Gulf Coast Environmental Systems

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PFAS in Landfills

PFAS in Landfills

By now, you have likely heard about PFAS, the “forever chemical.” What you may not know is that landfills are a major source of environmental PFAS contamination. So, what is this chemical, and how do we approach PFAS abatement in landfills?

PFAS in LandfillsWhat are PFAS and Why Are They a Challenge for Landfills?

PFOA & PFOS Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made, highly fluorine chemicals, that are facing strict regulatory restrictions in the near future. Though there are nearly 4,800 different types of perfluoroalkyl substances, there are two that are commonly focused on because of their use in everyday household products: perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Both are considered stable chemicals, comprised of 8 carbons. The stability of these carbons and fluorine atoms is what makes them extremely persistent in the environment, and a problem in landfills, because they are very difficult to abate.

PFAS are incredibly common in the production of many consumer goods, from clothing and pots and pans, to food packaging and automotive parts. Because of their prolific use, they can be found in every landfill. These compounds make it into the air and soil in a couple of different ways, making it a challenge to control.

  1. Many facilities burn their solid waste in order to reduce overfilling at landfill sites.
  2. Wastewater, or leachate, from landfills can runoff into the soil.

These emissions of PFAS are troubling because PFAS are incredibly persistent, meaning they do not degrade naturally, over time. This is due to the stability of these carbons and fluorine atoms; this also makes PFAS difficult to abate. PFAS from landfills and wastewater facilities gave garnered a lot of attention in recent years, because of their known health risks. Studies have shown these higher levels of accumulation are directly tied to a number of concerning conditions, including liver issues, hypertension, developmental delays, high cholesterol, issues with immune responses, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and a number of different cancers. [Read more…]

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Is Pollution Control a New Source of Profit?

What if pollution control equipment was on the profit side of your budget sheet, instead of the expense side?expense to profit

Industrial air pollution gets a lot of slack in the media, because it has been directly linked to climate change. Regulatory agencies on nearly every continent have taken further steps to reduce the amount of emissions allowed by industrial processes, and the only method of reducing the pollutants in exhaust emissions is with industrial air pollution control equipment.

In many manufacturing processes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced as a byproduct of production or processing. Industrial air pollution control equipment is used to process or abate those dangerous chemicals and compounds, so they do not end up in the air, soil, and/or water. This encompasses just about every manufacturing process you can think of; food, beverage, packaging, steel, natural gas, oil, cosmetics, automotive, paint, pharmacy, printing, et cetera. The price to install this equipment varies greatly, from tens of thousands of dollars, to millions of dollars, depending on the size of the process streams, and what types of VOCs and hazardous air pollutants the streams contain. This equipment is mandatory in most cases, and is the responsibility of the facility to purchase.

Because of the associated cost, pollution control equipment is often something facilities are not excited to purchase. But what if pollution control equipment was on the profit side of your budget sheet, instead of the expense side? There are a few ways pollution control equipment can help pay for itself, and sometimes even produce a profit for the facility.

Profit Sources:

  1. Methane Abatement
  2. Heat Recovery
  3. Solvent Recovery
  4. Carbon Trading
  5. Tax Incentives
  6. VOC & NOx Trade
  7. RNG + Green Energy

[Read more…]

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Landfill RNG Case Study

CASE STUDY
THERMAL OXIDIZER
LANDFILL – BIOGAS | NOVEMBER 2018

Industry: Landfill/Waste Management
Project Type: Biogas
Project Goal: Building a biogas facility to develop pipeline quality natural gas
Equipment Type: Carbon Adsorber and Thermal Oxidizer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems was tasked with finding a pollution control solution that could handle two combined PSA reject gas vent streams.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:
In this case, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) systems are cleaning biogas from a landfill. Potentially dangerous gases like methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfides, and ammonia, are created by the decomposition and evaporation of organic compounds as well as chemical reactions between waste components. These gases and other hydrocarbons are often considered greenhouse gases and play a huge role in global warming. According to the EPA, in the United States landfills are the third most prevalent source of methane and other greenhouse gases. Another risk when dealing with methane is the flammability of the gas which is incredibly high. When condensed into a small space, methane is considered an explosive, and should be handled with extreme caution. The fact that a minimal amount of oxygen is present in this particular stream of waste gas eliminates risk of the process concentration becoming combustible that could lead to flashback. However, poorly designed or maintained landfills run the risk of higher levels of oxygen entrainment leading to elevated danger and uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions. [Read more…]

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25 Days to a Greener Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, family, and giving. It is also a time of great waste, spending, and polluting. We here are GCES wanted to put together some tips to help make this holiday season just a little bit greener.

 

Greener Holiday Season
Handmade and DIY gifts are not only more thoughtful, but they help reduce emissions, significantly. Manufacturing, packaging, transport… all of these steps release dangerous compounds into the atmosphere, that are directly tied to climate change.

[Read more…]

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Is There Money Hiding in Your Landfill?

What gases are released by landfills?

Landfills consist of a complex mix of gases and VOCs, and are a source of major pollution, and potential revenue… which we will address later in this article. Dangerous gases like methane (CH4),  carbon dioxide(CO2), sulfides (SOx), and ammonia, are created by the decomposition and evaporation of organic compounds, as well as chemical reactions between waste components. Methane and carbon dioxide are the most prevalent, making up between 90 and 98% of all gases and VOCs released. Methane from Landfills

Why are these chemicals a concern?

These gases and VOCs are considered greenhouse gases, and play a huge role in global warming. According to the EPA, in the United States, landfills are the third most prevalent source of methane, and other greenhouse gases. Another risk when dealing with methane is the flammability of the gas, which is incredibly high. When condensed into a small space, methane is considered an explosive, and should be handled with extreme caution. Landfill gas explosions are not uncommon.

In addition to pollution and the risk of exploding, these VOCs pose a serious risk to human health. They have been linked to eye, throat and lung irritation, nausea, headache, nasal blockage, sleeping difficulties, weight loss, chest pain, and even asthma. Some recent studies indicate a connection between air pollution, and Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and slow fetal development. [Read more…]

Company Profile

Gulf Coast Environmental Systems (GCES) is your custom solutions provider for pollution control systems, industrial ovens, systems engineering and field support worldwide. Our unique approach is to analyze your process stream and business objectives and propose an ideal solution or range of options to help you optimize these objectives. GCES is a one-stop shop: we provide engineering services, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and ongoing support. With our broad base of expertise and large installed global base, we are well-positioned to solve your pollution control issues.

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