Www.benkeet.com © 2010 Ben Keet 1 Why most plastics in category 5, 6 and 7 should be landfilled and...

www.benkeet.com © 2010 Ben Keet 1

Why most plastics in category 5, 6 and 7 should be landfilled and not recycled

Drs. Ben Keet FRSCGeo & Hydro – K8 Ltd

e-mail: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

www.benkeet.com ©2010 Ben Keet 2

Verschueren Environmental Consultancy B.V.

Geo & Hydro – K8 Ltd

Excel lence in Envi ronmenta l Eng ineer ing

Study for Ministry for the Environment

Investigation of brominated flame retardantspresent in articles being used, recycled and

disposed of in New Zealand.

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/hazardous/investigation-of-brominated-flame-retardants/investigation-of-brominated-flame-retardants.pdf





Flame retardants are present in many plastics.There are 9 main groups


Brominated flame retardants make up 10 % by weight

In Europe alone50.000 tons in 2007

Brominated Flame Retardants

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs or BDE’s)

tetrabromobisphenol (TBBP-A)

hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)


polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)209 congeners

Product CompositionPoBDE TrBDE TeBDE PeBDE HxBDE HpBDE OBDE NBDE

DeBDE

DeBDE 0.3-3%

97-98%

OBDE 10-12%

43-44%

31-35%

9-11%

0-1%

PeBDE 0-1%

24-38%

50-62%

4-8%

TeBDE 7.6%

-- 41-42%

44-45%

6-7%


Commercial BDE’s are always a blend

Why a study into Brominated Flame Retardants ?

PBDE’s Classed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) by Stockholm Convention

Banned in most countries:Penta BDEOcta BDE

Banned or to be banned:Deca BDE

In many countries:Hazardous waste if products contain over 0.25% BDE


Natural breakdown and bio-accumulation of PBDE’s

• Natural dehalogenation of PBDE’s by UV radiation (photodecomposition)

• Results in more lower brominated PBDE’s.

• Bioaccumulation is stronger for lower PBDEs

• Deco Nona Octa Septa Hexa Penta Tetra

• Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation not well reseached.


“the graph that launched a thousand papers” Meironyt D, Bergman A. 1999.

Analysis of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Swedish Human Milk,


BDE concentration in House / Office Dust


Study Location(s)

Number of samples

Total PBDEs (ppb) Deca (ppb)

Average Range Average Range

House Dust

10 pooled samples of 10 houses each

10,543 4,254 - 20,505 9,820 3,800 - 19,900

EWG study 10 houses 4,629 614 - 16,366 (41,203) 2,394 < 400 - 7,510

5 houses 3,699 1,412 - 11,426 1,232 916 - 1,472

25 houses 1,807 145 - 27,008 1,394 137 - 19,100

2 houses 267 129 - 405 180 100 - 260

Office dust

Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Denmark

7 Parliament buildings 2,371 437 - 7,100 2,129 330 - 6,900

3 internet providers 405 311 - 546 360 260 - 490

How to Detect BFR’s ?

Lab analysis

•Not av. In NZ•Expensive•Selective

X-Ray Fluorescence

•Portable•Sensitive to Br•Not selective

www.benkeet.com ©2010 Ben Keet 10 Figure E.1 Display of XRF analyser showing the bromine concentration of a wall switch (Mitre 10)

Estimated quantities of BDE in various sources of the New Zealand environment


New Zealand BDE Profile (tonnes)

-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

Ton

nes

Being Recycled

Cumulativelandfill total

Entering Landfill

In-Use

Exports Total

Used in NZmade products

Imported infinished goods


Results ng/L waterdissolved particle-bound

lims nr. 10/0426 10/0427 10/0428 10/0429

sample code BFR-SPE-HD BFR-SPE-GM BFR-FIL-HD BFR-FIL-GM

BDE28 1.8 <0.02 1.1 0.06

BDE49 11 <0.02 11 0.3

BDE71 <0.03 <0.02 <0.02 <0.02

BDE47 82 0.04 86 15

BDE66 <0.3 <0.3 <0.03 <0.02

BDE77 <0.03 <0.02 <0.3 <0.2

BDE100 12 <0.1 32 7.4

BDE119 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1

BDE99 54 0.1 169 44

BDE85 2.7 <0.1 7.1 3.0

BDE126 0.1 <0.02 0.9 0.1

BDE154+BB153 2.4 <0.04 21 4.8

BDE153 2.3 <0.04 24 7.0

BDE138 <0.05 <0.04 <0.05 <0.04

BDE156 <0.05 <0.04 <0.05 <0.04

BDE184 <0.05 <0.04 <0.05 <0.04

BDE183 <0.05 <0.04 8.2 0.3

BDE191 <0.05 <0.04 <0.05 <0.04

BDE197 <0.05 <0.04 3.4 0.06

BDE196 <0.05 <0.04 10 <0.04

BDE209 0.4 <0.1 21 2.8

total BDE 168.6 0.2 395.0 84.6TBBP-A 3.4 1.7 2.26 0.94α- HBCD <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1β-HBCD <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1γ-HBCD <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1

BDE+TBBP-A 172.0 1.9 397.3 85.6

Landfill lechate was sampled at Greenmount and Hampton downs.

At Hampton Downs, closed cell 1 daily 0.034 ng BDEs leave the landfill.

This equates to ¼ kg of BDE containing plastic leaving landfill each year.

This is 1 billionth of the total mass of plastics in the landfill.

Landfill are secure to sore BDE’s

BDE’s in Plastics


Uncertain variables

% BDE in PP products made in New Zealand 0.12%

% BDE in EPS products made in New Zealand 1.47%

% BDE in PVC products made in New Zealand 0.01%

% BDE in LDPE products made in New Zealand 0.15%

% BDE in OTHER products made in New Zealand 1.68%

% BDE in finished products

PlasticNo.

5

6

3

4

7


BDE’s

Recycling Polystyrene (No. 6)

Good or Bad?

Questions - Discussion


Figure 3 Richard Moore, creator of Poly Palace in Porirua

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