How Plasma Arc could sabotage Zero Waste in Capannori Dr Paul Connett Professore Emerito di Chimica St Lawrence University, Canton, NY pconnett@gmail.com www.AmericanHealthStudies.org www.FluorideALERT.org Capannori, Sept 20, 2009

Rossano Ercolini Ambientefuturo@interfree.it 338-28-66-215 Grazie a Rossano Ercolini (Ambiente e Futuro) per avere organizzato la mia # 42 visita in Italia Rossano Ercolini Ambientefuturo@interfree.it 338-28-66-215

Paul Connett ha parlato in 172 citta’

San Francisco Popolazione = 850.000 Carenza di spazio 50% raccolta differenziata entro il 2000 63% raccolta differenziata entro il 2004 70% raccolta differenziata entro il 2008 72% raccolta differenziata entro il 2009 75% raccolta differenziata entro il 2010 (obiettivo) Zero Rifiuti (o molto vicino!) entro il 2020

San Francisco’s Approach for Easy High Diversion Recycled Paper 21% Food Scraps 20% Plant Trimmings 5% Glass and Plastic Bottles Aluminum and Steel Cans 4% Compostable Paper & Fiber 10% Construction and Demolition Waste 25% All % numbers by weight or tons San Francisco: from Jack Macy, Dept. of Environment Other 15% courtesy of Jack Macy, SF Dept. of Environment

Italia Oltre 2000 Comuni in Italia stanno ottenendo oltre il 50% di conversione dalla raccolta porta a porta

Porta a Porta Si risparmia Crea lavoro E’ piu’ conveniente per I cittadini Scompaiano le campane e I contenitorri dalle strade E’ piu’ attraente per il turismo

Italia Novara (popolazione = 100,000) ha raggiunto il 70% in soli 18 mesi !

Italia Nella provincia di Treviso (Priula Consorzio) 22 Comuni hanno raggiunto il 76% di conversione in 5 anni

RISULTATI QUANTITATIVI AUMENTO % RACCOLTA DIFFERENZIATA

RISULTATI QUANTITATIVI AUMENTO % RACCOLTA DIFFERENZIATA >80%

Italia Villafranca d’Asti (popolazione = 30,000) ha raggiunto l’ 85% (Roberto Cavallo)

Italia Provincia di Napoli San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Volla, Meta di Sorrento, Vico Equense e Sorrento > 70% Quartiere Colli Aminei = 73% (in tre mesi!)

Nel Feb 24, 2007 Capannori (vicino Lucca) e` diventata la prima citta` a dichiarare una strategia rifiuti zero 2020 Rossano Ercolini Ambientefuturo@interfree.it 338-28-66-215

FRAZIONE RESIDUA - Capannori Porta a Porta 1. Tessili e cuolo 16.52 % 2. Pannolini 13.95 % 3. Materiale organico da cucina 10.56 % 4. Altra plastica: non imballo 9.98 % 5. Imballaggi cellulosici poliaccopiati 8.05 % 6. Imballaggi poliaccopiati in plastica 7.45 % 7. Imballaggi flessibili in plastica 6.81 % 8. Materiale organico da giardino 4.64 % 9. Imballaggi rigidi in plastica (non bottiglie) 3.23 % 10 Giornali (quotidiani e riviste) 2.54 %

FRAZIONE RESIDUA – Capannori 2.54 % Giornali (quotidiani e riviste) 10 3.23 % Imballaggi rigidi in plastica (non bottiglie)‏ 9. 4.64 % Materiale organico da giardino 8. 6.81 % Imballaggi flessibili in plastica 7. 7.45 % Imballaggi poliaccopiati in plastica 6. 8.05 % Imballaggi cellulosici poliaccopiati 5. 9.98 % Altra plastica: non imballo 4. 10.56 % Materiale organico da cucina 3. 13.95 % Pannolini 2. 16.52 % Tessili e cuoio 1. Questa e’ l’analisi del 17% che rimane dopo la separazione dell’ 83% del materiale raccolto porta a porta

