Waste lead-acid batteries are recycled and turned into lead and plastics (polypropylene and ABS etc.) through collection, disassembly, crushing, sorting, and washing. In particular, lead is recovered from the scrap by recycling companies and used as raw material in a smelter. Refined lead from smelters is reused as a raw material in new products. It is highly valuable to recover effective metals from waste lead-acid batteries that contain a significant amount of lead under environmentally sound management. In this study, we investigated the composition change and its cause in the process of use and phased out products to understand the discharge characteristics of waste lead-acid batteries. We also suggest examining the correlation between the waste lead-acid battery and the recovered lead to estimate the potential amount of recoverable lead. Finally, we produced a strategic method for accelerating national resource circulation by comprehending the flow of resources and their residues from wastes and propose it as a policy in baseline data.

산업화가 진행됨에 따라 현대사회는 많은 화학물질이 생산･유통되고 있다. 이 중 유해화학물질은 인간의 건강보호와 환경오염 문제를 야기하므로 체계적인 관리가 중요하다. 우리나라는 유해물질이 함유한 폐기물에 대해 지정폐기물로 관리하고 있으며, 국제적으로는 유해폐기물 중 규제대상 유해물질의 항목을 확대하고 규제기준을 강화하고 있는 추세이다. 이에 따라 국립환경과학원에서는 국제협약 관리대상물질, 국내·외 관리물질, 국내 토양환경기준, 오염사고사례, 재활용제품 관리 규제물질, 시험방법 등을 고려하여 단계적인 확대 방안을 마련하여 제시하였다. 본 연구에서는 제시된 유해물질에 대하여 우선 적용 대상 물질인 불소(F), 니켈(Ni), 아연(Zn)을 대상으로 제안기준을 초과하는 업종을 파악하고 올바로시스템(2014년도)을 이용하여 업종에 따른 폐기물 발생량을 계산하여 지정폐기물 발생량을 예측하고자 하였다. 지정폐기물 발생량 예측을 위한 분석자료는 유해폐기물 목록화 연구사업의 분석자료를 이용하여 신규항목에 대한 폐기물 발생업종을 조사하였으며, 시간에 따른 발생량 변동추이는 고려하지 않았다. 그 결과 불소 50 mg/L, 니켈 11 mg/L, 아연 20mg/L을 용출기준으로 지정폐기물 발생량을 검토한 결과 불소 0.031 %, 니켈 0.130 %, 아연 0.299 %로 전체 폐기물 발생량의 0.374 %로 약 44만톤이 증가할 것으로 예측되었다.

Slag and coal ash were selected to evaluate the recyclability of waste generated during the heat treatment processes. A list of waste types and recyclable types of the two wastes were identified. A recycling environmental hazardous assessment was reviewed step by step. In addition, the hazardous properties of slag and coal ash were investigated, and the chemical components, leaching, and content of harmful substances in the waste were analyzed. The two selected wastes were classified as general wastes. As a result of chemical analysis with XRF, the two wastes did not produce toxic gases in contact with water and show leaching toxicity from the analysis of harmful substances. In addition, waste is often brought into contact with the soil when recycled, so the content of slag and coal ash is analyzed and compared with the 2 region standard of soil; two samples were within the standard. Therefore, the surveyed wastes can be recycled in non-matrix contact types and the recycling purpose and method permitted by the new law is excluded from the recycling environmental hazardous assessment. However, to recycle wastes for new uses, the recycling environmental hazardous assessment is required.

The chemical leak accidents cause a large number of casualties in the short term and secondary environmental pollution in the long term. In the case of the hydrogen fluoride (HF) leak accident in Gumi City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, the fluoride ion concentration in crops located near the HF leak accident area was detected to be in the range of 99 ~ 13,029 mg/kg and in woody stems in the range of N.D. ~ 6,789 mg/kg. We also identified the correlation relationship between the range and the contamination degree. The order of degree of fluoride contamination of crops was leaf > stem epidermis > inside the stem. However, in another case of accidental HF leak in Hwasung City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, because the concentration of fluoride ion in the crops was detected in the range of N.D. ~ 45 mg/kg, it is difficult to make a decision about whether HF affects the crops or not. In this study, with the suggestion of the identification of leak accident impacts by checking the contamination characteristics and condition of HF in terms of diffusion distance from the accident point, we prevent damage from secondary environmental pollution and prepare for similar accidents in the future.

In this study, content and leaching tests of heavy metals (14 items) were analyzed to evaluate the recyclability of the sludge from wastewater treatment facilities. Additionally, this was compared with and examined with the standard of controlled waste, certification standards of compost materials, etc. In the results of the content test, Cr6+ (30.82 mg/kg) of waste from the leather, fur, and textile industries (EWC 04) and Cr6+ (103.13 mg/kg) of waste from the manufacture formulation, supply, and use of coatings (EWC 08) were higher than the proposed criteria of Cr6+ (20 mg/kg). The high level of Cr6+ concentration was observed because of the use of sodium dichromate and chromic anhydride in the materials of dyestuffs and pigments and ink in the EWC 04 and EWC 08 processes. The results on sludge in this study did not meet the standard of the Fertilizer Control Act and quality standard of fuels. In particular, the high levels of Pb and Cd was the main reason.

Laws and regulations of radioactive waste management related to the Exemption system and the Clearance systembetween governing authorities in Korea and Japan were investigated to suggest better management of radioactive waste.Above both system, very low levels of radioactive wastes which have negligible risk can be decided on being Exclusionsystem and classified as a non-radioactive waste. As a result, the Exemption systems between two countries were similar,whereas the Clearance systems were different. With regard to laws related to the Clearance, Japan specify providinginformation and feedback among relevant authorities, but there is no specification in Korea. In addition, this study suggeststo develop accredited analysis methods to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement, because twocountries have not established the national accredited analysis method for determining the concentration of radionuclide.

