NARRATIVE REPORT

General part

Toxic Free Europe -2

FRI (Belarus), Eco-Accord (Russia) and “MAMA-86” (Ukraine) have finalized the implementation of a new joint project entitled “Toxic Free Europe -2”: NGO actions for sustainable chemicals management and the implementation of SAICM in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

Responsible persons:

FRI: Eugeniy Lobanov, Head of Program on Chemical Safety, e-mail:

Eco-Accord: Olga Speranskaya, Head of Program on Chemical Safety, e-mail: ; ;

“MAMA-9”, Olga Tsyguleva, Head of @MAMA-86-Kharkov”, e-mail:

The overall goal of the project is to contribute to SAICM objective of a Toxics Free Future and to reduce the exposure and spreading of hazardous chemicals through targeted information activities in three counties. The project is aimed at informing national and local authorities, industry, NGOs, academia, and press in the EECCA region about environmentally sound and economically feasible non-combustion technologies on waste management including the destruction of POPs in waste, and on supporting concrete measures to solve the problems of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides.

Project beneficiaries:

  • Local authorities, responsible for chemical policy, and environmental protection in the EECCA region.
  • Chemical and waste-management industry in the EECCA region.
  • Local, regional and national environmental NGOs in the EECCA region, involved in addressing issues of chemical safety and waste management including destruction of POPs in waste.
  • Scientific and research academia working on issues of chemical safety.
  • Students.
  • Local communities.
  • Business associations.

Project main outcomes:

  • Increased stakeholder awareness on non-combustion technologies of waste management;
  • Increased public/civil society awareness in management and destruction of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and PCB, including PCB contaminated equipment;
  • Stakeholders are provided with good practice examples on waste destruction including POPs in waste;
  • The database on non-combustion technologies of waste management consisting of 72 technologies is formed;
  • The database on non-combustion technologies of waste management consisting of 72 technologies is displayed at the website formed specifically for the purpose of the project;
  • The website is made accessible for all stakeholders;
  • Ways to further disseminate information about the database of non-combustion technologies of waste management are analysed;
  • Strategy for further information dissemination about the database of non-combustion technologies of waste management is developed.
  • Volunteers interested in further dissemination of information about the database are identified;
  • CD disk with database technologies is printed and disseminated via stakeholders in the EECCA region;
  • Strategy for further use of the database as an education material for students interested in waste management and chemical safety is prepared.

During project implementation the following activities have been carried out:

  1. Creating a database (software and online version) of different environmentally sound and economically feasible non-combustion technologies on waste destruction including POPs in waste and good practice examplesof sustainable chemicals management.
  2. Establishing an Expert Panel for evaluation of different technologies and potential elements of the database.
  3. Establishing a Database Updating Committee consisting of representatives of environmental NGOs from different EECCA countries.
  4. Holding three national round tables in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine which became forums for presenting the database and discussing issues on sustainable chemicals management and SAICM implementation.
  5. Preparing and disseminating information materials about the database and its usefulness for stakeholder activities.

Detailed description of the activities implemented during the project.

  1. Creating a database (software and online version) of different environmentally sound and economically feasible non-combustion technologies on waste destruction including POPs in waste and goodpractice examplesof sustainable chemicals management.

Database consists of the following sections:

  1. Technical description of a technology;
  2. Description of economic benefits of a particular technology;
  3. Description of ecological consequences of the implementation of a particular technological process;
  4. Good practice examples of the use of a particular technology in different countries including the EECCA if data is available;
  5. Relevant comments of NGOs and scientific experts (evaluation and assessment), where appropriate.
  6. Photos if available;
  7. Contact information of vendor.

Prepared data base consists of the description of 72 non-combustion technological processes on waste management including the destruction of POPs in waste, which could be the most important for the use in the EECCA region.

The data base is available on-line at:

and off-line on CD.Database is formed in Russian with technical opportunity to add English version in the future.

