developers how to avoid expensive siting disputes that arise over regionally beneficial but locally undesirable facilities, such as prisons, landfills, and oil refineries. It explains the strategy by offering compensation to communities. Guidelines are included for keeping the public informed without increasing opposition.

Mineralization of Nitrogen in Sewage Sludges

Abstract: Mineralization of organic N is one of the principle factors governing the annual amount of sewage sludge applied to agricultural cropland. The mineralization of sludge organic N was studied in a Fincastle silt loam soil treated with 24 sewage sludges obtained from sewage treatment plants in several regions of the United States. The mineralization of sludge organic N was determined during a 16-week incubation by analysis of inorganic N in (i) leachates from soil-sludge-sand mixtures and (ii) subsamples of unleached soil-sludge mixtures. The nonleached procedure gave slightly higher estimates of mineralizable N in most sludges (average of 17 and 16% N mineralized by nonleached and leached procedures, respectively). The approximate amounts of mineralizable N in sludges expressed as a percentage of organic N were: raw and primary, 25%; waste-activated, 40%; anaerobically digested, 15%; and composted, 8%. Inorganic N released from sludges by autoclaving in 0.01M CaCl₂ or extracting with H₂SO₄ + KMnO₄ was not highly correlated with N mineralization. Sludge organic N content was a reasonable predictor of mineralization of sludge N added to soils. The following regression equation was found to describe the mineralization of sludge organic N in soil: % of added sludge N mineralized = 6.37 × % sludge organic N + 4.63 (r = 0.77). To calculate the appropriate sludge application rates for agronomic crops, the percentage of sludge N mineralized during the initial cropping season should be related either to the process used for sludge treatment or to the concentration of organic N in the sludge.

Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion of classified municipal solid waste is a proposed disposal method for the mushrooming quantities of solid waste. To determine the suitability of anaerobic digestion to Los Angeles area wastes, a two-year pilot-scale study was conducted. A survey of a Southern California community was made to determine typical municipal waste composition. Municipal solid waste with characteristics conforming to survey results was classified using the Cal Recovery Process to provide a feedstock for digestion. Four 50-gal (0.19-m³) digesters were operated at organic loading rates from 0.065 lb VS/cu ft - day – 0.25 lb VS/cu ft - day (1.04 kg/m³·\Nday – 4 kg/m³·\Nday). Feed concentration ranged from 2.6% – 8% VS and hydraulic retention time ranged from 15 – 30 days. Feed solids were composed of 80% classified municipal solid waste and 20% primary sludge. Results of the experimental investigation showed that gas containing 55% – 60% methane can be produced at a rate of 7.0 cu ft – 9.0 cu ft gas/lb-VS applied (0.44m³ – 0.56m³/kg-VS applied). The highest gas production rate was obtained at the lowest digester loading rates. Digester mixing ability appeared to be the controlling process variable. No chemicals for pH control or nutrients were required to maintain normal process operation.

Some Heavy Metals in Soils Treated With Sewage Sludge, Their Effects on Yield, and Their Uptake by Plants

Abstract: The possible use of sludge with high heavy metal concentrations and at high rates in calcareous soil was demonstrated in this study. Mixtures of two sludges were added to soils in various proportions up to 4% sludge content. One sludge was rich in Ni and Cd, while the other was relatively poor in heavy metals. Three soils varying in pH from 7.7 to 5.5 were tested. The concentrations of Cd, Ni, Cu and Zn in the DTPA and saturation extracts of the soil-sludge mixtures were determined and correlated with their uptake by plants and the yield of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L., cv. Ford Hook Giant) grown on these mixtures. The metal-poor sludge hardly affected the yield of the relatively salt-resistant Swiss chard. The metal-rich sludge reduced the yield drastically in noncalcareous soils after a critical amount of that sludge (1.5%) was added to the soils. Yet, even 4% of this metal-rich sludge increased the yield of Swiss chard, as compared with the sludge-free control in a calcareous soil. The best fit to yield was obtained by multiple regression with metal content in the soil saturation extract. The solubility in soil solution of Cd, Ni and Zn was strongly affectedmore » by the pH. The uptake of Ni and Zn by plants was significantly larger in the acid soil than in the calcareous soil. The difference in the uptake of Cd and Cu between the soils was smaller. Plant uptake of the metals was generally predicted better by the total metal addition or concentration in the DPTA extract than by metal concentration in the soil saturation extract. In noncalcaeous soils the total metal addition correlated as well as metal content in the DTPA extracts with the metal concentration in the soil solution, with the uptake by plants and with the yield.« less

Waste disposal apparatus

Abstract: Apparatus for waste disposal comprises an inclined chute (26) for guiding waste through a wall (12) to drop into a bag (20) suspended below the chute. The bag (20) is suspended on a rim (23) by means of a resilient colar assembly (44) which grips the mouth of the bag against the rim. A cover (14) covers the bag (20), the support (22) for the bag and the end (30) of the chute, which projects beyond the wall. The cover (14) comprises a hood (16) and a body (18) and can be opened for removal of the bag and for cleaning, the bag (20) being supported in the body (18) when released from the support (22) and then slid out past the support. The upper end of the chute (26) accommodates a backless drawer (42) having a flap (38) in its front face.

