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Industrial sludge continues to increase in quantity with the development of industry. Therefore, how to effectively treat industrial sludge continues to be an environmental focus around the world. Due to the high calorie content of industrial sludge in Taiwan, most of the sludge is incinerated for simplicity and convenience. However, this incineration causes environmental pollution and cannot effectively reuse the industrial sludge. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of lightweight aggregates produced from water treatment sludge (WTS) mixed with industrial sludge. The industrial sludge was obtained from three industrial zones in Taiwan. The lightweight aggregate materials were prepared by mixing WTS with 7.5%, 15.0%, or 22.5% of industrial sludge as a secondary ingredient. The chemical composition analyses revealed that the ternary phase diagrams of the chemical components were within the range recommended by C.M. Moreover, Riley indicated that the ingredients could expand. The sintering experiments were conducted in two stages. Stage I served to determine the optimal sintering temperature, while Stage II produced lightweight aggregates at the optimal sintering temperatures after 5, 10, or 15 min of preheating. The results indicated that an increase in preheating time increased the particle density of the lightweight aggregates but decreased the water absorption ratio, because increasing preheating time causes more gases to escape, resulting in aggregates that could not produce sufficient gas to support expansion during the sintering stage. The sintering results of the lightweight aggregates showed that their particle density was between 0.5 and 1.4 g/cm3, which met the requirements of the specification. Their water absorption rate was below 21%, which was roughly in line with the recommendations of the specification. When the amount of industrial sludge added was less than 22.5%, the lightweight aggregate was sintered successfully, which is suitable for engineering applications. The industrial sludge experienced a loss of between 50% and 70% on ignition, resulting in pores and cracks that were observed on the surfaces of the lightweight aggregate. Based on the energy required to sinter lightweight aggregates, a greater loss on ignition indicates the conversion of more materials into heat energy. Therefore, the use of industrial sludge in lightweight aggregates not only provides ways to reuse industrial sewage waste but also reduces the consumption requirements for sintering lightweight aggregates, thereby achieving energy-saving and carbon-reduction goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent increases in environmental awareness, the circular economy concept, which involves turning waste into usable products, has gradually become widely accepted. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an agricultural waste that lacks recycling channels in Taiwan. This study explored the feasibility of simultaneously recycling two completely different types of waste: spent mushroom substrate (SMS), an agricultural waste, and electric-arc furnace dust (EAFD), an industrial waste. Specifically, SMS was used to replace metallurgical coke as a reducing agent for EAFD, which underwent carbothermic reduction to recycle valuable metallic Zn. The results showed that if SMS and EAFD were mixed at a C/O ratio of 0.8, the degree of Zn removal achieved 95% at 1100 °C, which is 150 °C lower than the reduction temperature of the EAFD-coke mixture (due to volatile matter (VM) in SMS). For the reduction of ZnO in EAFD, with the assistance of VM in SMS, the C/O ratio can be decreased from 0.8 to 0.16 at 1300 °C, achieving a high degree of Zn removal over 95%. In addition, the torrefaction of SMS increased the fixed carbon content and improved the Zn productivity at the same C/O ratio, reaching almost the same productivity as the coke sample (SMS torrefaction = 500 °C, C/O = 0.8, reduction = 1200 °C, Zn removal~99%). Finally, CO2 emission reductions from the use of SMS were also estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are fat soluble synthetic chemicals, usually regarded as plasticizers for being added in numerous plastic products. Thus, environmental and health hazards of PAEs are associated with increasing plastic pollution. In this study, PAEs from sludge samples collected from water, sewage, and industrial treatment plants (N = 17) were analyzed using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Microplastics (MPs) were also quantified and correlated with PAEs. Results showed the highest average PAE concentrations in sewage treatment plants. The greatest ΣPAEs concentration were found in sewage treatment plant (STP4) with 32,414 μg/kg dw, while the lowest found in water treatment plant (WTP3) with 2062 μg/kg dw. Among different PAEs, di-(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) contributes the highest. Similarly, DEHP, di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) significantly correlated with the total PAEs indicating their large contribution to sludge contamination. The abundance of microplastics in sludge ranged between 1 and 7 MP/g, highest at ITP6, but not detected in some stations. While microplastics may potentially increase PAEs, there was no significant relationship between ΣPAEs and MP abundance. The estimated human daily intake of DEHP and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) when contaminated sludge be used showed low toxicological risks to exposed adults. This research presents the sludge characteristics, PAEs, and microplastic concentrations in different wastewater treatment plants in Taiwan. PAE contamination was highly contributed by domestic and industrial wastes shown by their significant amounts in STP and ITP. Results further provide evidence for potential sludge recycling (WTP sludge) and application to soil. [Display omitted] • The ΣPAEs concentration ranged between 2062 and 32,414 μg/kg in sludge samples. • DiNP, DnOP, DEHP contributed >94% of PAEs in sludge samples, except ITP2 and ITP6. • Low toxicological risk of WTP sludge shows possible disposal and soil application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to industrialization and economic development, urban expansion in St. Petersburg (Russia) has swelled its solid waste generation. The current waste management system does not meet the city's needs. Fundamental changes are required to accelerate its sustainability transition to achieve the 2030 UN's Sustainable Development Goals. This article critically evaluates and analyzes the existing situation of waste management in St. Petersburg and its role in promoting digitalization-based circular economy. Challenges in waste recycling that prevent it from reforming its waste management are identified. Lessons drawn from Taiwan's prowess in resources recovery are presented to inspire a transformation of its waste sector towards a digitalization. The implications of digitalization on the city's waste recycling industry are elaborated. Before applying digitalization, St. Petersburg encountered challenges such as a lack of proper infrastructure in waste management, low public participation and environmental awareness, technological gaps, and insufficient coordination among its institutions. As one of the world's leaders in waste recycling (65%), Taiwan was selected as a role model for St. Petersburg in improving its waste management. The Island's daily per capita rate decreased by 96% to 0.4 kg in 2015. Taiwan also minimized the amount of waste disposal into landfills to less than 2%, while 80% of its industrial waste was recycled. About 