Nanomaterials in Waste Streams: Current Knowledge on Risks and Impacts

98 Pages·2016·1.509 MB·French

by  Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development

Nanomaterials in Waste Streams
CurreNt KNoWledge oN riSKS aNd impaCtS
Nanomaterials in Waste
Contents
Chapter 1. Assessments and recommendations
Streams
Chapter 2. Recycling of waste containing nanomaterials
Chapter 3. Incineration of waste containing nanomaterials
CurreNt KNoWledge oN riSKS
Chapter 4. Landfilling of waste containing nanomaterials and nanowaste
aNd impaCtS
Chapter 5. The fate of engineered nanomaterials in sewage treatment plants and agricultural applications
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iSbN 978-92-64-24061-2
97 2015 16 1 p

Nanomaterials
in Waste Streams
CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON RISKS AND IMPACTS
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Pleasecitethispublicationas:
OECD (2016), Nanomaterials in Waste Streams: Current Knowledge on Risks and Impacts, OECD
Publishing,Paris.
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PREFACE
Preface
I
mproving the management of materials and sharply reducing the impact of waste are
keyelementsinanystrategytohalttheon-goingerosionofenvironmentalresilience.This
meanspoliciesandapproachesthatencouragethesustainableuseofmaterialsandensure
human health and environmental protection. Any such policies need to adapt to the
rapidly changing manufacturing environment associated with technological and process
innovations. One such innovation is the increasingly widespread use of engineered
nanomaterials.
Nanomaterialsareincreasinglyusedinavarietyofwidelyavailableproductssuchas
sunscreen,cosmetics,antibacterialtextiles,lithiumionbatteries,glasscoatingandtennis
rackets. Nanomaterials are utilised in a range of applications due to their significantly
enhanced properties, enabled by their nano-scale structure. However, these special
chemical and physical characteristics are also associated with possible risks to
environmental health and safety.A relative blank spot in scientific understanding lies in
the area of waste management.Waste containing these materials is currently managed
along with conventional waste without sufficient knowledge of the associated risks and
impactsontheenvironment.
This report aims to provide an overview of the current state of scientific insights in
this area, as well as the knowledge gaps. It investigates the literature on the fate and
possible impacts of nanomaterials in specific waste treatment processes, including
recycling,incineration,landfillingandwastewatertreatmentprocesses.Italsohighlights
key messages, future research areas and possible approaches to effectively support the
sustainablemanagementofnanomaterials.
The report draws on knowledge generated within the OECD and beyond. The
developmentofthereporthasbeenledbytheWorkingPartyonResourceProductivityand
Waste (WPRPW) in close collaboration with the Working Party on Manufactured
Nanomaterials (WPMN). The science in this area is rapidly evolving and the OECD is
planningtopursueitseffortsinthisareaincloseco-operationwithotherorganisationsat
the international and national level, including governments, research institutes, and
academiccircles.
SimonUpton
Director
OECDEnvironmentDirectorate
NANOMATERIALSINWASTESTREAMS©OECD2016 3