A High Standard of Living in Nineteenth-Century Japan: Fact or Fantasy?

Abstract: In an effort to begin to solve the continuing controversy over how high the standard of living was in Japan prior to industrialization, this paper goes beyond the inadequate quantitative data and examines also qualitative and local evidence. Information on housing and food, urban water quality and waste disposal, and life styles is examined along with representative family budgets and two sets of real wage estimates. The evidence, taken together with life expectancy estimates, suggests that the standard of living in mid-nineteenth-century Japan was not only higher than in the 1700s, but relatively high in comparison to most of the industrializing West.

Nitrous oxide production in nearshore marine sediments.

Abstract: Coastal marine sediments are shown to be a net source of nitrous oxide. The rates of nitrous oxide flux from sediments in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, ranged from 20 to more than 900 nanomoles per square meter per hour. Sediments from a eutrophic area had higher rates of net nitrous oxide production than sediments from relatively unpolluted sites. The benthic, nitrous oxide source exceeds the nitrous oxide source to the bay from sewage treatment plant effluent.

Public opinion and nuclear energy

Abstract: The authors discuss such aspects of nuclear power as safety, health, proliferation, terrorism, pollution, and waste disposal. Using surveys, they examine public opinion in the aftermath of Three Mile Island. Energy-policy decisions and the use of survey data in policy formulation are examined.

Thermodynamic Coupling of Heat and Matter Flows in Near-Field Regions of Nuclear Waste Repositories

Abstract: In near-field regions of nuclear waste repositories, thermodynamically coupled flows of heat and matter can occur in addition to the independent flows in the presence of gradients of temperature, hydraulic potential, and composition. The following coupled effects can occur: thermal osmosis, thermal diffusion, chemical osmosis, thermal filtration, diffusion thermal effect, ultrafiltration, and coupled diffusion. Flows of heat and matter associated with these effects can modify the flows predictable from the direct effects, which are expressed by Fourier's law, Darcy's law, and Fick's law. The coupled effects can be treated quantitatively together with the direct effects by the methods of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The extent of departure of fully coupled flows from predictions based only on consideration of direct effects depends on the strengths of the gradients driving flows, and may be significant at early times in backfills and in near-field geologic environments of repositories. Approximate calculations using data from the literature and reasonable assumptions of repository conditions indicate that thermal-osmotic and chemical-osmotic flows of water in semipermeable backfills may exceed Darcian flows by two to three orders of magnitude, while flows of solutes may be reduced greatly by ultrafiltration and chemical osmosis, relative to the flows predicted by advection and diffusion alone. In permeable materials, thermal diffusion may contribute to solute flows to a smaller, but still significant, extent.

Hazardous waste land treatment

Abstract: Land treatment, which uses the surface soil as the treatment medium, has been a generally accepted method of treatment for municipal sewage effluents and sludges. It is now being considered for increasingly complex wastes, including hazardous wastes. Because of this, there is a need to better understand the behavior and fate of waste constituents in a given soil environment, particularly their mobility and toxicity. This book details aspects of the design, operation, and monitoring of hazardous waste land treatment facilities. It describes everything from initial site selection and waste characterization through facility design, operation and closure.

Dilution of a Dense Vertical Jet

Abstract: Large volumes of brine are being discharged into the Gulf of Mexico where cavities are being mined in salt domes for the storage of crude oil along the Gulf Coast. A model study of a dense, vertical jet in a stagnant homogeneous fluid was conducted to develop diffuser design criteria. The model study indicated that in addition to the densimetric Froude number the riser height is a significant diffuser design parameter. The ratio of volume brine discharged to receiving water volume had considerable influence on the jet dilution. In model runs where the jet reached the surface, the resulting dilution was greater than that of a comparable jet that did not reach the surface. Results of field studies at the Freeport, Texas brine disposal outfall compared favorably with the results of the model study.

High-level nuclear waste form performance evaluation

Abstract: A quantitative evaluation method was used to rate seven candidate waste forms for the immobilization and geologic disposal of high-level radioactive wastes. Performance data for leach resistance, impact resistance, and waste loading were compared for waste forms containing simulated Savannah River Plant defense high-level wastes, the first high-level wastes that will be immobilized in the United States. The evaluation method and its results, the type and sources of data, and future requirements for waste form evaluation are discussed.

