Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XIV
Written by Iulian IANCU, Sorin PERJU, Ioan BICA, Alexandru-Nicolae DIMACHE
Asbestos water supply networks are not believed to represent a significant hazard to public health in normal use. However, repair, rehabilitation and removal of asbestos pipes involve cutting, and demolition, can release asbestos fibers into the air, posing risks to public health. Many water utilities currently have significant portions of their water mains composed of asbestos pipes that need to be rehabilitated. This paper focuses on the evaluation of four different alternatives to rehabilitate/remove of asbestos pipes, considering the impact on the environment, respectively the total air emissions generated by the activities involved in this rehabilitation. A very performant model, EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook 2023, was used for this assessment. Results indicate that the replacement of asbestos-cement pipes with no-dig, pipe-bursting technology, which involves laying the new pipe on the inside of the existing pipe, which is broken but remains underground, will have the lowest environmental impact.
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