Vincent T. Breslin

Degradation of Starch-Plastic Composites in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

The rate and extent of deterioration of starch-plastic composites were determined over a 2-year period for samples buried in a municipal solid waste landfill. The deterioration of the starch-plastic composites following exposure was determined by measuring changes in tensile properties, weight loss, and starch content of samples retrieved from the landfill. Elongation decreases of 92 and 44% were measured for starch-plastic composite LDPE and LLDPE films, respectively, while elongation decreases of 54 and 21% were measured for their corresponding control films following 2 years of burial. Starch loss of 25% for LLDPE and 33% for LDPE starch-plastic composite films was measured following 2 years of landfill burial. Starch-plastic composites did not fragment or lose mass during the 2-year landfill burial. The limited degradation observed for the starch-plastic composites was attributed to the ineffectiveness of the prooxidant additive to catalyze the thermal oxidation of the polyethylene or polypropylene component of the starch-plastic composite under the environmental conditions present within the landfill.

Retention of Metals in Agricultural Soils After Amending with MSW and MSW-Biosolids Compost

The goal of this study was to measure the As, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn contents of soils amended with municipal solid waste (MSW) and MSW-biosolids compost and to determine the long-term transport of these metals to lower soil horizons. Lead, Cu, Cd and Zn contents in the composts were 3–20 times more concentrated in the compost compared to the soil at the Calverton, NY, U.S.A. farm. As a result, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn were elevated in the upper 5 cm soil layer following compost application and the metal enrichment was proportional to the amount of compost applied (21–62 Mg ha-1). In addition, Pb, As and Cu contents of the non-compost amended Calverton soils were enriched above the tillage depth (20–25 cm). Cu, Pb and As enrichment was attributed to the historical use of sodium arsenite, lead arsenate and copper sulfate insecticides and fungicides. Results of the metal analyses of soil cores collected 16 and 52 months following compost application showed that Cu, Zn and Pb remained confined to the upper 5 cm soil layer. The low water extractable fraction of these metals in MSW and MSW-biosolids compost was a major factor limiting the transport of these metals to lower soil horizons. In contrast, Cd leaching from the upper 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layers was continuous over the 52 month study period and was attributed primarily to the presence of soluble Cd in phosphate fertilizer initially applied to the Calverton farm soil.

High spatial resolution sampling of metals in the sediment and water column in Port Jefferson Harbor, New York

Eighteen sediment samples and six water-column samples were collected in a small (6 km2), coastal embayment (Port Jefferson Harbor, New York) to define a high-resolution spatial distribution of metals and to elucidate sources of contaminants to the harbor. Sediment metal (Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) concentrations varied widely, reflecting differences in sediment grain size, with higher metal concentrations located in the fine-grained inner harbor sediments. Calculated enrichment factors for these sediments show that Ag, Pb, Cu, and Zn are elevated relative to both crustal abundances and their respective abundances in sediments in central Long Island Sound. Metal concentrations were 1.2 to 10 fold greater in water from the inner harbor compared to water from Long Island Sound collected outside the mouth of the harbor. Spatial variations in trace metals in surface waters within the bay parallel the spatial variations of trace metals in sediments within the harbor. Elevated water-column metal concentrations appear to be partially derived from a combination of diagenetic remobilization from contaminated sediments (e.g., Ag) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., Cu and Zn) within the southern portions of the harbor. Although the National Status and Trends Program had reported previously that sediment metal concentrations in Port Jefferson Harbor were low, the results of this study show sediment metals have high spatial variability and are enriched in the inner harbor sediments at levels comparable to more urbanized western north shore Long Island harbors.

Assuring compost quality: suggestions for facility managers, regulators, and researchers

This paper defines the key aspects of compost quality assurance programs, and reports on research designed to assess compost variability. Quantitation of variability is necessary for predicting the percentage of composts that will meet a standard, and also for determining appropriate sample sizes and testing methods. We collected random samples within single batches of compost produced from either municipal solid waste (MSW) or from MSW and sewage sludge. The concentration of four metals, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni was measured using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry following acid digestion. The MSW compost contained 607 ± 35 μg g−1 Pb, 762 ± 30 μg g−1 Cu, 1196 ± 57 μg g−1 Zn, and 78 ± 10 μg g−1 Ni. The MSW + sludge compost contained 544 ± 57 μg g−1 Pb, 545 ± 240 μg g−1 Cu, 1413 ± 162 μg g−1 Zn, and 157 ± 15 μg g−1 Ni. The number of samples required to estimate the true mean value of each metal in each batch within ±5% was estimated based on these data. Estimates ranged from 3 samples to 313 samples depending on the metal and the facility. These data suggest that a large number of random samples should be collected from each batch of compost in order to accurately assess metal content. Another important aspect of compost testing is choice of analytical methods. Results of analyses of metals in NIST BCR 146 sewage sludge indicate that EPA method 3050 permits good recovery of these metals. Other aspects of compost sampling, analysis, and data reduction and reporting are discussed, and key references cited.

