Alvim-Ferraz Maria C M, Afonso Sérgio A V
LEPAE, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Oporto, Portugal.
Environ Sci Technol. 2003 Jul 15;37(14):3152-7. doi: 10.1021/es026209p.
Previously published results for emission factors of medical waste incineration do not include enough information about the incinerated waste composition. This paper reports the first emission factors estimated for particulate matter, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Hg, and Ni, considering that medical waste is segregated in different types according to Portuguese legislation. The main purpose was to evaluate the influence of incinerated waste composition and segregation practice on emission factors. One "controlled-air" incinerator without air pollution control devices was used for the incineration either of mixtures with a defined composition or of a specific waste type. Previously published emission factors are not associated with the composition of the incinerated mixture, and the results showed that the usefulness of those emission factors is very doubtful. The existence of different waste classifications also reduces the usefulness of previously published results. To protect human health, appropriate equipment to control atmospheric pollutants must be used, since the legal limits for pollutant concentrations were strongly surpassed (226 times higher than the limit for Hg), with risks for patients and workers of the hospital and exposed population. It was concluded that rigorous segregation practices and adequate management methodologies allow reducing 80% of the amount of wastes that must be incinerated, practically eliminating Hg and Pb emissions and reducing those of PM, As, Cd, Cr, Mn, and Ni, respectively, 98, 90, 92, 84, 77, and 92%.
先前公布的医疗废物焚烧排放因子结果未包含足够关于焚烧废物成分的信息。本文报告了首次针对颗粒物、砷、镉、铬、铅、锰、汞和镍估算的排放因子，考虑到根据葡萄牙法律医疗废物按不同类型进行了分类。主要目的是评估焚烧废物成分和分类做法对排放因子的影响。使用一台没有空气污染控制装置的“控制空气”焚烧炉对具有特定成分的混合物或特定类型的废物进行焚烧。先前公布的排放因子与焚烧混合物的成分无关，结果表明那些排放因子的实用性非常值得怀疑。不同废物分类的存在也降低了先前公布结果的实用性。为保护人类健康，必须使用适当的设备来控制大气污染物，因为污染物浓度严重超过了法定限值（汞的浓度比限值高226倍），对医院的患者和工作人员以及受影响人群构成风险。得出的结论是，严格的分类做法和适当的管理方法能够减少80%必须焚烧的废物量，实际上消除汞和铅的排放，并分别将颗粒物、砷、镉、铬、锰和镍的排放减少98%、90%、92%、84%、77%和92%。
