Isabel Vermeulen

Automotive shredder residue (ASR): Reviewing its production from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and its recycling, energy or chemicals’ valorisation

ASR is in Europe classified as hazardous waste. Both the stringent landfill legislation and the objectives/legislation related to ELV treatment of various countries, will limit current landfilling practice and impose an increased efficiency of the recovery and recycling of ELVs. The present paper situates ASR within the ELV context. Primary recovery techniques recycle up to 75% of the ELV components; the remaining 25% is called ASR. Characteristics of ASR and possible upgrading by secondary recovery techniques are reviewed. The latter techniques can produce a fuel- or fillergrade ASR, however with limitations as discussed. A further reduction of ASR to be disposed of calls upon (co-)incineration or the use of thermo-chemical processes, such as pyrolysis or gasification. The application in waste-to-energy plants, in cement kilns or in metallurgical processes is possible, with attention to the possible environmental impact: research into these impacts is discussed in detail. Pyrolysis and gasification are emerging technologies: although the sole use of ASR is debatable, its mixing with other waste streams is gradually being applied in commercial processes. The environmental impacts of the processes are acceptable, but more supporting data are needed and the advantage over (co-)incineration remains to be proven.

Screening for insulinoma antigen 2 and zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies: a cost‐effective and age‐independent strategy to identify rapid progressors to clinical onset among relatives of type 1 diabetic patients

In first‐degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients, we investigated whether diabetes risk assessment solely based on insulinoma antigen 2 (IA‐2) and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) antibody status (IA‐2A, respectively, ZnT8A) is as effective as screening for three or four autoantibodies [antibodies against insulin (IAA), glutamate decarboxylase 65 kDa (GAD) glutamate decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) and IA‐2A with or without ZnT8A] in identifying children, adolescents and adults who progress rapidly to diabetes (within 5 years). Antibodies were determined by radiobinding assays during follow‐up of 6444 siblings and offspring aged 0–39 years at inclusion and recruited consecutively by the Belgian Diabetes Registry. We identified 394 persistently IAA+, GADA+, IA‐2A+ and/or ZnT8A+ relatives (6·1%). After a median follow‐up time of 52 months, 132 relatives developed type 1 diabetes. In each age category tested (0–9, 10–19 and 20–39 years) progression to diabetes was significantly quicker in the presence of IA‐2A and/or ZnT8A than in their joint absence (P < 0·001). Progression rate was age‐independent in IA‐2A+ and/or ZnT8A+ relatives but decreased with age if only GADA and/or IAA were present (P = 0·008). In the age group mainly considered for immune interventions until now (10–39 years), screening for IA‐2A and ZnT8A alone identified 78% of the rapid progressors (versus 75% if positive for ≥ 2 antibodies among IAA, GADA, IA‐2A and ZnT8A or versus 62% without testing for ZnT8A). Screening for IA‐2A and ZnT8A alone allows identification of the majority of rapidly progressing prediabetic siblings and offspring regardless of age and is more cost‐effective to select participants for intervention trials than conventional screening.

Toward a Carbon Dioxide Neutral Industrial Park

The industrial park of Herdersbrug (Brugge, Flanders, Belgium) comprises 92 small and medium‐sized enterprises, a waste‐to‐energy incinerator, and a power plant (not included in the study) on its site. To study the carbon dioxide (CO) neutrality of the park, we made a park‐wide inventory for 2007 of the CO emissions due to energy consumption (electricity and fossil fuel) and waste incineration, as well as an inventory of the existing renewable electricity and heat generation. The definition of CO neutrality in Flanders only considers CO released as a consequence of consumption or generation of electricity, not the CO emitted when fossil fuel is consumed for heat generation. To further decrease or avoid CO emissions, we project and evaluate measures to increase renewable energy generation. The 21 kilotons (kt) of CO emitted due to electricity consumption are more than compensated by the 25 kt of CO avoided by generation of renewable electricity. Herdersbrug Industrial Park is thus CO neutral, according to the definition of the Flemish government. Only a small fraction (6.6%) of the CO emitted as a consequence of fossil fuel consumption (heat generation) and waste incineration is compensated by existing and projected measures for renewable heat generation. Of the total CO emission (149 kt) due to energy consumption (electricity + heat generation) and waste incineration on the Herdersbrug Industrial Park in 2007, 70.5% is compensated by existing and projected renewable energy generated in the park. Forty‐seven percent of the yearly avoided CO corresponds to renewable energy generated from waste incineration and biomass fermentation.

Environmental impact of incineration of calorific industrial waste: Rotary kiln vs. cement kiln

Rotary kiln incinerators and cement kilns are two energy intensive processes, requiring high temperatures that can be obtained by the combustion of fossil fuel. In both processes, fossil fuel is often substituted by high or medium calorific waste to avoid resource depletion and to save costs. Two types of industrial calorific waste streams are considered: automotive shredder residue (ASR) and meat and bone meal (MBM). These waste streams are of current high interest: ASR must be diverted from landfill, while MBM can no longer be used for cattle feeding. The environmental impact of the incineration of these waste streams is assessed and compared for both a rotary kiln and a cement kiln. For this purpose, data from an extensive emission inventory is applied for assessing the environmental impact using two different modeling approaches: one focusing on the impact of the relevant flows to and from the process and its subsystems, the other describing the change of environmental impact in response to these physical flows. Both ways of assessing emphasize different aspects of the considered processes. Attention is paid to assumptions in the methodology that can influence the outcome and conclusions of the assessment. It is concluded that for the incineration of calorific wastes, rotary kilns are generally preferred. Nevertheless, cement kilns show opportunities in improving their environmental impact when substituting their currently used fuels by more clean calorific waste streams, if this improvement is not at the expense of the actual environmental impact.

Sustainable Waste Processing In A Grate Furnace And In A Fluidized Bed Incinerator: WtE, Recycling And Environmental Concerns

The Indaver integrated grate furnace, incinerating municipal solid waste (MSW) along with comparable industrial waste, is described. In the installation, energy is recovered by producing steam which is delivered to other companies, or used to generate electricity. The bottom ashes are wet-washed; ferrous and non-ferrous metals and granulates are recovered. Next to the grate furnace, a fluidized bed combustor (FBC) operated by SLECO is situated. It can co-incinerate various types of industrial wastes (including ASR), RDF, waste water treatment (WWT) sludges, etc. and produces steam to generate electricity. The bottom ashes are recovered as secondary raw material. It is demonstrated that both installations have a good environmental performance and address many aspects of cleaner production. This way, both grate furnace and FBC may play an important role in sustainable waste management. Depending on the fractions of the energy carrier(s), the actual energy recovery varies from 41% for the grate furnace (steam + electricity) to 27% for the FBC (only electricity). The most important airborne emissions and solid residues are monitored in both installation and are discussed in detail. For all components of interest, emissions remain well below Flemish limit values. Moreover, it was shown that both installations act as a POP sink when flue gas emissions are taken into account as a POP output. From the bottom ashes of both incinerators ferrous and non-ferrous metals and granulates are recovered, representing 19.9 and 9.2 wt% of the original waste input of respectively the grate furnace and the FBC. When introducing higher amounts of heavy metals into the FBC, co-incinerating ASR, the bottom ashes still fulfil Flemish requirements for use as secondary raw material.