Hazardous Waste Technology and Management

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge based

• Understanding of the principles of science and technology, which constitute the basis of Integrated Hazardous Waste Management.
• Familiarization with the European and Greek legislation, which deals with hazardous waste management.
• Understanding of the definition and the characteristics, which render a waste hazardous, as well as indicative characterization tests.
• Quantification of acute and chronic toxicity and risk assessment for carcinogens and non-carcinogens.
• Understanding of the management facilities and of the method used to determine incompatibility of hazardous waste during storage, collection and transport.
• Understanding of the basic treatment technologies for hazardous waste, such as stabilization/solidification, incineration, chemical oxidation, neutralization and sanitary landfilling.
• Case studies, such as the management of waste from healthcare facilities.

General Skills:

Skills/Competences acquired

• Following the successful completion of this course, the student will be in a position to decide whether a particular waste is hazardous and how it should be managed.
• The student will be in a position to recognize the basic hazardous waste streams produced in Greece.
• The student will be able to recognize some of the most frequent hazardous substances (e.g., solvents, pesticides, explosives, etc.), which render a waste hazardous.
• Ability to compute risk assessment for hazardous waste.
• Ability to select the best available technology for treatment of a particular hazardous waste.
• Ability to compute mass and energy balances in hazardous waste combustion facilities.
• Ability to design a management system for waste from healthcare facilities.

Course Content:
LECTURES
1. Introduction and evolution in hazardous waste management – landmark mismanagement episodes – definitions – hazardous waste management systems – European and Greek legislation – European Waste Catalogue – Basel Convention
2. Examples of hazardous waste – categories of hazardous chemical substances – toxicity – dose-response curves – risk assessment – Tox town
3. Sampling – characteristics – hazardous waste characterization methods – flammability limits – flash point – TCLP test – European leaching test
4. Hazardous waste production (sources, kinds) – production rates in Greece and in the European Union – clean production – waste minimization – pollution prevention
5. Temporary storage – labeling – separation and treatment at the source – recycling – environmental impact – examples
6. Hazardous waste collection – transport and transfer stations – transboundary transport – labeling during transport – chemical compatibility – facilities for hazardous waste management – environmental impact
7. Process overview for hazardous waste treatment – physical – chemical – biological – thermal processes
8. Sabilization-solidification of hazardous waste – mechanisms – additives – effectiveness – field applications – environmental impact
9. Incineration – mass and energy balances – types of incineration systems – environmental impact
10. Hazardous waste sanitary landfilling – waste acceptance criteria – lining systems – disposal methods – gas and leachate management – landfill covers – environmental monitoring – environmental impact
11. Neutralization – adsorption – ion exchange – design
12. Oxidation – hydrogen peroxide with UV radiation – ozone with UV radiation – design – examples – treatment of cyanide waste
13. Management of waste from healthcare facilities – legislation – classification – collection and transport – treatment technologies – cost
14. Management of asbestos waste

HAZARDOUS WASTE LABORATORY (Laboratory support by Ioannis Papspyros)
1. Laboratory safety rules
2. Acid digestion of hazardous waste
3. Leaching test of hazardous waste as a function of pH-I
4. Leaching test of hazardous waste as a function of pH-II
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Course Outline v.2 14-5-2021
5. Soil washing for removal of hazardous contaminants
6. Advanced chemical oxidation of hazardous waste using the Fenton reagent
7. Speciation modeling of hazardous waste

Suggested Bibliography:

• Voudrias, E.A. (2018). “Hazardous waste technology and management”, edition of Democritus University of Thrace