Silica fume is a by-product generated in an electric arc furnace during the silicon, ferrosilicon, and other metal alloy manufacturing process. Prefabrication mineral additives such as fly ash, blast furnace slag and silica fume are commonly used as binder materials to improve cement quality, and to reduce cement consumption. Especially silica fume which has a high level of long-term chemical durability is most widely used in high-performance concrete. However, Korea relied 100% on imported silica fume, which is more expensive than other admixture, until 2014. So far, many studies have been conducted on the effects and performance of silica fume used in concrete or replacement material like metakaolin and blast-furnace slag. With the construction of ferrosilicon plant in Korea, silica fume, a by-product of ferrosilicon production process, has been generated as a new industrial waste. Waste products like silica fume contain heavy metal, hence its use as admixture could increase heavy metal contents in concrete. Therefore, to evaluate the environmental hazards of silica fume, when it is assumed to have been exposed to the environment, content analysis and leaching tests for pH, loss on ignition and trace elements (CN, Cr, Cr6+, Cu, Cd, Pb, As and Hg) in silica fume were conducted. The results of pH analysis and loss on ignition test were 2.18 ~ 7.39 and 0.9 ~ 2.1%, respectively. Analysis found that levels of race elements in silica fume produced in Korea were lower than Korean standards set out for designated waste.

Recently, the explosion of powder fire extinguisher led to the replacement of old extinguishers with new ones in Korea. As a result, the amount of waste fire extinguishing agents from discarded fire extinguishers has been increasing. In this study, to determine the recyclability of the fire extinguishing agents, content and leaching test were conducted to identify their health hazards in accordance with the Korean standard method for waste and soil. To this end, nine powders in four new products and five discarded products were sampled from five companies. Analysis of discarded powder of fire extinguishers showed that levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr6+,Cr, Hg, Cu, Ni, As, Zn), organic phosphorus, oil, TCE, and PCE were within the levels set out in the Wastes Control Act, the Fertilizer Control Act and the Soil Environment Conservation Act. Only arsenic level in some new and discarded powder of fire extinguisher samples exceeded the acceptable levels as set forth in the Wastes Control Act (1.5 mg/L) and the Soil Environment Conservation Act (25 mg/kg) but within the acceptable arsenic level of 45 mg/kg as set forth in the Fertilizer Control Act. Concentrations of arsenic in the samples ranged from 0.039 to 2.578 mg/L, 6.72 to 38.36 mg/kg. The most commonly used chemical for ABC dry chemical extinguisher is mono-ammonium phosphate, which generally contains up to 0.005% of arsenic and be used as fertilizer. The result confirmed that powder of fire extinguishers could be recycled as fire extinguisher powder or fertilizer as practiced in Japan, USA and UK. But it is necessary to pretreat and meet the regulation of fireextinguisher and fertilizer.

The IPCC methodology for estimating methane emissions from a solid waste landfill is based on the first order decay (FOD) method. One emission factor in the model is the methane generation potential (L0) that is estimated from the amount of decomposable degradable organic carbon (DOC) in a solid waste landfill. L0 is estimated based on the fraction of DOC in the waste, the fraction of the degradable organic carbon that decomposes under anaerobic conditions (DOCf), methane correction factor (MCF), and the fraction of methane in generated landfill gas (F). The other emission factor is the methane generation rate constant (k). The IPCC recommended that every country needs to develop country-specific key parameters (DOC, DOCf, k) more appropriate for its circumstances and characteristics. The objective of this research was to investigate the greenhouse gas emission factor (k) and parameters (DOC, DOCf) for wood wastes in a solid waste landfill. To investigate DOC, DOCf, and k for wood wastes, the biodegradable rate of wood wastes was determined by comparing the composition of excavated samples (L-1, L-2) with their fresh ones (F-1, F-2). The DOC values were found to be 48.36% and 45.27% for F-1 and F-2, respectively. It showed that the IPCC default value of DOC for wood wastes is appropriate for estimating methane emission. The maximum DOCf (0.17 and 0.18) or each wood waste excavated from G landfill was found to be lower compared with those for IPCC. The IPCC provided that default values of DOCf 0.5. The k values were found to be 0.0055 and 0.0058 year−1 for F-1 and F-2, respectively. The result confirmed that the biodegradation rate of wood wastes was very slow due to its lignin.

In spite of the government's various efforts to reduce food waste, the food waste in Korea has increased about 3%every year, mainly due to the growing population, number of households, and income. Food waste occurs in the processesof production, transportation, distribution, storage and cooking of food ingredients. However, there has been little reliabledata about how households - a major food waste source - store and treat their food and how much food waste they produce.In this regard, we thought it was important to understand the exact amount and characteristics of food waste fromhouseholds in order to reduce the country's food waste, which is why we monitored kinds, storage periods, treatment,and waste of food consumed in 100 households in the Seoul metropolitan area. Households normally store their foodingredients in refrigerators - on average 33 kinds and 35kg of food are stored - and some of them stayed there for upto 3 years. Moreover, not a small portion of the food is thrown away nearly untouched, mostly because people tend topurchase too much food at one time or they don't know or miss their expiration dates. The amounts of food waste bytype were in the order of vegetable>side dish>frozen food>fruit>seasoning. Also, we suggest effective and realisticmeasures to reduce food waste and promote a more desirable food consumption culture.