United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research and Development
Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
EPA/600/S2-91/031 Oct. 1991
EPA Project Summary
Waste Minimization Opportunity
Assessment: Optical Fabrication
Laboratory, Fitzsimmons Army
Medical Center, Denver,
Colorado
Marvin Drabkin and Edwin Rissmann
The Waste Reduction Evaluations at
Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program con-
sists of a series of demonstration and
evaluation projects for waste reduction*
conducted cooperatively by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and various parts of the Department of
Defense, Department of Energy, and
other Federal agencies. The WREAFS
program focuses on waste minimization
research opportunities and technical
assessments at Federal sites. The ob-
jectives of the WREAFS Program include
(1) conducting waste minImization work-
shops, (2) performing waste minimiza-
tion opportunity assessments, (3) dem-
onstrating waste minimization tech-
niques or technologies at Federal facili-
ties, and (4) enhancing waste minimiza-
tion benefits within the Federal commu-
nity.
One of the sites chosen for perfor-
mance of a waste minimization opportu-
nity assessment (WMOA) under the
WREAFS Program is the Fitzsimmons
Army Medical Center Optical Fabrica-
tion Laboratory (FAMC/OFL) in Denver,
Colorado. Glass lens fabrication opera-
tions at the OFL generate three RCRA
hazardous wastes (waste lead-bearing
lens blocking alloy (RCRA D008), alka-
line washwater from ground and pol-
ished lens cleaning and deblocking op-
erations (D002), and spent Stoddard sol-
*The terms "reduction" and "minimization" are used
interchangeably in this EPA Project Summary.
vent from the tool cleaning operations
(D001)) and one nonhazardous waste
(ground glass fines from lens grinding
and polishing operations). The waste
lead-bearing blocking alloy particulates
are reclaimed and recycled atthe OFL (to
the extent possible); the alkaline
washwater is discharged to the waste-
water treatment plant and ultimately used
on the FAMC grounds for irrigation; and
spent Stoddard solvent is recycled off site
through a Safety-Kleen, Inc., operation.
The nonhazardous ground glass fines
are collected from the present onsite
grinding coolant filtration operations and
disposed of at a local sanitary landfill.
The present WMOA at the OFL was
concerned with two of these RCRA haz-
ardous wastes, first, the residual lead-
bearing glass lens blocking alloy and the
alkaline washwaterfromlensdeblocking/
cleaning operations, second, and the
nonhazardous ground glass from lens
grinding operations. A waste minimiza-
tion option was developed for each of
these wastes, as summarized below.
(1) Filtration of the alkaline washwater
from glass lens deblocking/wash-
ing operations to recover and re-
cycle residual lead-bearing block-
ing alloy particulates contained in
this washwater. Potentially, as much
as 500 Ib/yr of lead-bearing alloy is
reclaimable.
(2) Substitution of lead-free glass lens
blocking alloy for the lead-bearing
material presently in use.
(3) Offsite recycling of the nonhazardous
fine glass particulate waste gener-
Printed on Recycled Paper
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ated in the lens grinding operation
and currently disposed of in a sani-
tary landfill.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering
Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio,
to announce key findings of the waste
reduction assessment that is fully docu-
mented in a separate report of the same
title (see Project Report ordering infor-
mation at back).
Introduction
To promote waste minimization activities
in accordance with the national policy ob-
jectives established under the 1984 Haz-
ardous and Solid Waste Amendments to
the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act of 1976 (RCRA), the Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory (RREL) of the
USEPA Office of Research and Develop-
ment is supporting the WREAFS Program,
which consists of a series of demonstration
and evaluation projects for waste reduction
conducted cooperatively by EPA and vari-
ous parts of the Department of Defense,
Department of Energy, and other Federal
agencies. The WREAFS Program focuses
on waste minimization research opportuni-
ties and technical assessments at Federal
sites. The present project focused on a
waste minimization opportunity assessment
(WMOA) conducted at the Frtzsimmons
Army Medical Center (FAMC) Optical Fab-
rication Laboratory (OFL) in Denver, Colo-
rado.
Results of the WMOA conducted at the
OFL identified three waste minimization
opportunities involving materials in use at
the OFL. These options are summarized
below.
Waste Minimization
Opportunities
Waste Alkaline Washwater
Alkaline washwater from the glass lens
cleaning/deblocking operation is currently
discharged from the OFL after passing
through a trap to collect large particulates of
the lead-bearing lens blocking alloy. This
wastewater is discharged periodically from
the glass lens washing machines at the rate
of approximately 200 gal/mo, at a pH of
about 13 to 14, and is drained to the FAMC
onsite central water treatment facility. Al-
though this waste is not discharged offsite,
it is ultimately used as part of the FAMC
grounds irrigation water at the site and
could be ultimately discharging lead (both
as dissolved lead and submicron particu-
lates) to the groundwater under the site. It is
proposed that this possibility be avoided in
one of two ways:
(1) Use of a source reduction technique—
the substitution of a non-lead-bearing
blocking alloy.
(2) Use of a recycling technique—introduc-
ing a cartridge filter in the line leaving the
trap from the lens washing/deblocking
operation in order to catch the submi-
cron-size alloy particulates. This tech-
nique could recover up to 500 Ib/yr of
particulate material that would ultimately
be recycled to the lens blocking opera-
tion.
