University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Types of Solid Wastes

University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

3 General Categories

Municipal Wastes
Food wastes – the animal, fruit, or vegetable residues resulting from the
handling, preparation, cooking and eating of foods
Rubbish – combustible and noncombustible solid wastes, excluding
food wastes or other putrescible materials
Ashes and residues – materials remaining from the burning of wood,
coal, coke and other combustible wastes
Demolition and construction wastes – wastes from razed buildings and
other structures
Special wastes – wastes such as street sweepings, roadside litter,
catch-basin debris, dead animals, and abandoned vehicles
Treatment-plant wastes – the solid and semisolid wastes from water,
Wastewater, and industrial-waste treatment facilities
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Industrial Wastes
- wastes arising form industrial activities and typically include rubbish, ashes,
demolition and construction wastes, special wastes, and hazardous wastes

Hazardous Wastes

- wastes that poses a substantial danger to human, plant, or animal life

- exhibits any of the following characteristics: ignitability; corrosively; reactivity

or toxicity
 Sources of Solid Wastes
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Municipal Wastes

Table 1. General Sources of Municipal Solid Wastes

Source Typical facilities, activities, or Types of solids wastes
Locations where wastes are generated

Residential Single family and multifamily dwellings, low-, Food wastes, rubbish, ashes,
medium-, and high-rise apartments, etc. special wastes

Commercial Stores, restaurants, markets, office buildings,
hotels, motels, prints shops, auto repair shops,
medical facilities and institutions, etc.
Open Areas Streets, alleys, park, vacant lots, playgrounds,
beaches, highways, recreational areas, etc.
Food wastes, rubbish, ashes,
demolition and construction
wastes, special wastes,
occasionally hazardous wastes
Special wastes, rubbish

Treatment plant Water, wastewater, and industrial treatment Treatment-plant wastes,

Sites processes, etc. principally composed of residual
sludges
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Hazardous Wastes

- generated in limited amounts throughout most industrial activities

- spillage must also be considered
 Properties of Solid Wastes
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Physical Composition

Individual Components

Food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, rubber, leather, wood,

garden trimmings, glass, tin cans, nonferrous metals, ferrous metals, dirt,
ashes brick, etc.

Particle Size
Important in the recovery of the materials

Moisture Content
Express as the mass of moisture per unit mass of wet or dry material

Density
Vary with geographic location, season of the year, and length of time in storage
 Chemical Composition
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

4 Important Properties for Solid waste to be used as Fuel

1. Proximate Analysis
(a) Moisture (loss at 1050C for 1 hr)
(b) Volatile Matter (additional loss on ignition at 9500C)
(c) Ash (residue after burning)
(d) Fixed Carbon (remainder)
6. Fusing Point of Ash
7. Ultimate Analysis
8. Heating Value (Energy Value)
 Solid-Waste Management: An Overview
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Materials Flow in Society

Raw Material Residual debris

Manufacturing Residual waste material

Processing
Secondary
and
Manufacturing
Recovery

Consumer

Final Disposal

Raw materials, products and recovered materials

Waste materials
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Reduction in Raw Materials Usage

Reduction in Solid-Waste Quantities

Reuse of Solid-Waste Materials

Materials Recovery

Energy Recovery

Day-To-Day Solid-Waste Management

 SEPARATION
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

The wastes that are desirably separated at source are:

• Food wastes
• Paper and cardboard
• Plastic
• Metals ferrous
• Metals non-ferrous
• Glass

All other household waste that can be delivered to drop-off

centers include:
• Bulky waste
• Yard waste
• Hazardous household waste
 Requirements for Source Separation
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Infrastructure required:

• Community drop-off centers

• Public drop-off centers ( civic amenity centers)
• Environmental advertising programmes

Manual and Mechanical Sorting

Manual sorting – can only be recommended for clean, dry and more or
less pre-sorted waste

Mechanical sorting – more commonly used for all fractions can be sorted
 Storage and Transport of Solid Waste
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

The type of storage used depends on the collection

facility, which may be:
• Doorstep Collection
• Regular kerb collection
• Civic amenity drop-off
• Haulier for skip collection of bulky items
• Community recycle bins
• Vacuum trucks
 Biological Solid Waste Treatment
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Three options for biological solid waste treatment:

• Aerobic or composting
• Anaerobic or biogas
• Combined anaerobic and aerobic

Composting
organic matter + O2 aerobic
 bacteria
→ new cells + CO2 + H 2O + NH 3 + SO4

Process Requirements

• Temperature
• Moisture Content
• Oxygen
• C/N ratio
• pH
• Biochemical composition and texture
 Temperature
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

• Psychrophilic – 15 to 200C
• Mesophilic – 25 to 350C
• Thermophilic – 50 to 600C

Moisture Content

Optimum moisture content – 50 to 60%

Oxygen

Optimum oxygen levels – 15 to 20%

C/N ratio

Optimum ratio – 30

pH

Optimum pH – 6 to 8

Biochemical Composition and texture

University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Environmental Parameters