Such a database in the Russian language is being developed for the first time. The database information would allow interested producers and consumers to get information on all tested industrial-scale technologies; technologies approaching the stage of industrial application; promising laboratory-scale tested technologies with good chances of further development, as well as on underdeveloped technologies with unclear capacity, that are likely to reach an industrial application scale in the case of further research.

In addition to brief description of technological processes, the database contains information on relevant economic considerations, waste treatment costs, health and environmental safety data, contact information of developers and equipment suppliers.

Technologies for incorporation into the database were selected at the base of the following key criteria:

  1. Health and environmental safety of technological processes.
  2. The level of destruction of hazardous components.
  3. Waste treatment costs
  4. Economic and environmental efficiency relevant forEast Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) region from.

Information on alternative non-incineration waste management technologies was collected from different sources, including information materials of the Global Environmental Facility, the World Bank, UNEP, US EPA, as well as publications of theoretical conferences and specialised seminars. Besides that, information on technologies was provided by R&D institutes and laboratories operating in the sphere of waste treatment, as well as by NGOs.

Therefore, the database is a unique collection of information materials on experiences of different countries and organisation in the sphere of safe waste management. For the first time, the database allowed a broad range of readers to get access to information in some technologies that were developed in the EECCA countries.

Below is a brief description of the technologies listed in the database.

Category A: Commercialised industrial technologies

The section incorporates descriptions of technologies, that are applied in operational industrial installations and have been issued licenses for elimination of hazardous organic compounds, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These technologies are characterised by high destruction efficiencies (DE) of POPs components - from 99.999% to 99.9999% or higher. Besides that, the section contains information on operational industrial installations for treatment/utilisation of production and consumption waste, and describes technologies for decontamination of sites after industrial accidents (remediation of oil pollution).

This section also contains information on good practice examples of the use of this type of technologies in different countries.

Category B: Technologies near or at the start of commercialisation

The section contains descriptions of technologies for elimination of hazardous waste, including POPs, that are applied in operational pilot-scale installations and in industrial installations at the stage of construction. These technologies are claimed to be suitable for POPs treatment. Such claims need independent proof (DE over 99.9999% and no generation of toxic by-products). The section also contains descriptions of technologies for processing of production and consumption waste, that are being prepared for industrial-scale application.

Category C: Promising technologies

Waste processing technologies in this section have been successfully tested in laboratories and were applied in pilot-scale projects. These technologies need additional research to demonstrate their potential industrial capacity.

Category D: Technologies that need a significant research

Waste treatment technologies in this section are not sufficiently studied and their potential still remains unclear. Some of them might be placed in other sections, however, lack of available information does not allow to make a definite choice. It is also possible, that some techniques, that were identified as inappropriate, might be successfully developed into commercially applicable ones. However, due to lack of information, these technologies were placed into this section.

Category A: Commercialised industrial technologies

The section incorporates technologies, that are applied in operational industrial installations and have been issued licenses for elimination of hazardous by-products, including POPs:

  1. Gas phase chemical reduction (GPCR process)
  2. Base catalysed decomposition
  3. Sodium reduction
  4. DARAMEND process
  5. Bioremediation of soils and sediments with use of dried blood
  6. Supercritical water oxidation
  7. PLASCON process
  8. Plasma centrifuge treatment
  9. Plasma converter
  10. GeoMelt process
  11. Thermal desorbtion in situ
  12. Biodynamic waste treatment technology
  13. Cleaning of oil pollution by Ecolan
  14. Cleaning of oil pollution by Ecolan oil sorbent
  15. Bioremediation of soils contaminated by polychlorinated biphelyls (PCBs) with application of destructing microorganisms
  16. Local treatment of concentrated phenol/cresol waste in aerobic bioreactors with enhanced oxidation capacity
  17. Microbiological destruction of organochlorine waste (inc. distillation residues) with use of developed microflora of operational anaerobic digesters
  18. Anaerobic fermentation of sulphide-containing waste with use of adapter anaerobic microflora of technical installations (anaerobic digesters)
  19. Cryogenic crushing of tires and rubber items
  20. Mechanic treatment of tires
  21. Treatment of PET bottles
  22. A line for PET bottles processing

Category B. Technologies near or at the start of commercialisation

The section contains descriptions of technologies for elimination of hazardous by-products, including POPs, that are applied in operational pilot-scale installations and in industrial installations at the stage of construction. These technologies are claimed to be suitable for POPs treatment. Such claims need independent proof (DE over 99.9999% and no generation of toxic by-products).

