Others articles written by Mnahi Al Masoud & François de la Chevalerie

REparing

Asbestos troublesome issue

Why the diseases linked to the inhalation of dust asbestos are spreading? Today, the main reason is the huge cost of the asbestos removal operation.

Today, in Western Europe, only 3.5% of buildings with asbestos have been treated. At least, it should take three centuries before getting rid of this extremely harm material. Indeed diseases linked to dust asbestos inhalation are spreading: pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer. According to an incubation period of 15/20 years, asbestos kills inexorably. In Europe, 20000 cases each year have been diagnosed, 100000 deaths by 2025! A study made by the Erasmus Hospital in Brussels suggests that an adult on seven European bring pulmonary asbestos signs exposure.

The main reason of this situation is the huge cost of the asbestos removal, approximately 1350 euros per ton. But others charges has to be added: building’s immobilization during the operation, staff settlement in another site, logistics reorganization, etc. For example, for a building covering an area of 10000 m2, the cost could approach 20 M ?.

Even if health emergency should be the only matter, the reality is different. The decision to carry out asbestos depends mainly on each company’s direction. They assess its adequacy in relation with their overall costs and other priorities. Without cash, some companies exempt themselves of the work. Uneasy task! If they meet this burden, they will require equal savings! Moreover, final cost is rarely established. In Europe, final budget overruns 25% of the initial cost. Given these factors, real estate companies are unable to undertake the work as a whole. Through a several years plan, some companies managed directly their heritage, others outsourced the asbestos removal organization to specialized consulting firms.

If many owners are hosted in the same building, sometines it led to impossibility to launch the work. As an example, the Paris Tour Montparnasse is significant with its 90 owners (individuals, off shores companies, financial fund, etc.) How to create a "common need" while everyone has a particular situation. Could an Arabic Gulf owner pay 150000 euros for its 400 m2 while in his country no law required it? The housing financial crisis brings even more uncertainties. Due to a decline of their assets, waiting for a more prosperous time, the managers will be tempted to postpone asbestos removal operations.

Could the Public sector perform it better? Although action plans exist, many programs sort between emergencies while any building containing asbestos has to be treated. Lack of financial means is the obvious reason! Governments are paralyzed as evidenced by the critical hospital public situation. A great majority of them were built in the sixties with asbestos. While the fact is known, few have been treated. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos continues his work, contaminating patients and the hospital staff. In Caen hospital (France), among the employees, diseases linked to asbestos inhalation are spreading. A 140 million euros emergency plan has been decided. While the establishment should have been closed, activity continues. In Paris, the Sciences de l'Homme house, a six-story building is full of asbestos. The government has agreed to relocate its activities in the Paris suburbs. Incomprehensibly the decision provoked the anger of the occupants even if they are heavily exposed. However, the mismanagement gold palm belongs the Jussieu University. While it would have been necessary to close the building, operations were delayed.  In spite of the dead of 20 people among the academic staff, the work is still unfinished.

Although the asbestos responsibility is punished by the courts, despite the claims, apparently it is not enough to suggest a more radical policy. Meanwhile, the devastation caused by mineral fibres is continuing.

How to remedy it? Two otions should be considered. On the first hand, the reduction of the removal cost requires the implementation of other processes. The today, plasma torch technology, is very expensive. Other proposals must be considered and first of all, technicals validation. Moreover, given the complexity of operations, specialized companies could shoulder the burden, organizing all operations, promoting the elimination of asbestos in the shortest possible time.

Instead of giving up, it is best to encourage the emergence of an innovative solution. The challenge worth it to stop this scourge, always persistent!

REparing

Asbestos turmoil, French aircraft last battle?