33% of annual waste generation in Taiwan was reduced through "Pay-as-you-throw" policy. The average volume of municipal solid waste generation per capita decreased by 20% to 0.91 kg/day. This suggests that moving towards digitalization has minimized the extraction of raw materials through resource recovery. As implications of digitalization in waste management, the consumption of virgin materials could be lowered by 25% in 2030, while a half of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided. The World Economic Forum estimated that the circular economy could potentially add USD 700 billion in material savings to global economy. [Display omitted] • Taiwan attained the second highest recycling target of 65% after Germany (67%). • Taiwan's 'Keep Trash off the Ground Policy' is transferable to St. Petersburg. • Pandemic hastens the transformation of recycling industry through digitalization. • Achieving carbon neutrality requires both economic and technological development. • Consumption of virgin materials could be lowered by 25% in 2030 by adopting CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, the yield of hydrogen production was investigated under different feedstock pretreatment conditions. The feedstock for dark fermentative hydrogen production was textile wastewater which was obtained from the de-sizing process in a textile factory, located in northern Taiwan. The wastewater was pretreated with activated carbon, cation exchange resin or was not pretreated before being fed into the batch bottles. Biohydrogen production was carried out in a batch reactor with the sludge of mixed-culture using the feedstock from the pretreated wastewater. The sludge was obtained from the Taichung municipal wastewater treatment plant. The yield of hydrogen production using the two pretreatment methods or non – treatment were compared. Results showed that the textile wastewater could remove bio-toxic inhibitors by using activated carbon. The best hydrogen yield was 1.37 mol H2/mol reducing sugar with an initial pH 7.0, as substrate concentration was fixed at 20 g total sugar/L. Using textile wastewater as feedstock for biohydrogen production was successful, in removing bio-toxic inhibitors from wastewater with activated carbon pretreatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study deals with the biohydrogen production from starch-containing wastewater collected from the textile industry in Taiwan. The effects of inoculums collected from different sources (sewage sludge, soil and cow dung), substrate concentrations (5–25 g COD/L) and pH (4.0–8.0) on hydrogen production from wastewater were investigated. The cow dung seed had the highest hydrogen production of 101 mL with hydrogen content in biogas of 32.2%. It corresponds to a hydrogen yield (HY) of 1.56 mol H2/mol hexose and hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 0.93 L/L/d. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effects of initial cultivation pH (4.0–8.0) and substrate concentration (5–25 g COD/L) on the hydrogen production at 35 °C. At pH 7.0 with a wastewater concentration of 20 g COD/L, a maximum hydrogen production of 66 mL with 31.9% H2 and corresponding to an HY of 0.97 mol H2/mol hexose and an HPR of 1.14 L/L/d were obtained. According to the response surface analysis, the optimal conditions for high HPR were a wastewater concentration of 13 g COD/L at an initial cultivation pH of 7.0. The main soluble metabolic products were acetate and butyrate for hydrogen fermentation from textile wastewater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A point source for environmental pollution may be identified by the spatial association of samples collected in the vicinity of the emission source. In this study, we used a simple permutation test to explore the spatial correlations between the ambient air and soil polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) congener profile concentrations and their distances to a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) in northern Taiwan. Kendall's τ was applied for the correlation between the PCDD/F concentrations of a total of 9 airborne and 12 soil sampling sites and their distances to the incinerator. The results showed that the correlation was highly negatively associated for soil PCDD/Fs (τ = −0.515, p-value = 0.011) and was marginal for airborne PCDD/Fs (τ = −0.667, p-value = 0.055), conditional on the seasonal wind attributions. For the 17 individual congener profiles, most of the air and soil samples had a negative association, with 7 and 10 reaching statistical significance ( p-value < 0.05) or borderline significance ( p-value < 0.10), respectively. The permutation test provides a simple and robust statistical method for the identification of a potential pollution source from a limited sample size. Our analytical results show that dioxin emissions from the investigated MSWI had a definite environmental impact on the surrounding area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to develop a sound material-cycle society, cost-effective municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems are required for the municipalities in the context of the integrated accounting system for MSW management. Firstly, this paper attempts to establish an integrated cost–benefit analysis (CBA) framework for evaluating the effectiveness of MSW management systems. In this paper, detailed cost/benefit items due to waste problems are particularly clarified. The stakeholders of MSW management systems, including the decision-makers of the municipalities and the citizens, are expected to reconsider the waste problems in depth and thus take wise actions with the aid of the proposed CBA framework. Secondly, focusing on the financial cost, this study develops a generalized methodology to evaluate the financial cost-effectiveness of MSW management systems, simultaneously considering the treatment technological levels and policy effects. The impacts of the influencing factors on the annual total and average financial MSW operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are analyzed in the Taiwanese case study with a demonstrative short-term future projection of the financial costs under scenario analysis. The established methodology would contribute to the evaluation of the current policy measures and to the modification of the policy design for the municipalities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aqueous characteristics and activity concentrations of U/Th-series radionuclides were investigated in the birthplace of hokutolite – the Peito Hot Spring Area in Taiwan. Water samples were taken in 12 locations from the hot spring pond and the Peito Creek in this study. Temperature, acidity and redox potential exhibited similar trends decreasing from the hot spring pond toward downstream Peito Creek. The aqueous environment of this area existed in an acidic and oxidative state and was found influenced by hot spring water drawing and wastewater discharge. Major ions in water were Fe3+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Pb2+, Cl− and SO4 2−, which (except for Ba2+) generally varied with sampling locations in a tendency similar to those of temperature, acidity and redox potential. U/Th-series radionuclides were examined by α spectrometry while 226Ra were determined with ICP-QMS. Th-series was found predominant over U-series in this area. Activity concentrations of 238U (0.09±0.02 to 2.69±0.13pCi/L) and 234U (0.10±0.02 to 2.64±0.13pCi/L) were similar and the activity ratios for 234U/238U were greater than unity. For 230Th and 226Ra, the activity concentrations were respectively 0.07±0.03 to 0.86±0.06pCi/L