  1. Mechanic-chemical dehalogenation (MCD process)
  2. Solvated electron process (SOLV process)
  3. Xenorem process
  4. CerOx process
  5. Ultrasonic destruction
  6. Molten salt oxidation
  7. Oxidation in soda recovery reactors
  8. High temperature/pressure incineration
  9. Anaerobic fermentation of pesticides by adapted anaerobic microflora of technical installations (anaerobic digesters)
  10. A modified process of biological treatment of concentrated agro-industrial waste by a special association of microorganisms (a variation)
  11. Pyrolysis of crushed used tires in absence of air

Category C. Promising technologies

Chemicals and waste processing technologies in this section have been successfully tested in laboratories and were applied in pilot-scale projects. These technologies need additional research to demonstrate their potential industrial capacity.

  1. Catalytic hydrogenation
  2. TDR-3R process
  3. Mediated electrochemical oxidation (AEA Silver II process)
  4. Soil bioremediation in situ
  5. Phytoremediation
  6. Phytotechnologies
  7. Comprehensive soil remediation (destruction of some classes of pesticides)
  8. Regeneration of chemical agents and use of lignosulphonates: production of iron preparations at the base of technical grade lignosulphonates.

Category D. Other technologies

Waste treatment technologies of this category are not sufficiently studied and their potential still remains unclear. Some of them might be placed in other sections, however, lack of available information does not allow to make a definite choice. It is also possible, that some techniques, that were identified as inappropriate, might be successfully developed into commercially applicable ones. However, due to lack of information, these technologies were placed into Category D.

  1. MnOx/TiO2-Al2O3 catalyst degradation
  2. TiO2 - based V2O5/WO3 catalyst decomposition
  3. Fe(III) photocatalyst decomposition
  4. Ozonation in electric discharge
  5. Molten metals (ММТ process)
  6. Molten slag process
  7. Photochemically enhanced biodecomposition
  8. Biodegradation/Fenton's reaction
  9. White rot fungi biodegradation
  10. Enzyme degradation
  11. Electrolysis in microemulsions
  12. Photocatalytic degradation with application of TiO2
  13. Electron beam treatment
  14. Ozonation

Technologies for treatment of medical waste

This section contains descriptions of alternative non-incineration technologies for treatment of medical waste.

The problem of disinfection, elimination and processing of medical waste becomes increasingly relevant. Numbers of health care facilities continue to increase, as well as numbers of vaccination procedures performed. These (and other) developments result in growing amounts of medical waste and sometimes treatment of medical waste becomes uncontrolled.

Health care facilities rely on different waste management methods, including landfill disposal, open burning of medical waste and application of small waste incinerators.

Disposal of medical waste at landfills results in higher risks of spread of contagious diseases.

In the case of incineration of medical waste, staff members of health care facilities, patients and residents at nearly territories are exposed to toxic by-products of incineration processes, including dioxins, furans, mercury, lead, hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and particulates. Besides that, incineration processes produce toxic ash and its elimination still remains very problematic. Such incineration products as POPs and other persistent toxic compounds may migrate to long distances, bioaccumulate and pose major health and environmental risks.

At the same time, there are alternative non-incineration technologies for treatment of medical waste (including autoclaves, microwave irradiation and application of chemical agents). These technologies are actively applied in developed countries.