• Heavy metals
• Odor
• Sterilization
• Inert Contaminants

Anaerobic Digestion
organic matter + H 2O anaerobic
  → new cells + CO2 + CH 4 + NH 3 + H 2 S
bacteria

Processes Involved

• Hydrolysis
• Acidogenis
• Methanogenesis
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Process Requirements

• Be oxygen free
• Not to contain inhibiting salts
• Have a 6.5 < pH < 7.5
• Be of adequate alkalinity, 1500 to 7500 mg/L
• Have sufficient nutrients
• Be temperature steady at either mesophilic or thermophilic conditions
• Have constant solids loading rate
 Two-Stage Anaerobic and Aerobic Methods
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

• No external water is needed for producing a slurry feedstock

to the anaerobic digester.
• No effluent water is produced.
• There are high rates of biogas production.
• A stabilized humus product is produced.
• A refuse derived fuel is produced.

Thermal Energy
Air
Mixer Biogas
Digested
Refuse
sludge
Derived
High solids Humus Fuel
Aerobic
anaerobic composter
Dryer
Organic digester
Solid Waste Soil
Amendment

Blend Plug flow Aerobic

tank reactor reactor

Flow diagram for combined treatment or organic solid waste and municipal sludge.
 Thermal Treatment – Combustion/Incineration
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Gasification – degradation takes place with a deficit of oxygen

Pyrolysis – if the gasification is dry distillation

Combustion – thermal degradation with excess oxygen

Incineration – chemical oxidation at high temperatures

1870s in United Kingdom - first waste incineration plant was built

 University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Incinerator
Design Principles for Waste Incinerators
 Design Principles for Waste Incinerators
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Unloading and storage of waste

Crane
Hopper and feeding system
Grates
Furnace
Air Supply
Boiler system
Slag and ash removal

The combustion Process in Waste Incinerators

• Drying
• Gas pyrolysis and gas combustion
• Combustion or carbon residue
 Air Emission and Flue Gas Cleaning
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

R
Flue Gas E Chimney
A Stack
C
Bag Filter
Water T
O
R

Residue

Container
Hydrated lime
Silo

Layout for a dry flue gas cleaning process.

University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering
Solid Waste Landfill
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering
 Hazardous Wastes
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Ignitable - the substance causes or enhances fire

Reactive - the substance reacts with others and may explode

Corrosive - the substance destroys tissues or metals

Toxic - the substance is a danger to health, water, food and air

Task of an Environmental Engineer....

- identify the hazardous waste streams

- for each stream, quantify the waste
- for each stream, characterizing the waste according to whether its form is
physical, chemical or biological
- recommending waste minimization measures
- identifying hazardous waste treatment options
- specifying safe disposal routes for waste residues of treated waste
 Hazardous Wastes
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

A solid waste that may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in

mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness;
or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment
when it is improperly treated, stored, transported, dispose of or otherwise manage;
and the characteristic can be measured by a standardized test or reasonable
detected
by generators of solid waste through their knowledge of their waste. (USEPA)
 Table 2. EU hazard categories of hazardous waste
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Hazard Category Directive 91/689

H1 Explosive
H2 Oxidizer
H3A Highly flammable
H3B Flammable
H4 Irritant
H5 Harmful
H6 Toxic
H7 Carcinogenic
H8 Corrosive
H9 Infectious
H10 Teratogenic
H11 Mutagenic
H12 Water contact liberates toxic gas
H13 Source of hazardous substance
H14 Ecotoxic
 Hazardous waste generated around your house...
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

antifreeze herbicides insect repellent

batteries insecticides
brake fluid kerosene
chemical strippers lawn chemicals
chlorine bleach lighter fluids
contact cement lye
drain cleaners moth balls
fire extinguisher nail polish remover
flea collars and sprays old propane tank
prescription drugs spot remover
toilet cleaners used motor oil
 Medical Hazardous Waste
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

- Obsolete medicines past the expiry date

- Cytostatica with a special demand for careful handling
- Infectious material
- Pathological waste
- Sharp and pointed items
- Waste from dental clinics
 Hazard Symbols for Chemicals
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Explosive (E) Oxidizing agent (O) Highly Flammable (F) Extremely Flammable (F+)

Toxic (T) Very Toxic (T+) Harmful (Xn) Irritant (Xi)

Corrosive (C) Dangerous for the

environment (N)
 Warning Labels for Transport of Dangerous Goods
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Flammable Liquids
Explosives Gases

Toxic substance
Flammable Solids Oxidizing substance

Miscellaneous
Radioactive Material Corrosive
 Warning Labels for Transport of Dangerous Goods
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering

Cryogenics This Way Up

Magnetic Material Cargo Aircraft Only

University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering
University of San Carlos - Department of Chemical Engineering