Glass Fines from the Glass
Lens Grinding Operation
The OFL presently generates about 37.5
ton/yr of a mixture of waste glass fines and
water from the lens grinding operation. This
material is not a hazardous waste under the
RCRA definition. The OFL currently sends
this waste to a local landfill, thereby incur-
ring both the transportation and landfilling
costs. These fines, when dry, could gener-
ate particulate emissions, thus creating
possible inhalation problems, during trans-
portation rf they are transported in uncov-
ered or improperly covered containers or at
a landfill if they are improperly covered or
managed. A potential use for this material is
as feedstock in g lass or ceramic tile produc-
tion by a local facility. It is assumed that this
facility would use the OFL waste material,
Table 1. Summary of FAMC/OFL Waste Minimization Assessment Results
Raw material costs
Stream under
consideration
Nonhazardous Waste
Glass fines from glass
lens rough grinding
Hazardous Waste
Mkaline washwater
from deblocking
and cleaning of glass
lenses, containing
small amounts of EP
toxic metals, e.g.,
lead, as both particu-
lates and dissolved
metal.
Volume
consumed or
generated
RCRA
characteristics
300 Ib/day
(37.5 tons/yr)
None
200 gal/mo
Characteristic
D002 corrosive
and D008 lead
waste
Not applicable
Alloy: $2.34Ab
(or $1,150/yr based
on metal loss if attri-
butable to alkaline
solution disposal).
There are also costs
of under $5,000/yr
for the alkaline clean-
ing solution.
Current
disposal costs
Options considered
Estimated at $50/
ton at a local
municipal landfill
(or$1,875/yr)
Negligible since this
waste stream is
treated at the
FAMC onsite bio-
logical wastewater
treatment plant.
The stream con-
stitutes less than
0.1% of the flow
to the wastewater
treatment plant.
Proposed Recycle Option
Send fines to local glass
or ceramic tile production
plant for use as a feed-
stock in glass or ceramic
tile fabrication.
Proposed WM Option
1. Alloy substitutions
to eliminate use of lead
and cadmium (source
reduction).
2. Installation of a filter in
wastewater pipe from
washing unit to reclaim
additional alloy particu-
lates (recycle/reuse).
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Table2. Summary of Factors Determining Technical Feasibility of Three WMOptions Studied During the OFL Waste Minimization Study
Factors determining technical feasibility
Option
number Waste and source
Glass particles from
lens grinding
Cleaning and
deblocking washwater
from glass lens
production
Cleaning and deblock-
ing washwater from
glass lens production
Sending waste to a glass or
ceramic tile manufacturer
for use as feedstock
Substitution of a lead- and
cadmium-free alloy for the
alloy presently used for
blocking
Installation of a filter in
the alkaline wastewer
line
Glass composition and compatibility of that composition with
types of glass produced at a facility interested in accepting the
particulates.
Availability within a radius of 50 miles if a facility is interested in
accepting the materials. Greater distances would increase
transportation costs, thereby eliminating the economic benefit of
this option.
No technical factors are involved. The substitute alloy is known
by facility personnel to be a technically viable alternative. How-
ever, its higher cost may not be justified unless considered on
environmental grounds.
Particle size and concentration of fine alloy liquid droplets or
particulates currently escaping in the discharged wastewater.
Choice of alkali-resistant filtration equipment.
Tables. Summary of Cost Analysis Data for Three WM Options Resulting from the OFL Waste Minimization Study
Material of
interest
in this study
Glass particulates
from lens grinding
Option
1. Sending to glass
manufacturers for
use as feedstock
Capital investment
None
Net operating
cost savings
Upto$1,000/yr
(dependent on local
transportation cost)
Payback period
(years)
0
Cleaning and 2. Alloy substitution None
deblocking washwater
from glass lens
production
3. Installation of Less than $500'
filter in wastewater
line
None. Will increase
operating cost by
about $33,000/yr
Upto$1,100/yr
Indeterminate
1.5yr minimum
and, consequently, the land disposal cost
could be eliminated.
Results of the Waste
Minimization Assessment
The results of the WMOA are summa-
rized in Tables 1 through 3.
Conclusions and
Recommendations
Of the three waste-related opportunities
developed at the OFL by the WMOA, two
represent waste reduction for RCRA haz-
ardous wastes, while the remaining option
represents an opportunity to reduce or elimi-
nate nonhazardous waste. A review of
Table 3 shows that none of these options
represent substantial capital outlays or ap-
preciable operating cost savings. In fact,
one waste minimization option—substitut-
ing a nonhazardous lens blocking alloy for
the present hazardous material—represents
a substantial operating cost increase. The
only positive value of the option is the poten-
tial elimination of an environmental pollu-
tion problem if it can be shown at FAMC that
a source of lead pollution in groundwater
needs to be eliminated. The potential lead
pollution problem also points out the need
for R & D efforts to develop a lead-free lens
blocking alloy.
The full report was submitted in fulfillment
of Contract No. 68-C8-0061, Work Assign-
ment 2-24, by Versar, Inc., under the spon-
sorship of the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency.
•ffV.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1991 - 548-028/40082
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Marvin Drabkin and Edwin Rissmann are with Versar, Inc., Springfield, VA 22151.
Kenneth R. Stone is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment: Optical
Fabrication Laboratory, Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado,"
(Order No. PB91- 216 515/AS; Cost: $35.00, subject to change) will be available
only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental
Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S2-91/031
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