This section contains descriptions of the most widely applied alternative non-incineration technologies for treatment of medical waste (the information was provided by Health Care Without Harm Europe,

Apart from the information above, the database contains information about NGOs - participants of the project (FRI, Eco-Accord, MAMA-86) and ChemSec, as well as relevant information about chemicals management in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and links to relevant web-sites.

The Database is put on the website formed specifically for this purpose. The website address:

Interested stakeholders have free access to the website and will have a possibility to provide new and additional information to the database. Thus the proposed data base will become a useful and up to day tool for waste destruction in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the EECCA region.

2. Establishing an Expert Panel for evaluation of different technologies and potential elements of the database.

During project implementation an Expert Panel was established for evaluation of different technologies and potential elements of the database. The Expert Panel consists of 22 designated experts working in the field of toxic waste and sustainable chemicals management. The list of experts and their resume can be downloaded from:

Each expert provided comments on specific technologies and formulated their common position on the database of alternative non-incineration waste management technologies, assessed its importance for addressing problems of adequate and safe waste management; for training of environmental specialists; for public awareness raising and for professional support of decision-making in the sphere of environment.

3.Establishing a Database Updating Committee consisting of representatives of environmental NGOsfrom different EECCA countries.

During project implementation a Database Updating Committee consisting of NGO representative was established. It is responsible for selecting and reviewing examples of the relevant new technological processes and for bringing examples of new technologies to the attention of the Panel of Experts for further consideration. They are also responsible for updating the database with approved technologies. While choosing certain technology, the Database Updating Committee will analyze environmentand health impact of the technology, its economiceffectiveness, as well as possibility to use in the EECCA region.

4.Holding three national round tables in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine which became forums for presenting the database and discussing issues on sustainable chemicals management and SAICM implementation.

The database was presented during three national round tables which were organized in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with broad participation of local authorities, NGOs, chemical industry, and scientists.

5. Preparing and disseminating information materials about the database and its usefulness for stakeholder activities.

During project implementation information about the Database was disseminated via NGO News Services hosted by Eco-Accord, FRI and MAMA-86, IPEN and GAIA list serves.

Information about the Database was presented at The Conference on Waste Management in Kharkov, and at the sub-regional Workshop "Towards a Toxic Free Future" (Impact of Toxic Chemicals on the Environment and Public Health in Central Asia: Ways to Address Problems) in Almaty.

Belarusian part of the project

Recipient NGO:environmental group FRI
Address: P.O.BOX 21, Minsk-220141, Belarus

Contact person: Eugeniy Lobanov, project coordinator

Ph: +375 29658 74 45

Fax: +375 17285 81 44

e-mail:

Responsibilities in frame of the project:

  1. Participation in development of the structure of the database;
  2. Ensuring of creation of software and web-interface components of the database;
  3. Hosting of the database;
  4. Updating of the database during the project period;
  5. Disseminating information about the database via Greenbel news service among environmental NGOs and other relevant target group representatives in Belarus.
  6. Replication of the database on CDs for dissemination in Belarus, and other countries of EECCA region.
  7. Organizing a round table to be held in Belarus for presenting the database to stakeholders.
  8. Participation in two round tables to be organised in Russia and Ukraine.
  1. Participation in development of the structure of the database:

FRI has developed the draft technical structure of the database which was further discussed and agreed with Eco-Accord and Mama-86.

The following structure has been agreed:

Structure of the website

Mainpage (Project description, links to other pages).

News.

Informational materials/library.

Database itself.

How to add the technology into the database.

Expert Committee.

Description of the project partners.

Cooperation with the project.

Links.

Structure of the database

Parameters:

  • Title of the technology
  • Type of the technology
  • Technical description of a technology;
  • Description of economic benefits of the particular technology;
  • Description of ecological consequences of the implementation of a particular technological process;
  • Good practice examples of the use of a particular technology in different countries including the EECCA if data is available;
  • Relevant comments of NGOs and scientific experts (evaluation and assessment), where appropriate.
  • Photos if available;
  • Contact information of vendor.

The site enables the user to search within the database on several parameters.