Vanadium release from stabilized oil ash waste in seawater

Laboratory investigations were conducted to measure the release of vanadium from five different stabilized oil ash waste mixes as a first step toward evaluating the environmental acceptability of stabilized oil ash waste for the purpose of artificial reef construction in the ocean. Vanadium content of the stabilized oil ash mixes ranged from 1.84% to 4.08%. Seawater tank leaching studies showed that vanadium release from stabilized oil ash blocks was continuous. However, the rate of vanadium release decreased with time. Calculated effective diffusion coefficients for vanadium, ranging from 29 /times/ 10/sup /minus/9/ to 0.24 /times/ 10/sup /minus/9/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup /minus/1/ for the five stabilized oil ash waste mixes, were found to be lowest in the mixes with the highest cement content. Calculations describing the dispersion distance of vanadium away from a hypothetical artificial reef, depending on the mix type used for reef construction, showed that vanadium is diluted to natural seawater levels within 0.04-0.4 m of the reef.

The behavior of fly-ash derived arsenic in seawater

With the rising cost of oil the electric power generating companies are turning to coal as a fuel source. Large amounts of fly ash are produced as a by product of coal combustion. This fly ash must then be disposed of, with the oceans being considered an alternative to land fill disposal. This research investigated the sorptive behavior of the surface-associated arsenic and utilized the results to project arsenics impact on the water column during the ocean disposal of fly ash. Several acid digests were investigated to determine an effective method of arsenic recovery from fly ash. Of these, the HCl digest was the most effective technique, yielding 100% arsenic recoveries from fly-ash particles. The arsenic content of the fly ashes studied varied from 69 ± 11 μg g−1 to 323 ± 24 μg g−1, reflecting differences in the arsenic content of the source coal. In both seawater and freshwater there is an increase in arsenic desorption with increasing pH. The greatest release of arsenic occurred at pH 12 with generally over 80% of the surface arsenic released. Fly ash in contact with seawater and freshwater can exhibit either acidic or alkaline tendencies depending upon the soluble elemental composition on the surface of the flyash particle. The acidic ashes were shown to leach a greater percentage of arsenic (16.9%) than the more alkaline ashes (8.2%). During these leaching studies in seawater, arsenic was found to leach in both the pentavalent and trivalent oxidation state. The pentavalent state was predominant, comprising 77% of the arsenic initially desorbed. The dissolution in seawater of arsenic was utilized to assess the possible impact of the ocean disposal of fly ash. Based upon these data it appears that the natural levels of arsenic in the water column would not be significantly increased. Further research is needed on the fate of fly-ash particles in marine sediments.

Behaviour of Dioxins, Furans and Metals Associated with Stabilized Msw Combustor Ash in Sea Water

Abstract This report presents the results of a research programme designed to examine the engineering and environmental acceptability of stabilizing municipal solid waste (MSW) combustor ash for artificial reef construction. Municipal solid waste combustor ash was combined with Portland cement to form solid blocks using conventional construction block making technology. the resultant stabilized combustor ash (SCA) blocks were used to construct an artificial habitat in Conscience Bay, Long Island Sound, New York and compared to identical concrete blocks, fabricated using natural aggregates. Over a 4.5 year period divers periodically returned to the site to monitor the interaction of SCA blocks with the marine environment and compare the performance of these blocks with the concrete control blocks. Results show that the SCA blocks retain their strength after prolonged sea water exposure. Contaminants of environmental concern, including metals, dioxins and furans, were retained within the cementitious matrix...

Degradation of Starch–Calcium Carbonate Disposable Packaging in a Solid Waste Composting Facility

The compostability of starch–CaCO3 disposable packaging was examined in a source-separated municipal solid waste (MSW) composting facility located in East Hampton, NY. Source-separated MSW:starch–CaCO3 container mixtures of 0 (control), 5, and 20% (by volume) were prepared as feedstock for composting. Compost samples were collected weekly or biweekly during the composting process and examined for fragments of the starch–CaCO3 containers. Changes in compost quality due to the presence of starch–CaCO3 containers were assessed by measuring the nutrient and metal content of the three resultant MSW:starch–CaCO3 composts. Finally, plant growth studies were conducted to examine the composts for possible plant growth inhibition due to the deterioration of the starch–CaCO3 containers. Results showed that portions of the starch–CaCO3 containers were not identified in any of the 5 and 20% sieved and characterized compost fractions > 1.3 cm following 1–3 weeks of composting. Mechanical agitation of the waste along with optimum composting conditions were sufficient to initiate the rapid degradation of the starch–CaCO3 composites. Degradation of starch–CaCO3 containers did not affect compost nutrient and trace element content. Grass biomass measurements were performed once weekly over 28 days for grass grown in control (0%), 5%, and 20% starch–CaCO3-containing compost:soil mixtures. Significant differences in grass biomass for these compost:soil mixtures were measured only for the 0 and 20% starch–CaCO3-containing compost:soil mixtures at 28 days (9.07 vs 11.05 g, respectively; P = 0.046).