Two years ago, French aircraft, the so called Clemenceau, was on the way to be destroyed in the biggest ship slaughter-house in the world in the Alang bay, India. Thanks to troublesome no profit organisation as well as Greenpeace, the long time French glorious boat returned dramatically to its quay, full of asbestos! However asbestos harmfulness was already known, french government has decided to get rid of it, at a low price, a blind eye towards the Indians workers health condition. Fortunately, fate is not always written. Today, the ship sails in the folds of a public invitation market. Some companies proposed methods involving high temperatures. Others offered treatment consisting in the transformation of asbestos crystalline structure (dangerous) into an amorphous structure (inoffensive). Harmless, low cost, convenient setting up and irreversible with a much more greater concern about workers safety, in particular, those working in the Alang bay. All options have their argument, but the main target is to conceive and realize a product which should meet the needs on an increasingly demand for asbestos polluted areas, throughout the world, millions of tonnes located in infected building, 600 ships, railways transports, agricultural equipment, etc. Since 1957, when it has been built, Clemenceau made 48 times the world round trip, it could continue but, this time, with an accurate solution of this damaging trouble. So what was at first glance perceived as a fiasco could be converted into an industrial and ecological tale!

Written by François de la Chevalerie, Daniel Joubert et Jacques Humbert (IR & Amiante)

REparing & RECYCLING

Clean harbour and Sustainable DEVELOPMENT: the SEA MUD CASE! *   

In outer harbours, rejections, waste and sand constitute an ungrateful material sometimes called “sludge” or “sea mud”. It could retain hydrocarbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals. Sea mud could represent a real danger for environment as well as atmosphere emissions. All ports are concerned, small or big one, in particular, arsenals. In addition to natural erosion, the traffic expands sediments accumulation. Each day, expensive dredging operations gave access to navigation. Then sea mud has to be rejected in dedicated sea areas with unknown ecosystem consequences. Sometimes sea mud awfully contaminated take place in ground storage. If the sea mud is not buckled in tight boxes, it could have also ecological consequences. In one case or the other, those solutions have nothing to do with the idea of “a clean port”.

How to think the sea mud differently? Today sea mud treatment is rare and always related to small volume, mainly contaminated sediments. Once decontaminated, sea mud is rejected into the sea. A better answer consists in the transformation of the sea mud into éco building materials (roads embankment, kerbs, breeze blocks, moulded, flagstones, bricks).   

All over the world, the stake is crucial. Actually, we experienced an increasingly shortage of aggregates from alluvial materials. In the same way, the careers close. Considered polluted, sometimes dangerous, their time is counted. The sea mud constitutes an alternative, a “renewable material”! Today Chinese develop projects of valorisation. According to reports, the methods remain artisanal, but the Chinese has decided to make it a major industrial project. A euro Chinese company, Paneurochina, is rethinking the way to treat the mud. Already, in southern China, bricks are manufactured. In northern China, roads embankment integrates sea mud. In Europe, the common position is “wait and see” but the 2012 Euro Directive will oblige all harbour to process the sea mud.

François de la Chevalerie & Mnahi Al Masoud

REparing & RECYCLING

Three Gorges dam growing sedimentation condemns its hydroelectric potential

Located in Hubei province, near the city of Yichang, the Three Gorges Dam is the largest of the world for water control and hydropower productivity. Built up thanks to a deviation of the Chang Jiang River, it is structured around a reservoir with a surface area of 1084 km2. Bigger than the Itaïpu Dam (Brazil), the hydroelectric power plant consists of two sections: on the left, 14 turbogenerators, on the right, 12 turbogenerators. The set offers a powerful 18720 MW. According to experts, the dam is expected to provide 10% of China electricity consumption.

Sometimes quoted as a sustainable development project, the Three Gorges Dam suggests anxiety. In addition to pollution and Eco system damage, the dam disrupts and alters the sediment cycle.

Upstream the river, crossing the Tibetan plateau, sludge inflates the Chang Jiang. Due to an intense deforestation and desertification, soil is friable. Weakened banks permit landslides. Coupled with land overuse, sediment decreases the water velocity. Each year, 500 million tons are deposited in the river gorges, including the retention lake. At the work achievement in 2009, the pressure should affect its hydroelectric potential up to 50%. In addition, if the siltation were too important, the flooding will continue on area rivers.

