A. Jędrczak

A review of municipal solid waste composition and quantities in Poland.

A review of results of the research involving the quantitative and composition analyses of household waste conducted in Poland in recent years is presented in this paper. For these analyses various methodologies have been employed, as there is not one obligatory methodology how to characterise municipal solid waste. The results of the research in large Polish cities indicate great variability, which is difficult to be reasonably explained. This situation is affected by a number of factors, such as various methods and places for sample collection, various methods for tests, fractional character of most of the studies (studies carried out only in some periods during a year). Consequently, it is neither possible to measurably compare their results, nor to generalise them. Hence, within this article only individual data for large cities is provided. It is therefore necessary to standardise methodology for such analyses in Europe, taking into account local variability (such as different housing patterns, climate and waste collection schemes) to allow comparison of results. Reported yearly household waste generation in Polish cities varies from 238 to 309 kg per inhabitant. Biodegradable waste is a strongly dominated fraction in household waste from Polish cities, followed by paper/cardboard and plastics. Historical data shows that waste composition has undergone profound changes, the most significant being an increase of the share of plastics and decrease of fine fraction. The presented data indicates that waste composition strongly depends on the type of housing and its heating system. In the new multi-family buildings with central heating the share of paper and plastics is higher than in old houses with individual heating. In the latter ones the share of fine fraction is higher.

EVALUATION OF BIODEGRADABILITY OF WASTE BEFORE AND AFTER AEROBIC TREATMENT

Abstract An important advantage of use of an aerobic biostabilization of waste prior to its disposal is that it intensifies the decomposition of the organic fraction of waste into the form which is easily assimilable for methanogenic microorganisms involved in anaerobic decomposition of waste in the landfill. In this article it is presented the influence of aerobic pre-treatment of waste as well as leachate recirculation on susceptibility to biodegradation of waste in anaerobic laboratory reactors. The research has shown that in the reactor with aerobically treated waste stabilized with recilculation conversion of the organic carbon into the methane is about 45% higher than in the reactor with untreated waste stabilized without recirculation.

Phenol and Benzene Removal by Sorption on Soil

The migration of organic and inorganic pollutants in soil and groundwater is still a subject of research. Studies upon the sorption capacity of various soil types and degradation of phenol and benzene, when artificially prepared wastewater was filtered through soil layers, are discussed underneath.

The influence of preliminary aerobic treatment on the efficacy of waste stabilisation under leachate recirculation conditions

Abstract This article presents the changes in the chemical composition of leachate and the concentrations and quantity of methane production in each individual decomposition phases, determined for untreated and after aerobic treatment of waste stabilised in anaerobic reactors with and without leachate recirculation. The research results demonstrate that leachate recirculation intensifies the decomposition of both aerobically treated and untreated waste. The methane production in the reactor with untreated, stabilised waste with recirculation was 28% higher; and in the reactor with aerobically treated waste, the methane production was 24% higher than in the reactors without recirculation. An important finding of the study is that aerobic treatment of waste prior to landfilling effectively reduces the quantity of pollutant emissions in leachate and biogas from waste and increases the availability for methane micro-organisms of organic substrates from difficult-to-decompose organic substances.

Testing of co-fermentation of poultry manure and corn silage

Abstract The development of the production of poultry meat is connected with an increase in the quantity of the manure. The chemical characteristics predisposes this waste to processing by methane fermentation method. This study investigated the influence of ammonia and volatile fat acids on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of poultry manure. The aim of the studies was: to determine the degree of biodegradation of the poultry manure as well as manure and corn silage mixed in various proportions in the process of mesophilic fermentation, to evaluate the impact of mineral nitrogen and volatile fat acids on the course of fermentation, and to establish optimum proportions of these types of waste. The tests confirmed the positive effect of co-fermentation of poultry manure with corn silage. The most favourable ratio for mixing the substrates is the equal percentage of their dry matter in the mixture. With such waste mixing proportions, the degree of degradation of organic substances contained in the manure amounted to 61.8% and was higher than in the mono-digestion of manure and corn silage.

Kinetic Constants of Decomposition of the Municipal Solid Waste Prior to and after Mechanical-Biological Processing. Field Scale / Stałe Kinetyczne Rozkładu Zmieszanych Odpadów Komunalnych Przed I Po Mechaniczno-Biologicznym Przetworzeniu. Skala Polowa

Abstract One of the major tasks of municipal waste management in European Union countries is the systematic reduction of waste that is removed and transported to landfills. This refers particularly to biodegradable waste. One of the methods employed to decrease waste amount is Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) of the waste, before it is stored. The article presents characteristics of MSW and biologically pre-treated municipal solid waste, organic carbon loads emitted in biogas and leachate during waste deposition in a landfill. Its decomposition rate constants were determined on the basis of modified Zacharof and Butler’s stochastic model. The values of decomposition rate constants determined for MSW had similar change trends to those presented in the literature: the hydrolysis constant had the lowest value (2.6 × 10-5 d-1), the highest acid phase constant (4.1 × 10-4 d-1), while the methane phase constant - 2.2 × 10-4 d-1. The PMSW decomposition rate constants in each anaerobic waste degradation phase had similar change trends, though their values were higher, by 21, 11 and 19%, respectively. Istotnym zadaniem gospodarki odpadami komunalnymi w krajach UE jest systematyczne zmniejszanie ilości odpadów komunalnych usuwanych na składowiska, w tym zwłaszcza odpadów ulegających biodegradacji. Jedną z metod stosowanych do realizacji tego celu jest mechaniczno-biologiczne przetwarzanie odpadów komunalnych (MBP) przed ich składowaniem. W artykule przedstawiono charakterystykę surowych odpadów komunalnych (ZOK) i wstępnie przetworzonych biologicznie, ładunki węgla organicznego emitowane w biogazie i odciekach podczas ich składowania oraz wyznaczono stałe szybkości rozkładu tych odpadów w oparciu o zmodyfikowany stochastyczny model Zacharof’a i Butler’a. Wartości wyznaczonych dla ZOK stałych szybkości rozkładu mieściły się w bardzo szerokich zakresach prezentowanych w literaturze, a ich relacje zachowywały podobne tendencje zmian; stała hydrolizy miała najniższą wartość (2,6×10-5 d-1), co potwierdziło limitujący jej wpływ na szybkość rozkładu, stała fazy kwaśnej najwyższą (4,1×10-4 d-1), a stała fazy metanowej - 2,2×10-4 d-1). Stałe szybkości rozkładu PMSW w poszczególnych fazach beztlenowej degradacji odpadów zachowywały podobne tendencje zmian, jednakże ich wartości były wyższe, odpowiednio o 21, 11 i 19%.

Impact of Coal Ash Lagoons Upon the Surrounding Soils

Ash and slag are the waste products from thermal power stations (TPS). In one Polish TPS, 10,000 Mg of slag, and 48,700 Mg of ash are produced every year. All the slag is utilizedi whereas the ash is tipped of in exhausted gravel mines 2.5 km away.The ash is transported to the ponds hydraulically, the used water is recycled for further use. The upper layers of the ash (i.e. those being elevated over the water level), dry up in the ambient air — mainly during summer time — and, therefore, the small and light particles carried away by the wind, settle next on ground of the surrounding area.