and 0.17±0.02 to 1.49±0.06pCi/L, which led to activity ratios of 230Th/234U lower than unity while those of most 226Ra/230Th greater than unity. In Th-series, the activity concentrations of 232Th (0.06±0.02 to 0.90±0.06pCi/L) and 230Th were similar at the sampling area. Apparent disequilibria were discovered between 228Ra and 232Th resulting from abundant 228Ra (6.01±0.41 to 10.5±0.8pCi/L). The variation for activity concentration of 228Th (0.43±0.06 to 9.26±0.18pCi/L) with sampling locations was similar to that of 232Th. However, significant disequilibria were discovered between 228Th and 232Th. The reported data contribute to the assessment of radionuclides distribution and the investigation of hokutolite recovery in the studied area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Taiwan, more than 20% of the major rivers are mildly to heavily polluted by domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters due to the low percentage of sewers connected to wastewater treatment plants. Thus, constructed or engineered wetlands have been adopted as the major alternatives to clean up polluted rivers. Constructed wetlands are also applied as the tertiary wastewater treatment systems for the wastewater polishment to meet water reuse standards with lower operational costs. The studied Kaoping River Rail Bridge Constructed Wetland (KRRBCW) is the largest constructed wetland in Taiwan. It is a multi-function wetland and is used for polluted creek water purification and secondary wastewater polishment before it is discharged into the Kaoping River. Although constructed wetlands are feasible for contaminated water treatment, wetland sediments are usually the sinks for organics and metals. In this study, water and sediment samples were collected from the major wetland basins in KRRBCW. The investigation results show that more than 97% of total coliforms (TC), 55% of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and 30% of nutrients [e.g. total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP)] were removed via the constructed wetland system. However, results from the sediment analyses show that wetland sediments contained high concentrations of metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Mn), organic contents (sediment oxygen demand = 1.7 to 7.6 g O2/m2 d), and nutrients (up to 18.7 g/kg of TN and 1.22 g/kg of TN). Thus, sediments should be excavated periodically to prevent the release the pollutants into the wetland system and causing the deterioration of wetland water quality. Results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and nucleotide sequence analysis reveal that a variation in microbial diversity in the wetland systems was observed. Results from the DGGE analysis indicate that all sediment samples contained significant amounts of microbial ribospecies, which might contribute to the carbon degradation and nitrogen removal. Gradual disappearance of E. coli was also observed along the flow courses through natural attenuation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental authority of Taiwan has announced that ocean quality standard A, with E. coli less than 1,000 CFU/100mL is safe for swimming. Ta-An Beach in central Taiwan was found to have exceeded 1,000 CFU/100 mL, which is 51% of the total monitoring records. Sewage, piggery and duck wastewater are discharged directly into this area. The traditional pollution source trace methods did not clearly identify the pollution source. This study used PCR-DGGE technology to establish micro-organisms fingerprints from water samples using comparative analysis with microbiological composition, and then determined the possible sources of biological contamination. The E. coli colonies at all samples were processed using linear regression analysis and compared with each other. The R2 is 0.4102-0.7387 for the livestock farm and beach. This shows a positively relation. The piggery impact is more obvious. The beach microbial communities exhibited high similarity with piggery wastewater from the upstream region. We confirmed that the major pollution source for Ta-An Beach comes from piggery wastewater. The proposed method has high stability and reliability. It can be used as the basis for rapid identification of pollution sources at other beach water sites in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Houjing River watershed is one of the three major river watersheds in the Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Based on the recent water quality analysis, the Houjing River is heavily polluted. Both point and non-point source (NPS) pollutants are the major causes of the poor water quality in the Houjing River. Investigation results demonstrate that the main point pollution sources included municipal, agricultural, and industrial wastewaters. In this study, land use identification in the Houjing River watershed was performed by integrating the skills of geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS). Results show that the major land-use patterns in the upper catchment of the Houjing River watershed were farmlands, and land-use patterns in the mid to lower catchment were residential and industrial areas. An integrated watershed management model (IWMM) and Enhanced Stream Water Quality Model (QUAL2K) were applied for the hydrology and water quality modeling, watershed management, and carrying capacity calculation. Modeling results show that the calculated NH3-N carrying capacity of the Houjing River was only 31 kg/day. Thus, more than 10,518 kg/day of NH3-N needs to be reduced to meet the proposed water quality standard (0.3 mg/L). To improve the river water quality, the following remedial strategies have been developed to minimize the impacts of NPS and point source pollution on the river water quality: (1) application of BMPs [e.g. source (fertilizer) reduction, construction of grassy buffer zone, and land use management] for NPS pollution control; (2) application of river management scenarios (e.g. construction of the intercepting and sewer systems) for point source pollution control; (3) institutional control (enforcement of the industrial wastewater discharge standards), and (4) application of on-site wastewater treatment systems for the polishment of treated wastewater for water reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on elemental heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in river sediments in Taiwan, China, Japan, India, and Vietnam during the years 1999 to 2009 was reviewed and discussed. The results denote that the average composition of Cd in river sediments in the studied countries ranged from 0.07 to 79.1 mg/kg and the average composition of Cr ranged from 20.5 to 211 mg/kg. The average composition Cu ranged from 8.45 to 1,070 mg/kg and the average composition Ni ranged from 16.9 to 181 mg/kg the studied countries during the years of 1999 to 2009. Additionally, the average composition of Pb ranged from 11.4 to 230 mg/kg and the average composition of Zn ranged from 21.5 to 58.6 mg/kg. Moreover, the results show that the sources of heavy metal pollution came mainly from a variety of anthropogenic activities which include domestic and industrial wastewater, as well as e-waste recycling, chemical, electric plating, and refining industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Slag material was dumped in two sites off southwestern Taiwan by the China Steel Corporation during 1984–1995. By geochemically analyzing four sediment cores, we investigated the impact of slag on the sediment chemistry. Elemental profiles from the dumping sites show a strong depletion in detrital elements and enrichment in alkaline and redox-sensitive