Come gestiamo la frazione residua: un momento cruciale della filosofia Rifiuti Zero L’incenerimento cerca di far sparire la frazione residua Rifiuti Zero 2020 ha bisogno di rendere i residui MOLTO VISIBILI, perché… Frazione Residua = cattiva progettazione industriale e Cattive decisioni d’acquisto

Plasma arc plants are part of family of technologies competing with mass burn incinerators (gasification, pyrolysis and plasma arc/torch) with very little proven commercial track record All claim NOT to be incinerators, but all involve two stages: 1) the conversion of solid waste into a gas, 2) the burning of the gas, producing many of the same problems as a regular incinerator So the more appropriate names would be: Gasifying incinerator Pyrolyzing incinerator Plasma arc incinerator

PLASMA ARC TECHNOLOGY

For every 3-4 tons of trash you get about one ton of ash ELECTRICITY TURBINE WET SCRUBBER SECONDARY CHAMBER STEAM DE-NOX CHUTE TEMP < 200oC FABRIC FILTER BOILER SEMI- DRY SCRUBBER Ca(OH) 2 SUSPENSION ACTIVATED CHARCOAL GRATES AMMONIA INJECTION TRASH FLY ASH BOTTOM ASH

Paragone tra Torcia al plasma con l’incenerimento di massa NON SOSTENIBILE Perche’ distrugge risorse di materiali limitate Torcia al plasma NON SOSTENIBILE Perche’ distrugge risorse di materiali limitate

Incenerimento con Torcia al plasma -problemi pratici Il problema con tutte le tecnologie di gassificazione aumentano se si passa da progetti pilota su piccola scala a progetti industriali su scala commerciale.

Incenerimento con Torcia al plasma - chimici constraints Non c’e’ magia che annulli la chimica di base. Quello che entra = quello che esce Abbiamo bisogno di attenti studi di bilanci di massa per vedere dove finiscono il mmercurio, l’arsenico, il cadmio, il piombo, il cloro, il fluoro, e il bromo :nei fanghi, nei prodotti metallici, nelle ceneri leggere o nell’aria. Il problema finale riguarda la tematica delle nanoparticles. Al momento queste non vengono ne’ regolamentate, ne monitorate ma hanno delle conseguenze sulla salute molto gravi..

Ogni 3-4 ton di rifiuti ottieni circa 1 ton di ceneri ELECTRICITY TURBINE WET SCRUBBER SECONDARY CHAMBER STEAM DE-NOX CHUTE TEMP < 200oC FABRIC FILTER BOILER SEMI- DRY SCRUBBER Ca(OH) 2 SUSPENSION ACTIVATED CHARCOAL GRATES AMMONIA INJECTION TRASH FLY ASH BOTTOM ASH

PLASCO Has built a 100 ton per day pilot plant in Ottawa, Canada Is aggressively marketing technology all over Canada, US and some other countries

PLASCO CEO Rod Bryden says: 1) Filter ash goes back into furnace. 2) System produces no dioxin because no oxygen available. 3) System destroys nanoparticles. 4) Slag to be used in asphalt & concrete. 5) Salt to be used on roads. 6) Sulfur to be used in agriculture

PLASCO plant in Ottawa a fiasco! When officials from Los Angeles visited the plant it wasn’t working Operators tried to start plant three times without success L.A. dropped plant from its plan – because it hasn’t operated for 1000 hours in a one year period Other communities in California and British Columbia have cancelled project

PLASCO

Solid converted to gas At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

Gas Solid converted to gas At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

Gas Solid converted to gas Solid At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

PLASCO Solid converted to gas Vitrified slag At about 600 -700 deg. C

PLASCO External energy Solid converted to gas Vitrified slag At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO Vitrified slag

PLASCO Solid converted to gas Gas Cooling & Cleaning At about Internal Combustion engine At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

