Waste treatment methods

Low Level Waste Treatment. Methods of treatment for radioactive wastes produced in a nuclear power plant include (/) evaporation (qv) of cooling water to yield radioactive sludges, (2) filtration (qv) using ion-exchange (qv) resins, (J) incineration with the release of combustion gases through filters while retaining the radioactively contaminated ashes (see Incinerators), (4) compaction by presses, and (5) solidification in cement (qv) or asphalt (qv) within metal containers. 

Waste Treatment Methods. Technical and legal specialized knowledge and experience are needed to ensure that goals are to be met when selecting waste treatment methods. A support iadustry concentrating on waste treatment process and equipment has developed. Table 3 Hsts several estabhshed waste treatment methods commonly used. 

For each waste treatment method, indicate the type of waste-stream containing the chemical that is treated. Enter the letter code that corresponds to the general wastestream type ... 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WASTE TREATMENT METHODS AND EFFICIENCY (Part Ml. Section 7)... 

An overview is presented of plutonium process chemistry at Rocky Flats and of research in progress to improve plutonium processing operations or to develop new processes. Both pyrochemical and aqueous methods are used to process plutonium metal scrap, oxide, and other residues. The pyrochemical processes currently in production include electrorefining, fluorination, hydriding, molten salt extraction, calcination, and reduction operations. Aqueous processing and waste treatment methods involve nitric acid dissolution, ion exchange, solvent extraction, and precipitation techniques. 

Off-site landfill is not desirable, because it faces more problems associated with off-site transportation. Other off-site treatment and disposal, such as incineration or other waste treatment methods performed off site, are also not attractive, because they are not the on-site permanent... 

The cost for the ISOCELL technology varies depending on site variables such as site size, wastes to be treated at the site, waste treatment method, transportation costs, disposal costs, and other general factors that may affect the costs. An appropriate cost for using the ISOCELL technology can only be determined on a site-by-site basis, considering all factors that affect cost (personal communication Ronald K. Krieg, RKK, Ltd., December 1996). 

The checklist is divided into three areas 1) Material Storage and Handling, 2) Production Processes and 3) Treatment Alternatives. Material degradation, samples, spills, storage, and inspections are addressed in the first section. Production processes include source reduction for process bath solutions and rinse systems, resource recovery and recycling, and solvent management. Treatment Alternatives focuses on process water pretreatment, modification of conventional wastewater treatment, and alternative waste treatment methods. Each of these subsections follow the question and answer format. 

However several POPs, particularly the OCPs and dioxins, remain at low levels in the Australian environment and several remain persistent at low levels in body fats and fluids of Australians. The levels reflect the past use and persistence of OCPs in the Australian environment, contamination of the food chain and the capacity of the body to metabolise and store in body fats. The dioxins remain due to the ubiquitous nature of their sources with combustion as a major source and their persistence. Future trends are likely to mean very low-level residues in human fats of DDE, cyclodienes, HCB, HCHs and dioxins in the long term. Their rate of decline will probably depend on removing HCB from chlorinated industrial chemicals and OCPs from the environment (e.g. remediation of contaminated soils) by hazardous waste treatment methods (e.g. physical, chemical and biological degradation or fixation) or secure landfill. 

Part ML Section 7 - Waste Treatment Methods and Efficiency... 

TRI is an annually compiled series of databases spanning the reporting years 1987-2001, and which contains information on the annual estimated releases of toxic chemicals to the environment. It is based upon data collected by the US EPA. Mandated by the Superfund legislation, TRI s data cover air, water, land, and underground injection releases, as well as transfers to waste sites, and waste treatment methods and efficiency, as reported by industrial facilities in the United States. TRI also includes data related to source reduction and recycling. 

Pyrolysis as a waste treatment method has made considerable progress during recent years. After laboratory and semi-technical scale testing, several demonstration plants have been set up. Others are in the planning or construction stage. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Anonymous 1986) defines these two terms as waste treatment methods that have the following objectives ... 

Ethyl butyl ketone is burned in a chemical incinerator equipped with an afterburner and scrubber. Waste treatment methods involve steam stripping, high-temperature catalytic hydrogenation, or molten metal destruction. 

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