title: The mass flow and proposed management of bisphenol A in selected Norwegian waste streams.
abstract: Current initiatives for waste-handling in a circular economy favor prevention and recycling over incineration or landfilling. However, the impact of such a transition on environmental emissions of contaminants like bisphenol A (BPA) during waste-handling is not fully understood. To address this, a material flow analysis (MFA) was constructed for selected waste categories in Norway, for which the amount recycled is expected to increase in the future; glass, vehicle, electronic, plastic and combustible waste. Combined, 92tons/y of BPA are disposed of via these waste categories in Norway, with 98.5% associated with plastic and electronic waste. During the model year 2011, the MFA showed that BPA in these waste categories was destroyed through incineration (60%), exported for recycling into new products (35%), stored in landfills (4%) or released into the environment (1%). Landfilling led to the greatest environmental emissions (up to 13% of landfilled BPA), and incinerating the smallest (0.001% of incinerated BPA). From modelling different waste management scenarios, the most effective way to reduce BPA emissions are to incinerate BPA-containing waste and avoid landfilling it. A comparison of environmental and human BPA concentrations with CoZMoMAN exposure model estimations suggested that waste emissions are an insignificant regional source. Nevertheless, from monitoring studies, landfill emissions can be a substantial local source of BPA. Regarding the transition to a circular economy, it is clear that disposing of less BPA-containing waste and less landfilling would lead to lower environmental emissions, but several uncertainties remain regarding emissions of BPA during recycling, particularly for paper and plastics. Future research should focus on the fate of BPA, as well as BPA alternatives, in emerging reuse and recycling processes, as part of the transition to a circular economy.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: hpa@ngi.no.
authors.forename: Hans Peter H
authors.initials: HPH
authors.lastname: Arp
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; Environmental and Food Laboratory of Vendée (LEAV), Department of Chemistry, Rond-point Georges Duval CS 80802, 85021 La Roche-sur-Yon, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas A O
authors.initials: NAO
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Gudny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Okkenhaug
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Air Research, P.O. Box 100, NO-2027 Kjeller, Norway; Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Breivik
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930, Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sparrevik
mesh_terms: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D017745:Incineration; D009664:Norway; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010969:Plastics; D059027:Recycling; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D004391:Dust; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010636:Phenols; D010969:Plastics; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Bisphenol A; Mass flow; Plastic; WEEE; Waste hierarchy