Hi everyone,
OK so it has been a few months, but I have some more info on incinerators generally and on the situation in Switzerland.
Some facts:
- incineration of rubbish converts waste into fly ash, flue gases, particulates and heat (which can be used to generate electricity). It reduces the volume of the original waste by approx. 95%.
- fly ash is usually taken to landfill. It is not currently designated as hazardous, but needs to be safely disposed of as it can contain high levels of dioxin.
- flue gases are cleaned during the process of incineration. They are known to contain (prior to cleaning) significant amounts of particulate matter, heavy metals, dioxins, sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid (amongst other things). Note: outdoor burning emits 1000 times more dioxins than controlled incineration.
- despite this cleaning, and other filtering processes, incinerators are known to emit varying levels of heavy metals including chromium, nickel, arsenic, mercury and lead.
- Fine particles (known as PM2.5) are emitted despite filtering. Research from the UK, which also uses incineration, has found a spatial correlation between incineration and infant mortality. Areas where there is a downwind from an incinerator in Enfield have ten times higher infant mortality than other parts of Enfield, and almost double the UK national average. According to the report's author (Dr. van Steenis) infants are particularly vulnerable to PM 2.5s. These fine particles inflame lungs, leading to increased presence of t-lymphocytes (linked to cancer). Excess or insoluble particles are 'walled off' leading to fibrosis. Soluble items can travel through the bloodstream. Heavy metals are known to lead to heart problems and mutation of DNA (leading to birth defects and cancer).
- The WHO introduced strict new levels for PM2.5s in 2006 but these are yet to be introduced to Switzerland. Measurements are in place to measure larger particles (PM10) in Switzerland, but not PM2.5s.
Incineration in CH
- CH burns 3.5 million tonnes of combustible waste p.a. There are 28 incineration facilities in CH which provide electricity for 250,000 homes. The facilities are run by businesses, not government.
- 1/10 bags that arrive come from outside CH. Importation of waste is a profitable business; it costs approx CHF130/tonne processing cost and CHF180/tonne to take rubbish in.
- The Federal Office for the Enviornment (FOEN) of CH considers PM10s to be a growing source of concern for the environment and human health. They estimate that 3,700 people in CH die prematurely each year as a result of fine particles. They also estimate that approx. 50% of PM10s in CH are blown in from neighbouring countries.
You can check out your closest incinerator by going to this website:
http://www.vbsa.ch/index.html?&page_...23&level=1&l=2
Living in Lausanne, I have a particular interest in the Lausanne incinerator:
- the Lasuanne incinerator is run by Tridel (
http://www.tridel.ch/actualites.html).
- Tridel imports approx. 20,000 tonnes of household waste. Most waste is deivered to Tridel via a special railway built underneath the facility.
-The fly ash produced by this facility is taken to St. Triphon, 49kms away, to a company called 'Planet Lessus' (
http://www.lessus.ch/).
I have no agenda here except to learn more. I'm concerned about sustainable waste management processes, over-consumption and alternative sources of energy. Given the lack of consensus on this issue, the political interests at stake, the potential human costs and the practical circumstances of the suffering planet we live on I think this is a particularly important matter.
Tridel gives free guided tours of the incinerator. They are able to do the tours in English. I am planning to go, along with some people from the Beppe Grillo meetup group of Lausanne (
http://beppegrillo.meetup.com/328/). Let me know if you would like to come along and we can arrange a date.
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