To illustrate the application of the data on technologies to the evaluation of options for an integrated MSW management strategy, this section summarizes the energy balance and air and water emissions for:
Table 5.6 shows the energy and emissions over a 20-year period from a strategy that includes RDF preparation and combustion. The estimates in the table include energy and emissions for normal collection of MSW, RDF preparation, RDF combustion, land filling of the ash, and landfilling of the unprocessed RDF, as well as the contribution of landfilling to the energy and emissions for the strategy as a whole. Recovery of materials during preparation is part of the RDF production process, and energy effects and emissions from that recycling are included. Credits for savings in energy for actually recycling the separated materials through remanufacture are included as well. The results are given separately for transportation, processing (preparation and combustion of RDF), and disposal (landfilling the ash in a monofill and landfilling the RDF rejects in an MSW landfill). Table 5.7 presents the same data for the landfill strategy.
RDF direct combustion, like mass burning, produces substantial electrical energy, about 3.7 times more energy than is recovered from a landfill. Emissions are similar to those for mass burning, except that the organic rejects increase the quantities of MSW sent to a landfill, where they release methane and leachate.
Table 5.6
ENERGY AND EMISSIONS FOR STRATEGY 4: RDF FOR DIRECT FIRING
Total Collection Process Disposal
Landfill space for residue (assuming
a depth of 50 feet), 10(-5) acres 0.468 0.468
Solid waste (lb) 617 617
Energy required(million Btu) 2.16 0.079 2.07 0.001
Energy Produced (million Btu) 10.10 0.00 9.75 0.352
Net Energy (million Btu) 7.94 -0.079 7.67 0.350
Air Emissions
Particulates (lb) 0.05 0.02 0.004
Carbon Monoxide (lb) 2.06 0.79 1.27
Hydrocarbons (lb) 0.08 0.08 NA 0.00
Nitrogen oxides (lb) 2.64 0.32 2.33
Carbon dioxide (lb) 1460 1424 36
Water (lb) 970 940
Methane (lb) 2.29 NA 2.29
NMOC (lb) 0.12 NA 0.12
Dioxin/furan {10(-6)lb}(b) 0.0038 0.0038
SO(2) 1.10 1.10
HCI 0.26 0.26
Antimony {10(-6)lb} ND ND
Arsenic{10(-6)lb} ND ND
Cadmium {10(-6)lb} ND ND
Chromium {10(-6)lb} 87 87
Lead {10(-6)lb} 320 320
Mercury {10(-6)lb} 55 55
Nickel {10(-6)lb} 64 64
Zinc {10(-6)lb} 170 170
Total Heavy Metals {10(-6)lb} 696 696
Effluent
Leachate (gal) 18.29 18.29
Leachate (lb) 152 152
Chloride (lb) 0.82 0.82
Sodium (lb) 0.26 0.26
Potassium (lb) 0.17 0.17
COD (lb) 0.02 0.02
TOC (lb) <0.0002 <0.0002
Arsenic {10(-3)lb} 13.8 13.8
Cadmium {10(-3)lb} 0.48 0.48
Chromium {10(-3)lb} 26.10 26.10
Copper {10(-3)lb} 6.88 6.88
Nickel{10(-3)lb} 17.30 17.30
Lead {10(-3)lb} 7.68 7.68
Mercury {10(-3)lb} 0.96 0.96
Zinc {10(-3)lb} NA NA
Total Heavy Metals {10(-6)lb} 73.10 73.10
AOX (lb) 0.173 0.173
(a) RDF preparation, metal recovery, and RDF combustion.
(b) This is total dioxin/furan as specified by EPA in CFR, 1991a.
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Table 5.7
ENERGY AND EMISSIONS FOR STRATEGY 1: LANDFILL WITH GAS RECOVERY
Total Collection Process Disposal
Landfill space (assuming a depth
of 50 ft), 10(-5) acres 2.0 2.00
Solid waste (lb) 2000 2000
Energy Required (million Btu) 0.081 0.079 0.002
Energy Produced (million Btu) 2.20 0.00 2.20
Net Energy (million Btu) 2.12 -0.079 2.20
Air Emissions
Particulates (lb) 0.02 0.02
Carbon Monoxide (lb) 0.79 0.79
Hydrocarbons (lb) 0.08 0.08
Nitrogen oxides (lb) 0.32 0.32 NA
Carbon dioxide (lb) 225 225
Carbon dioxide-combustion (lb) 212 212
Water (lb) 188 188
Methane (lb) 14.34 14.34
NMOC (lb) 0.75 0.75
Dioxin/furan {10(-6)lb}(a)
SO(2) {10(-3)lb}
HCI {10(-3)lb}
Antimony {10(-6)lb}
Arsenic {10(-6)lb}
Cadmium {10(-6)lb}
Chromium {10(-6)lb}
Lead {10(-6)lb}
Mercury {10(-6)lb}
Nickel {10(-6)lb}
Zinc {10(-6)lb}
Total Heavy Metals {10(-6)lb} NA NA
Effluent
Leachate (gal) 80 80
Leachate (lb) 667 667
Chloride (lb) 1.13 1.13
Sodium (lb) 0.73 0.73
Potassium (lb) 0.60 0.60
COD (lb) 0.16 0.16
Arsenic {10(-3)lb} 86 86
Cadmium {10(-3)lb} 3 3
Chromium {10(-3)lb} 163 163
Copper {10(-3)lb} 43 43
Nickel {10(-3)lb} 108 108
Lead {10(-3)lb} 48 48
Mercury {10(-3)lb} 6 6
Zinc {10(-3)lb} NA NA
Total Heavy Metals {10(-3)lb} 457 457
AOX (lb) 1.08 1.08
(a) This is total dioxin/furan as specified by EPA in CFR, 1991a
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Other Integrated Strategies Described in the Data Base
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