elements, especially for the top ∼20cm of sediments. The relative enrichment factor (EFrel) exhibits wider range for Ca (0.73–13.33), Fe (0.88–3.03), Mg (0.94–9.58) and Mn (1.22–33.30) due to contamination of sediments by slag. Sediment weathering indicators also show a distinct change with lower values in sediments influenced by dumping due to Ca and Sr addition. Higher EFrel for As, Cd and Pb in the top sections of the cores indicate an additional modern/industrial input of these elements since ∼1950. Our study suggests that slag dumping may have a localized effect on biogeochemical processes by inducing the diagenetic remobilization of certain elements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hot springs are important centers for recreation and tourism. However, the pollution that may potentially be caused by hot spring wastewater has rarely been discussed. More than half of Taiwan's hot springs are located in areas where the water quality of water bodies is to be protected, and untreated wastewater could pollute the receiving water bodies. In this study, we investigate hot spring wastewater in the Wulai area, one of Taiwan's famous hot spring resorts. Used water from five hot spring hotels was sampled and ten sampling events were carried out to evaluate the changes in the quality of used water in different seasons, at different periods of the week, and from different types of hotels. The concentrations of different pollutants in hot spring wastewater were found to exhibit wide variations, as follows: COD, 10-250 mg/L; SS, N.D. 293 mg/L; NH3-N, 0.01-1.93 mg/L; TP, 0.01-0.45 mg/L; and E. coli, 10-27,500 CFU/100 mL. The quality of hot spring wastewater depends on the operation of public pools, because this affects the frequency of supplementary fresh water and the outflow volume. Two management strategies, namely, onsite treatment systems and individually packaged treatment equipment, are considered, and a multi-objective optimization model is used to determine the optimal strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two sub-technologies, pig production and wastewater control, in pig farm operation are considered. This paper develops a multi-activity DEA (data envelopment analysis) model to simultaneously measure productive efficiency (PE) and environmental efficiency (EE) in farrow-to-finish pig production in Taiwan, and to explore several theorized causal relationships between performance and farm-specific knowledge. The empirical results prove that the estimated PE and EE do not belong to the same distribution. That suggests that using an identical ‘technical efficiency’ index to represent PE and EE would get a biased result when undesirable outputs are considered. PE is higher than EE, but the two are positively correlated. Analytical results support the presence of economies of scale in sample farms. Providing training to farmers and computerizing farm operations are critical determinants of PE; providing training to operators of wastewater control facilities and the operator''s education level showed a positive impact on EE. Such information is valuable for both farmers and the authorities in making decisions to enhance productivity and environmental protection in the pig sector in Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA) launched a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system after integrating eight private recycling organizations in 1998. After that, the environmental performance of the EPR system brought a lot of attention to policy makers. Many studies show positive environmental effects of the EPR system in Taiwan. However, there are controversial questions remained, such as whether the performance indicators used are the right choice to estimate the environmental effects of the recycling policy? Can those estimated results really reflect the performance of the system? This paper would therefore like to more accurately evaluate the performance indicators of the EPR system based on data observed over the past decade in Taiwan. In the process of evaluating the performance indicators, we have found that the collection rates for durable goods are often ignored in countries that pursue a zero waste policy. This may affect the actual recycling outcome and resource direction targeted by producers. However, in order for the collection rate to be adopted as a policy indicator, how to estimate the amounts of retired or waste products during a period is critical. In this paper, we estimate the collection rate for electrical and electronic waste by using the survival analysis and ownership data analysis approaches. We also provide a comparison of both approaches and put forward suggestions for directions in the future in solid waste management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated the occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics, estrogens, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta-blockers, and lipid regulators) in three rivers and in the waste streams of six hospitals and four pharmaceutical production facilities in Taiwan. The most frequently detected pharmaceuticals were acetaminophen, erythromycin-H2O, sulfamethoxazole, and gemfibrozil. NSAIDs were the next most-often detected compounds, with a detection frequency >60%. The other analytes were not detected or were seen in only a few samples at trace concentrations. The present study demonstrates a significant discharge of human medications from hospital and drug production facilities into surface waters in the Taipei district. The high concentrations of pharmaceuticals found in the Sindian and Dahan rivers demonstrate the alarming degree to which they have been impacted by urban drainage (waste effluents from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical production facilities). The ubiquitous occurrence at extremely high concentrations of acetaminophen and erythromycin-H2O in both rivers (up to 15.7 and 75.5 µg/L) and in wastewater from hospitals and pharmaceutical production facilities (up to 417.5 and 7.84 µg/L) was unique. This finding, in combination with acetaminophen's status as the drug most often prescribed by Taiwan's dominant clinical institute, suggests the potential use of acetaminophen as a molecular indicator of contamination of Taiwan's aqueous environments with untreated urban drainage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Unit pricing is a program in solid waste management that integrates market instruments to encourage households to reduce waste generation and increase recycling. Many studies have shown that unit pricing is effective, especially when the evaluation is based on comparing outcomes before and after implementation. In this paper, we use the so-called difference-in-differences approach to evaluate unit pricing. This approach can provide a less-biased estimation, and can help to examine whether a unit pricing program generates less waste and higher recycling or results in illegal dumping in neighboring regions. Using the fee-per-bag program implemented in Taipei City, Taiwan, as a case study, we found that unit pricing does reduce the amount of garbage but its impact on recycling is not as significant as the current literature suggests. Moreover, the program causes a serious negative externality: more than 60% of the garbage reduction in the city is due to increased dumping of waste in neighboring regions. As the impact of unit-pricing on recycling is limited, policy-makers cannot rely solely on this program to enhance recycling in the management of municipal solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A pilot-scale study of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process