When combustion engines not working F L A R E Gas Solid converted to gas Gas Cooling & Cleaning At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

? PLASCO Solid converted to gas Gas Cooling & Cleaning At about Internal Combustion engine At about 600 -700 deg. C PLASCO

GAS Cooling & Cleaning

Heat Recovery unit Heat

Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber Heat NaOH solution Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber NaCl NaF NaBr NaCN ? Heat “Salt” + water

Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber Heat Activated Carbon NaOH solution Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber NaCl NaF NaBr NaCN ? Carbon + mercury + dioxins etc Heat “Salt” + water

Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber Sulfur Heat Activated Carbon NaOH solution Heat Recovery unit Carbon Filter Plus bacteria Wet Scrubber NaCl NaF NaBr NaCN ? Sulfur Carbon + mercury + dioxins etc Heat “Salt” + water

Heat Recovery unit Wet Scrubber Sulfur Heat Activated Carbon NaOH solution Heat Recovery unit Carbon Filter Plus bacteria Wet Scrubber NaCl NaF NaBr NaCN ? Sulfur Carbon + mercury + dioxins etc Heat “Salt” + water

PLASCO CEO Rod Bryden says: 1) Filter ash goes back into furnace. 2) System produces no dioxin because no oxygen available. 3) System destroys nanoparticles. 4) Slag to be used in asphalt & concrete. 5) Salt to be used on roads. 6) Sulfur to be used in agriculture

Recycling fly ash Modern incinerators use activated carbon filters to remove mercury This carbon is part of the fly ash, and this should then be a SINK for the mercury (and sent to special facilities for recovery or containment) However if you put the fly ash back into the furnace then you will release ALL the mercury again There is only place left for the mercury to go (and other volatile metals) and that is into the AIR.

No dioxin because no air There is plenty of air in incoming waste! Dioxin emitted in other plasma arc facilities

Yang & Kim (2004). Characteristics of dioxins and metals emission from radwaste plasma arc melter system.  Chemosphere 57: 421-428 When PVC was fed into the high-temperature melter, a significant quantity of PCDD/Fs, cadmium and lead was emitted. Wet scrubbing with rapid quenching, as well as a low temperature two-step fine filtration, or both of them together cannot effectively control the volatile metal species and gas-phase PCDD/Fs. The removal of PVC from the feed waste stream must also be effective to reduce the emissions of the PCDD/Fs, cadmium and lead species.

Using salt on roads “Salt” will not be pure salt (NaCl) - could be problems with other salts which are very toxic , e.g. sodium fluoride

Using sulfur Using sulfur in agriculture could be problem if it is contaminated with mercury etc.

The difference between PR hype and Reality The following slides are taken from www.GREENACTION.org They document the dismal track record of various gasification, pyrolysis and plasma arc/torch facilities

INDUSTRIAL CLAIMS

THERMOSELECT FACILITY IN KARLSRUHE

BRIGHTSTAR’S WOOLONGONG FACILITY

RICHLAND, WASHINGTON

One of PEAT’s claims is very disturbing They also claim that they will have no fly ash because they are going to recycle it back into the process.

GASIFICATION, PYROLYSIS etc Engineering consultants’ view: “Many of the perceived benefits of gasification and pyrolysis over combustion technology proved to be unfounded. These perceptions have arisen mainly from inconsistent comparisons in the absence of quality information.” Fichtner Consulting Engineers Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire, March, 2004

Lurgi letter “…a decision has been taken within Lurgi to discontinue marketing gasification and pyrolysis technologies for waste conversion applications. This decision has come after rigorous analysis of market requirements, technical feasibility and economic sensitivities of gasification and pyrolysis of waste, as applied by Lurgi and our competitors. We recognize there is a positive bias towards gasification/pyrolysis amongst politicians and environmentalists. However, we are in no doubt that in the short to medium term neither technology will be developed and commercially proven to the point where it can compete.” Letter (08-09-2003) to Fichter Consulting Engineers Ltd, Cheshire, UK