A conceptual framework for measuring the benefits of groundwater protection

Abstract: There is an increasing concern regarding the contamination of groundwater by hazardous materials. This concern is now being translated into private and public sector initiatives to implement waste disposal and other policies designed to protect groundwater. These activities generate substantial costs; the purpose of this paper is to establish a framework with which to measure the benefits of such efforts to protect groundwater. This benefits framework is based on the premise that the probabilistic value of protection is at least as great as the expected costs of contamination. These costs are shown to be sensitive to a variety of site-specific hydrogeologic and water use factors and general economic parameters. By facilitating benefit-cost comparisons, the framework provided here should help direct groundwater protection resources to their most efficient uses.

Longevity of Borehole and Shaft Sealing Materials: Characterization of Ancient Cement Based Building Materials

Abstract: Durability and long-term stability of cements in plasters, mortars, and/or concretes utilized as borehole plugging and shaft sealing materials are of present concern in the national effort to isolate nuclear waste within deep geological repositories. The present study consists of an examination of selected ancient building materials and provides insights into the durability of certain ancient structures. These data were combined with knowledge obtained from the behavior of modern portland cements and natural materials to evaluate the potential for longevity of such materials in a borehold environment. Analyses were conducted by petrographic, SEM, chemical, and x-ray diffraction techniques. 7 references, 5 figures, 2 tables.

The Relationship Between Reaction Layer Thickness and Leach Rate For Nuclear Waste Glasses

Abstract: Three leaching tests, devised to distinguish among several proposed nuclear waste glass leaching mechanisms, were carried out for four different waste glasses. In the first test, the influence of a pre-formed reaction layer on elemental release was evaluated. In the second test, glass specimens were replaced with fresh samples halfway through the leaching experiment, to evaluate the influence of the concentration of glass components in leaching. Finally, regular replacement of the leachant at fixed time intervals essentially removed the variable of changing solution concentration, and allowed an assessment of the influence of reaction layer thickness on the leaching rate. Results for all glasses tested indicated that the reaction layer presented little or no barrier to leaching, and that most of the retardation on leaching rates generally observed are attributable to saturation effects.

Method for the recovery of fluorides from spent aluminum potlining and the production of an environmentally safe waste residue

Abstract: A method for recovery of fluoride values from spent potlining and fluoride containing insulating materials associated with the potlining is disclosed. Spent potlining and the insulating materials are reduced to a fine particle size and incinerated. The ash residue is leached with a dilute caustic and the leachate is treated with a calcium compound to precipitate calcium fluoride. The calcium fluoride is dried to a moisture content of less than 0.1 percent and is treated with about 93 to 99 percent concentration of sulfuric acid to produce hydrogen fluoride gas and a metal sulfate. The hydrogen fluoride gas is fed into an alumina dry scrubber to produce alumina with absorbed fluorides to be used as feed material to reduction cells used in the manufacture of aluminum by electrolytic reduction. The metal sulfate residue is treated with lime and constitutes an environmentally safe product which can be disposed of as landfill material.

Safe disposal of carcinogenic nitrosamines

Abstract: A simple one-step procedure for chemically degrading nitrosamine residues generated in the research laboratory is described. Treatment with aluminum-nickel alloy powder and aqueous alkali rapidly reduced all 11 nitrosamines studied to the corresponding amines. Hydrazines were produced as transitory intermediates, but these potential carcinogens were also easily reduced under the conditions employed, and no products except amines, ammonia, and, in some cases, alcohols were detected in the final reaction mixtures. Reduction proceeded smoothly in every other solvent system tested, except that reactions in acetone or dichloromethane solution were sometimes slow, incomplete, and/or led to unidentified products; therefore, we cannot recommend the procedure for use in these solvents. Otherwise, the method was efficient, reliable, and inexpensive and has been recommended as one of the preferred means of degrading potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines to innocuous products. Details of its application to some decontamination and disposal problems commonly encountered in the research laboratory are provided. Data illustrating this procedure's advantages over six other reducing systems are also presented.

Long-term stabilization of uranium mill tailings

Abstract: The primary hazard associated with uranium mill tailings is exposure to a radioactive gas, radon-222, the concentration of which has been correlated with the occurrence of lung cancer. Previous studies on radon attenuation conclude that the placement of earthen cover materials over the tailings is the most effective technique for reducing radioactive emissions and dispersal of tailings. The success of such a plan, however, is dependent on ensuring the long-term integrity of these cover materials. Soil erosion from water and wind is the major natural cause of destabilizing earthen cover materials. Field data related to the control of soil loss are limited and only indirectly apply to the problem of isolation of uranium mill tailings over very long time periods (up to 80,000 a). However, sufficient information is available to determine benefits that will result from the changes in specific design variables and to evaluate the need for different design strategies among potential disposal sites. The three major options available for stabilization of uranium mill tailings are: rock cover, soil and revegetation, or a combination of both on different portions of the tailings cover. The optimal choice among these alternatives depends on site-specific characteristics such as climate and local geomorphologymore » and soils, and on design variables such as embankment, heights and slopes, modification of upstream drainage, and revegetation practices. Generally, geomorphic evidence suggests that use of soil and vegetation alone will not be adequate to reduce erosion on slopes greater than about 5 to 9%.« less