in southern Taiwan is presented in this paper. A 10 m3/day capacity MBR plant consisting of an aeration tank and a membrane bioreactor was installed to remove organic matter (measured in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD)). The performance of the MBR was monitored for a period of 140 days. The removal of COD was on average over 95%. The effluent did not contain any suspended solids. During the 140 days of operation, manual cleaning was carried out twice and chemical cleaning was carried out once. A natural logarithmic evolution of the viscosity with TSS concentration was observed. The results of SEM and EDX demonstrated that the fouling on the membrane outer surface was mainly due to microorganisms and/or the sludge physiological properties. The results indicated that the MBR system has potential as a means of treating high-strength and fluctuating strength wastewater with consistent performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, inside-out tubular TiO2/Al2O3 composite membranes were prepared, characterized, and used for electrofiltration of oxide-CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) wastewater obtained from a wafer fab in Taiwan. The extrusion method and sol-gel/slip-casting method were employed for fabricating the membrane layer of TiO2 inside of the tubular substrate of Al2O3. A process of firing followed. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, permporometry, and molecular weight cut-off determinations have verified the prepared tubular products were indeed inside-out tubular TiO2/Al2O3 composite membranes suitable for ultrafiltration applications. Experimental results of electrofiltration have shown that the prepared tubular TiO2/Al2O3 composite membranes are capable of removing a great extent of water quality criteria of concern from the target wastewater to yield permeate with a turbidity of lower than 0.75 NTU. Permeate thus obtained could be used for make-up water of cooling towers and other purposes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Infectious industrial waste management in Taiwan is based on the specific waste production unit. In other countries, management is based simply on whether the producer may lead to infectious disease. Thus, Taiwan has a more detailed classification of infectious waste. The advantage of this classification is that it is easy to identify the sources, while the disadvantage lies in the fact that it is not flexible and hence increases cost. This study presents an overview of current management practices for handling infectious industrial waste in Taiwan, and addresses the current waste disposal methods. The number of small clinics in Taiwan increased from 18,183 to 18,877 between 2003 and 2005. Analysis of the data between 2003 and 2005 showed that the majority of medical waste was general industrial waste, which accounted for 76.9%–79.4% of total medical waste. Infectious industrial waste accounted for 19.3%–21.9% of total medical waste. After the SARS event in Taiwan, the amount of infectious waste reached 19,350tons in 2004, an increase over the previous year of 4000tons. Waste minimization was a common consideration for all types of waste treatment. In this study, we summarize the percentage of plastic waste in flammable infectious industrial waste generated by medical units, which, in Taiwan was about 30%. The EPA and Taiwan Department of Health have actively promoted different recycling and waste reduction measures. However, the wide adoption of disposable materials made recycling and waste reduction difficult for some hospitals. It has been suggested that enhancing the education of and promoting communication between medical units and recycling industries must be implemented to prevent recyclable waste from entering the incinerator. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Taipei Municipal City (TMC) began implementing a policy of a plastic-bag-based disposal fee for household solid waste treatment in July 2000, while other counties kept their same charge of a disposal fee based on potable water consumption. Taiwan''s EPA has highly valued the outcome of TMC''s new policy and has thus required all counties to follow TMC in employing a policy of a plastic-bag-based disposal fee accompanied by a compulsory sorting system. We attempt to verify whether the new policy implemented by TMC is successful in the reduction of general waste collected and then we seek to identify what other factors contribute to such a successful result. This paper provides a general overview of household waste management practices employed in Taiwan and the changes of household waste collected over time through simple statistical analysis and management practices, including evaluating waste recovery and recycling initiatives. The authors employ statistical analysis to verify TMC''s new policy and to examine the factors that affect its success in addition to the policy changes through a test on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). We separate the data into three groups: TMC, non-TMC regions, and the pooled data (combination of TMC and non-TMC). The results show that: (1) the policy of a plastic-bag-based disposal fee is significantly effective in the reduction of general waste collected; and (2) the per capita household solid waste collected in both regions (TMC and non-TMC) is significantly related with household incomes in an EKC relationship. However, the test of EKC relationships on the pooled data is not significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) is the hi-tech manufacturing hub of Taiwan. Wastewater from the HSIP contains numerous nano-sized silicate particles whose size distributions peak at 2 and 90nm. A 3–5mgl−1 as Al dose of polyaluminum chloride (PACl) was used in the field to coagulate these particles, but the removal efficiency was low. Laboratory scale tests indicated that although PACl coagulation removed 52% of the turbidity and 48% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from water, its effect on nano-particle removal was minimal. About 58% of the soluble COD was associated with colloidal Si particles. A light scattering test and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that the nano-particles agglomerated in approximately linear aggregates of sizes 100–300nm. Prolonged contact between residual PACl and the nano-particles generated large aggregates with sizes of up to 10μm and a fractal dimension of 2.24–2.63. The results presented herein should be of interest in the processing of “high-tech” wastewater that contains nanosized silica particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A multiple regression analysis was used to develop two predictive models of lower heating value (LHV) for municipal solid waste (MSW), using 180 samples gathered from cities and counties in Taiwan during 2001–2002. These models are referred to as the original proposed model (OPM) and the simplified model (SM). The coefficients of multiple determinations for the OPM and SM were 0.983 and 0.975, respectively. To verify the feasibility of the models, a demonstration program based on sampling of MSW in Kaohsiung City was conducted. As a result, the OPM showed superior precision in terms of relative percentage deviation (RPD) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), when compared to the conventional models based on the proximate analysis, physical composition and ultimate analysis. The SM was derived by neglecting the three minor physical components used in the OPM. The resulting SM was less precise when compared to the OPM, but it was still acceptable, with a precision level better than the conventional models. It