FOREWORD
Foreword
T
his publication has been developed by OECD’s Environmental Policy Committee through its
WorkingPartyonResourceProductivityandWaste(WPRPW).Theindividualchaptersonrecycling,
incineration, landfilling and wastewater treatment have been developed by technical experts from
Switzerland,Germany,CanadaandFrance.AttheOECDSecretariattheprojectwasco-ordinatedby
Peter Börkey and Shunta Yamaguchi under the supervision of Shardul Agrawala, Head of the
EnvironmentandEconomyIntegrationDivision.
Thisworkwasinitiatedtoattractattentiontothepotentialrisksthatarelinkedtothepresence
ofnanomaterialsinwastetreatmentprocesses.Asafirststep,a“ScopingStudyonNanowaste”was
developed by Jeremy Allan in May2012 followed by a workshop on “Safe Management of
Nanowaste” held in Munich on 9th-11th May2012. This workshop contributed to identifying the
stateofknowledgeinthisareaandledtothedevelopmentoffourreportsonspecificwastetreatment
processes of recycling, incineration, landfilling and wastewater treatment, which are presented in
thispublication.
Alongwiththeseefforts,theWorkingPartyonManufacturedNanomaterials(WPMN)hasbeen
investigating the possible impacts of nanomaterials on health and the environment since2006. In
September2013, the OECD issued a Council Recommendation which suggests that existing
regulatoryframeworksaregenerallyapplicabletoaddresssafetyassessmentofnanomaterialswith
some possible adjustment required to handle the specificities of nanomaterials. Nevertheless, the
OECD Council Recommendation does not imply that current waste management processes and
techniques are generally appropriate in addressing potential impacts of nanomaterials. Current
waste treatment facilities are not typically designed to handle Waste Containing Nanomaterials
(WCNMs),potentiallyleadingtoemissionsintotheenvironmentandtheexposureofpeopletothese
substances. Therefore, this publication aims to identify the status of knowledge in this area, the
knowledgegaps,aswellastheareaswherefurtherworkshouldbeconductedinpriority.
Giventhattheresearchonnanomaterialsisrapidlyevolving,thispublicationaimstodelivera
snapshotofthecurrentknowledgeontherisksandimpactsofnanomaterialsenteringthesewaste
streams.Thecurrentfindingsareacompilationofintermediateresultswhicharelikelytoevolveas
thescienceprogresses.
The report has been prepared as a joint effort of WPRPW member countries. The OECD
Secretariat led the work in finalising the publication and drafted the assessment and
recommendationschapterandtheexecutivesummary.Theindividualchaptershavebeendeveloped
bythefollowingauthors:
Chapter1 on assessment and recommendations was prepared by Peter Börkey and Shunta
YamaguchioftheOECDSecretariat.
Chapter2onrecyclingofwastecontainingnanomaterialswaspreparedbyMathiasTellenbach
fromTerraConsultBern(Switzerland).
NANOMATERIALSINWASTESTREAMS©OECD2016 5
FOREWORD
Chapter3onincinerationofwastecontainingnanomaterialswaspreparedbyJuliaVogeland
BenjaminWiechmannwithcontributionsfromSusannKrause,GermanFederalEnvironmentAgency
(UBA).
Chapter4 on landfilling of waste containing nanomaterials was drafted by Martha King,
JacintheSéguinandAshleyHuiofEnvironmentCanada.
Chapter5 on nanomaterials released into wastewater treatment sludge was drafted by Jean-
Yves Bottero,researchdirectorattheCNRS (NationalCentre for ScientificResearch inFrance) and
directorofLabex-SERENADE.
The report also benefitted from extensive comments from OECD’sWorking Party on Resource
Productivity and Waste and the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials, including the
countrydelegationsaswellasindustry,representedbytheBusinessandIndustryAdvisoryCouncil
totheOECD.TheOECDSecretariatwouldliketoparticularlythankSwitzerland,Germany,Canada
andFrancefortheirintellectualandfinancialcontributionstothework.
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6 NANOMATERIALSINWASTESTREAMS©OECD2016
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Table of contents
Acronyms ................................................................. 9
Executivesummary......................................................... 11
Chapter1.Assessmentandrecommendations.................................. 15
Whatisthelinktowastemanagement? ................................... 17
WhatisthecurrentstateofknowledgeonthefateofWCNMsinwastetreatment
facilities? .............................................................. 18
Howmuchdoweknowaboutthebestwaystomanagetherisksidentifiedsofar? 22
Whatisthepossiblewayforward? ........................................ 22
Recommendedareasforfurtherresearchonwastecontainingnanomaterials... 24
References ............................................................. 25