Furthermore, sediments accumulation exerts a strong pressure on the structure and could lead to its cracking. Because the Eurasian and the Yangsté plate are not stable, the risk of an earthquake does exist. In recent years, low-magnitude earthquakes have produce landslides. In the event of a large-scale one, the Dam breaking could happen.

Downstream the river, sediment played before a role of natural fertilizer. Because of their decrease, agrochemicals use should be now required. So it will intensify water pollution. Already levels of phosphorus and nitrogen are twenty times higher than the standards. In addition, the sediment reduction may push back the River delta. Moreover, in winter, it accelerates saline groundwater within the delta.

To challenge this situation, the solution could imply the sediment removal. Given their volume, it requires considerable resources. Downstream the river sediment transportation looks like a titanic operation, quite impossible to manage. Another answer is to valorise directly the sediments but they are heavily contaminated. The dam construction has been swallowing 1300 coal mines, 178 garbage dumps, 1500 slaughter, etc. In fact, sediment offers an unprecedented variety of harmful heavy metals, toxic microorganisms, so on. Their eventual recovery in construction materials suggests chemical treatments (for instance, their encapsulation). Purification processes exist as those developed by the Franco-Chinese company Paneurochina but given their enormous volume, the operation is likely unworkable.

The so called Three Gorges sustainability depends on the sediment treatment. Long underrated, the issue has been taken into account by the Chinese authorities, which have agreed with a 1.5 billion $ a budget to grant an efficient solution to the sediments future.

REparing & RECYCLING

Dam’s sediments nightmare ? *

Obviously, a dam main duty is to control floods downstream of a river flow or a tide. Frequently, it supports the cultures irrigation. Sometimes it moderates natural flood disasters. Under constraints conditions, it authorizes electricity production. In history, dam’s construction was often celebrated as “a revenge on nature”. “Our country will never be the same!” proclaimed President Roosevelt while launching the New Deal dams project. “China shall overcome the Chang Jiang (Yangtze)!” expressed today Chinese officials.

With nature, arrogance is a poor adviser. A dam is not a neutral infrastructure. Hustling the environment, it modifies the sediments distribution. Trapped into artificial lakes or tanks, sediments accumulation gives birth to serious problems. Concerning the coastal dams, it affects the navigation channels and the fisheries areas. Deposits worsen water quality, entropic activities and in a latter future lead to strongly climate change. In France, congested sediments into the tide Rance dam had been deteriorating its estuary since many years. Sediments into the Arzal dam in Brittany are up to 22 million m3, nearly 50% of that existing in all the France harbour. In China, the newly Three Throats dam could severely damage the ecosystem because sedimentary evolution remains unknown. In addition, sediments constitute a real danger in case of seismic trouble. In large cities, underground water quality could be also contaminated. So, it is not exaggerated to affirm that dam future depends on sediments solutions treatment.

However, it is quite impossible to settle down a scientific model for all sedimentary layers. Each dam maintains a specific relation with its environment. For each, a sedimentary hydro examination could eventually model it. One option consists to transport sediments outside the dam area. But immersions operations couldn’t be carried out without taking into consideration ecosystem safeguarding laws. In land, deposits evacuation is not easy as well as very expensive.

The solution could come from China. Confronted with vast sediments quantities inside harbour and estuaries, China brings an industrial answer with the sediments valorisation into eco building materials (roads embankment, kerbs, breeze blocks, moulded, flagstones, bricks). The so called sludge project associates building companies, universities and research centres. For several years, genius civil departments have worked on sediments mechanical performances. Little by little, technique improves. Recently, the Popular National Assembly has outlined that now China will become a world engineering laboratory. Construction huge market meets that challenge. In Europe, increasing concern, related to serious sediments problems, impose also a radical solution to preserve the ecosystem.