was concluded that the predictability of empirical models could be improved significantly through selection of the appropriate physical components and multiple regression analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Incineration is a major treatment process for municipal solid waste in Taiwan. It is estimated that over 1.5Mt of incinerator ash are produced annually. This study proposes using thermal plasma technology to treat incinerator ash. Sintered glass–ceramics were produced using quenched vitrified slag with colouring agents added. The experimental results showed that the major crystalline phases developed in the sintered glass–ceramics were gehlenite and wollastonite, but many other secondary phases also appeared depending on the colouring agents added. The physical/mechanical properties, chemical resistance and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure of the coloured glass–ceramics were satisfactory. The glass–ceramic products obtained from incinerator ash treated with thermal plasma technology have great potential for building applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined the reuse potential of the effluents discharged from several unified wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of industrial parks in Taiwan, with designed capacity exceeding 10,000 CMD. Parameters were selected based on the relevant reuse purposes. The "potential recycling percentage", R of the WWTP effluent was defined as the maximal percentage of pure water extractable by the "ideal reverse osmosis module" while the RO retentate still met local effluent standards and required no treatment. The analytical results demonstrated that the WWTP effluents had potential for recycling. A pilot plant was installed in one of the WWTPs. The treatment process included a sand filter, an ultrafiltration unit (UF) and a reverse osmosis module (RO). Results of this study demonstrated that the production quantity and quality are stable and appropriate for various purposes, including both industrial and domestic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is often assumed, rapid mix effectively distributes the dosed coagulant in suspension to promote subsequent flocculation of suspended particles and coagulant molecules. This study determined that the role of rapid mix is considerably more complex than conventionally assumed. Particles in the raw water samples from the Banxing Water Works of Taipei City were coagulated at high shear environment, during which flocs of size 40–70 μm were produced. The produced floc interior was compacted, and residual turbidity and the amount of dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) in suspension were substantially reduced. The subsequent stage of rapid mix slightly reduces floc size, further compacts the floc interior, and expels fine particles and some adsorbed NOM from the flocs. A sudden reduction in shearing rate produced large sized flocs with not so compact structures. Moreover, this action released fine particles from flocs into the suspension and enhanced adsorption of NOM onto solid surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Taiwan is the second most densely populated country in the world; its 22.604 million residents (2002) live in an area of 35,967km2 (628people/km2). Taiwan’s economy has grown rapidly during the last 20 years, resulting in a corresponding increase in the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study describes and evaluates the municipal solid waste management system in Taiwan. The study’s results indicate that the amount of MSW began to decline after 1997, when the government enforced aggressive MSW management policies. By 2002, total MSW production had dropped by 27%, and the average daily per capita weight of MSW had fallen from 1.14kg in 1997 to 0.81kg in 2002. Summarizing the successful experience of MSW reduction in Taiwan, the most important factor was the government’s combining of the MSW collection system with reduction/recycling programs. The second most important factor was the policy of extended producer responsibility, which laid a foundation of recycling by producers and retailers and promoted public recycling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the past decade, the treatment amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) by incineration has increased significantly in Taiwan. By year 2008, ∼70% of the total MSW generated will be incinerated. The energy content (usually expressed by lower heating value [LHV]) of MSW is an important parameter for the selection of incinerator capacity. In this work, wastes from 55 sampling sites, including villages, towns, cities, and remote islands in the Taiwan area, were sampled and analyzed once a season from April 2002 to March 2003 to determine the waste characteristics. The LHV of MSW in Taiwan was predicted by the multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks model using the input parameters of elemental analysis and dry- or wet-base physical compositions. Although all three of the models predicted LHV values rather accurately, the elemental analysis model provided the most accurate prediction of LHV values. Additionally, the wet-base physical composition model was the easiest and most economical. Therefore, the waste treatment operators can choose the more appropriate analysis method considering situations themselves, such as time, equipment, technology, and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hsinchu Science‐based Industrial Park (HSIP) is a “high‐tech” manufacturing base in Taiwan. Wastewater from the HSIP contains numerous nanoparticles, which are difficult to remove by conventional coagulation‐sedimentation processes, and are the main foulants to ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse‐osmosis (RO), membrane in filtration. This investigation observed that the coagulation rates of nanoparticles in wastewater could be significantly increased by raising the solution temperature to over 65°C, thus yielding large and compact aggregates. The proposed thermal treatment could considerably reduce the fouling potentials of UF and RO membranes, and thus represents a suitable pre‐treatment for producing clean water from HSIP wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a major concern for highly urbanized societies. Among proposed MSW management systems, regionalization programs generally have received considerable attention. This study analyzes real-world operational data to assess different MSW management policies, especially regionalization strategies, and their impact on MSW management systems in the Taipei metropolitan area. Linear programming is also used to identify the minimum costs sustained by each policy. The linear programming results show that regionalization programs are more economical and also improve incinerator operation efficiency. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the minimum treatment requirement of incinerators is a very sensitive influence on the MSW flows distributed through the entire region. The MSW of several "sensitive" administrative districts will be allocated to different treatment facilities according to different management strategies. A list of preferential sequences of MSW treatment and disposal facilities can also be identified by the model presented in this study. The results of this study may provide a useful tool for aiding decision-making related to real-world MSW management problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two MBR pilot systems were constructed and tested in the Bali Primary WVVTP. The pilot study shows that two MBR systems, i.e. the Green-MenBio system (MBR-1) and the Bio-MF system (MBR-2), can both fulfill the requirement of wastewater reclamation standard, The MBR-2 system is more economical compared with MBR-1 system. The cost of US$ 0.10–0.16/m³ is estimated to reclaim the effluent of primary WWTP in Taiwan. The Bali Primary VVWTP has the capacity of 1,320,000 cmd which is the biggest in Taiwan. The domestic wastewater of partial Taipei City and Taipei County are collected and transported to the Bali Primary WWTP. The effluent of the Bali Primary WVVTP is then discharged into the ocean through two 3.8 m marine outfalls. The AO processes are installed in both MBR systems. More than 90% of the NH3-N can be removed through the AO and membrane processes. The outflow of the MBR systems (without RO) can reach the quality of COD < 30 mg/l, BOD < 10 mg/l, SS < 5 mg/l, NH3-N < 3 mg/L. The outflow of the MBR system is proposed to transport 40 km south to the Taoyuan County where four new industrial parks are to be constructed. Part of the reclaimed water is to be used on irrigation and another portion is to be sent to the industries after RO treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This is the first full scope study of wastewater reclamation and reuse on public WWTP in Taiwan. A 50 m3/day pilot plant with membrane and biological systems of wastewater reclamation has been deployed and operated in the WWTP of Hsinchu Industrial Park, northern Taiwan. The reclaimed water has been transported to five factories and been used as the fresh water supply as well as the makeup water of cooling tower. The future construction of a 10,000 m3/day wastewater reclamation plant has been proposed and financially investigated. The business plan of BTO is proposed for future development. The 50 m3/day pilot plant consists of a membrane UF/RO system followed by the systems of high efficient biological oxidation systems BioNET and/or BAC. The bench-scale membrane scaling/fouling test and magnetic anti-scaling system are also introduced to verify the mechanisms of membrane scaling and fouling. The result of the pilot study shows that the reclaimed water can conform the drinking water standard and can be used as the make-up water of cooling tower as well as the manufacturing water of many industrial applications. The concentrate of RO process can fit the effluent standard and can be discharged directly to the river nearby. There are 88.6% of the factories in the industrial park express their willingness of using reclaimed water and 4600 m3/day is requested after the preliminary poll. The cost of reclaimed water is around US$0.54/m3 (including construction, O & M and transportation) which is higher than the tariff of tap water (US$0.27/m3) but lower than the cost of seawater desalination as well as that of reservoir construction. Under BTO business plan, a wastewater reclamation plant of minimum 10,000 m3/day is proposed in order to make profit for future operation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The activated sludge/contact aeration combined system (AS/CA) is created by adding biological contact filters into the rear section of the activated sludge tank. The system contains both suspended micro-organisms and fixed micro-organisms. This system combines the advantages of both single systems, and avoids disadvantages particular to the individual systems. A special feature of AS/CA is its enhanced ability to remove oil and grease, and improve the color of treated water. A pilot treatment plant was constructed and located in a slaughterhouse generating 2000 m3/day of wastewater. The test results were as follows operating with a 6-h hydraulic retention time (HRT): effluent COD = 145.6 mg/L (86% removal rate), effluent BOD = 46 mg/L (85% removal rate), effluent SS = 66 mg/L (85% removal rate), effluent oil and grease dropped from 68.6 mg/L to 21 mg/L (70% removal rate), effluent true color = 50 (83% removal rate). These values just met the minimum requirements in Taiwan's effluent standards. The pilot plant results for operating with 8-h HRT were as follows: effluent COD = 71 mg/L (94% removal rate), effluent BOD = 29 mg/L (91% removal rate), effluent SS = 43 mg/L (86% removal rate), effluent oil and grease dropped from 54.6 mg/L to 7 mg/L (87% removal rate), effluent true color = 47 (84% removal rate). These test results proved that the oil and grease removal rate increased with an increase in HRT, and reduced the likelihood of other effluent parameters exceeding effluent standards. Denatural Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis was performed on the samples. Analytical results check that compared to both a single activated sludge system and contact aeration system, the AS/CA system had relatively high level of microbe diversity and a high number of microbes. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis also revealed degradation of oil and grease in each reaction tank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) is the main manufacturing base of "high-tech" commodities of Taiwan. The treatment of wastewater of HSIP produces hard-to-dewater sludge, at a rate of 80 Mg/day, which is resistant to chemical conditioning, whose disposal is costly. The use of chemical flocculation and physical conditioning, including heating and freezing and thawing, on the dewaterability of HSIP sludge was examined in this Note. The dewaterability of the original sludge was poor, and neither chemical flocculation nor thermal heating enhanced its dewatering. However, the freezing and thawing could release up to 83% of moisture from the sludge body; in line with this occurence, the settleability and filterability of the sludge were considerably enhanced. The ice front developed during freezing, which could destroy the floc network, release the interstitial water, and might correspond to the successful conditioning using freezing and thawing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to present a compilation of recent Taiwan government laws/regulations to promote industrial waste recycling. The description is thus centered on legislation/regulations concerning general industrial wastes recycling in the policies of environmental protection, economic incentives and engineering technologies (3E) that have become effective since 2001. The regulatory system, including Waste Disposal Act, Resource Recycling/Reuse Act, Environmental Basis Law, and Statute for Upgrading Industries, not only gives financial incentives, but also provides technical assistance and information transfer on promoting industrial waste recycling. In order to further utilize the recyclable resources and upgrade the environmental technology, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), has jointly ventured some promotion programs, which highlight an Industrial Waste Exchange Information Center and Environmental Technology Park Development Program, also described in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to conservatively utilize natural resources, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), has mandated the regulatory system and promotion programs for industrial waste reuse and pollution prevention. The newly-designated 43 items for reuse were promulgated by the MOEA under the authorization of the Waste Disposal Act (WDA) in January 2002. Also, joint efforts at industrial waste minimization (IWM) have made noteworthy progress towards the promotion of reusing/reducing industrial waste since 1990. The IWM program not only provides technical assistance and financial incentives, but also enhances resource reuse and conservation through Industrial Waste Exchange Information Service Center. These measures have brought significant