Chapter2.Recyclingofwastecontainingnanomaterials ......................... 29
Theimportanceofrecyclinginwastemanagement.......................... 30
Keynanomaterialsinproducts............................................ 31
Fateofnanomaterialsinrecyclingoperationsandpotentialexposure.......... 32
Risksrelatedtonanomaterialinwaste..................................... 33
RecyclingproceduresandBestAvailableTechniques(BAT).................... 34
Theissueofnon-standardtreatmentofwaste .............................. 35
Knowledgegapsandpossibleactivities .................................... 36
Notes.................................................................. 37
References ............................................................. 37
Annex2.A1.Wastestreamspossiblycontainingnanomaterials ................ 41
Chapter3.Incinerationofwastecontainingnanomaterials....................... 43
Relevanceofnanotechnology............................................. 44
Informationonwastecontainingnanomaterials(WCNMs)(quantity,composition) 45
Wastetreatmentoption:wasteincineration ................................ 46
Fateandbehaviourofengineerednanomaterials(ENMs)inwasteincineration
plants ................................................................. 47
Summaryandoutlook................................................... 49
References ............................................................. 50
Annex3.A1.Disposalroutesofmunicipalsolidwaste......................... 52
Chapter4.Landfillingofwastecontainingnanomaterialsandnanowaste ......... 53
Landfillsandtheintroductionofnanomaterialsinwaste..................... 54
Fateofnanomaterialsinlandfills.......................................... 59
Nanomaterialsandleachatetreatment .................................... 63
Regulationsandmanagementofnanomaterialsinwaste..................... 65
NANOMATERIALSINWASTESTREAMS©OECD2016 7
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Conclusionsandknowledgegaps ......................................... 67
Notes.................................................................. 69
References ............................................................. 69
Chapter5.Thefateofengineerednanomaterialsinsewagetreatmentplants
andagriculturalapplications............................................. 75
Processesusedinurbansewagetreatmentplants:theroleofactivatedsludge .. 76
Whatdoweknowaboutthepresenceofnanomaterialsinthesludgefromsewage
treatmentplants?....................................................... 77
Whattransformationscannanoparticlesundergoinsewagetreatmentplants
andhowdoesthisaffectreactoroperation? ................................ 79
CanwepredicttheretentionandtransformationofENMsbyactivatedsludge?
Useofretention,aggregationandsedimentationmodels..................... 82
Whatrisksareinvolvedinagriculturalapplications?......................... 84
Currentresearchoverview:locationofteamsinvolvedinthisfieldthroughout
theworld .............................................................. 84
Whatresearchstillneedstobecarriedout? ................................ 85
References ............................................................. 86
Glossary................................................................... 89
Tables
1.1. PossiblesourcesofWCNMs ........................................... 19
1.2. PossibleleakageroutesofENMsfromwastetreatmentoperations.......... 22
1.3. CurrentstateofknowledgeandknowledgegapsofthefateofENMs
inwastetreatmentprocesses ......................................... 23
2.1. SummaryofreportednanomaterialsinWCNM .......................... 32
2.2. KnowledgegapsandproposedmeasuresinthecontextofrecyclingofWCNM 37
2.A1.1. SelectedwastestreamswithpossibleWCNM............................ 41
3.1. Summaryofengineerednanomaterials(ENMs)producedandusedinEurope
andintheworld..................................................... 45
5.1. ProductionandmanagementofsewagetreatmentplantsludgeinFrance
(2000-04) ........................................................... 76
5.2. Occurrenceofnanoparticlesoriginatingfromeverydayconsumerproducts.. 79
5.3. Percentageofnanoparticlesassociatedwithbacterialaggregatesinanaerobic
andanaerobicreactorofanurbansewagetreatmentplant................ 83
Figures
3.A1.1. DisposalroutesofmunicipalsolidwasteintheOECDin2013.............. 52
5.1. Wastewatertreatmentstages.......................................... 77
5.2. Publicationsonnanomaterialscorrespondingtocertainresearchfields..... 78
5.3. ConcentrationofmetallicelementsandpresenceofAg2Snanoparticles
inurbansludge...................................................... 78
8 NANOMATERIALSINWASTESTREAMS©OECD2016