benefits by saving treatment/disposal costs and improving productivity. This paper presents the regulatory system and implementation promotion on industrial waste reuse and pollution prevention in Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes how a nitrocellulose manufacturing facility, the Taiwan Nitrocellulose Industrial Company (TNC), applied the waste minimization assessment methodology developed by USEPA to reduce, recycle and recover the wastes generated at one of its satellite plant located Taoyuan, Taiwan. Since implementing the waste minimization program in the late 1980's, the company not only has solved waste disposal problems associated with the production and met the stringent environmental regulations, but also improved the nitrocellulose productivity over 20% and maintained a top five position despite harsh international competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of oxygen on the pyrolysis of tetra pack, a principal component of municipal solid wastes in Taiwan, were investigated with a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) reaction system. The pyrolysis experiments of tetra pack were carried out in four different oxygen concentrations (C[SUBO2], 5.37, 10.40, 14.82, and 20.95%) at the heating rates of 5.25, 10.36, and 15.06 K/min. The TGA curves indicated two principal reactions, distinguished by significant and distinct mass changes over the experimental range. Oxygen enhanced the pyrolysis reaction of tetra pack. A kinetic model was proposed for the pyrolysis of the tetra pack in an oxygen environment. The corresponding activation energies, preexponential factors, and reaction orders were determined. The experimental results were satisfactorily fitted by the proposed kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient particulates of PM[sub2.5] were sampled at three sites in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, during February and March 1999. In addition, resuspended PM[sub2.5] collected from traffic tunnels, paved roads, fly ash of a municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator, and seawater was obtained. All the samples were analyzed for twenty constituents, including watersoluble ions, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and metallic elements. In conjunction with local source profiles and the source profiles in the model library SPECIATE EPA, the receptor model based on chemical mass balance (CMB) was then applied to determine the source contributions to ambient PM[sub2.5]. The mean concentration of ambient PM[sub2.5] was 42.69-53.68 µg/m³ for the sampling period. The abundant species in ambient PM[sub2.5] in the mass fraction for three sites were OC (12.7-14.2%), SO[sub4, sup2-] (12.8-15.1%), NO[sub3, sup-] (8.1-10.3%), NH[sub4, sup+] (6.7-7.5%), and EC (5.3-8.5%). Results of CMB modeling show that major pollution sources for ambient PM[sub2.5] are traffic exhaust (18-54%), secondary aerosols (30-41% from SO[sub4, sup2-] and NO[sub3, sup-]), and outdoor burning of agriculture wastes (13-17%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial symbiosis (IS) has contributed significant environmental and economic benefits in many industrial parks or regions, with inter-firm trade of wastes or by-products for reuse. To facilitate IS in more regions, information systems and tools could help identify the opportunities for more companies to mimic the successful cases of by-product synergies. A review of existing IS information systems showed that most lack sufficient quality data, are not operational, or are not publicly accessible. In addition, studies on the development of IS information systems have only limited descriptions of the programming approaches used to create the tools for matching companies and illustrating complicated network by-product synergies based on IS data. Based on Taiwan's waste data, this work presents a well-established IS information system with three applications designed for target users, including the companies involved in IS, the facilitators seeking to grow IS in industrial parks or regions, and waste management authorities. This web-based system was based on massive amounts of detailed industrial by-product input and output datasets. In the by-products' records of more than one metric ton per year, there are 1833 patterns of different by-products reused by various industries. A comparison with other IS information systems and data repositories shows the advantage of using a government-owned industrial waste database with detailed waste classification in identifying massive by-product synergies. Novel data visualization technologies are employed to interactively generate diagrams or networks in response to the user selection of by-products or industries of interest. A demonstration of the query on the sugar manufacturers using sugar cane presents ten by-products and potentially 222 reuses by different industries. [Display omitted] • An information system of rich by-product synergies built with industrial waste data. • The publicly accessible web applications empower the search for IS opportunities. • A method to explore by-product synergies from structured datasets is presented. • The program renders three kinds of interactive data visualizations for target users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illustrates a thorough evaluation of the solid waste presorting process in Taiwan from both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Testing results; Performance evaluation; Conclusion.

Industrial manufacturing significantly contributes to energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions throughout the world. Global warming and its associated changes in the world climate pattern are accepted worldwide as the gravest threat to humanity. To mitigate the impacts of global warming and to solve future energy demands, industrial waste heat is regarded as a possible answer. In this paper, a bottom-up approach is presented to estimate the theoretical and technical waste heat potentials. More than 11,000 data sets of boilers from different industries were evaluated, and the results show that the theoretical (temperature≥35 °C) and technical (temperature≥150 °C) industrial waste heat potentials can be up to 89.66 PJ/y and 6.92 PJ/y, or 17.3% and 1.3% of the total industrial heat energy use in Taiwan, respectively. The majority of the waste heat potential (61.8%) is in the 100–150 °C temperature range, 25.4% is in the range of 150–200 °C, and 11.0% is above 200 °C. Industrial waste heat (IWH) can be converted into electricity through heat conversion technologies. Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has been recognized as a well-known and promising solution to recover IWH, and the theoretical and technical power generated for this technology were identified as 311,249 and 24,022 MW, respectively. • A bottom-up approach is presented to estimate the theoretical and technical industrial waste heat potentials. • The method is based on mandatory reported data from the Online Energy Declaration (OED) system. • The theoretical industrial waste heat potential is 89.66 PJ/y. • The theoretical power generation based on the ORC technology can be 311,249 MW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on compatibility analysis of material and energy recovery in a regional solid waste management system. Reasons for increasing interest in the simultaneous recovery of materials and energy from waste streams; Impact of installing a refuse-derived fuel process before an incinerator; Information on a case study conducted in Taipei County, Taiwan that confirms the application potential of such a cost-benefit analysis.