System for Controlling the Level of Potential Pollutants in a Waste Treatment Plant

An apparatus for the on-line sorting of waste according to its chemical composition and directing said waste into one of two or more channels according to predetermined criterion prior to the introduction of said waste into a waste processing plant or apparatus, wherein said apparatus comprises:

• a loading unit, adapted to accept said waste from one or more external sources;
• a weighing unit, adapted for accepting said waste from said loading unit in batches and determining the weight of each of said batches;
• a detector module, adapted for accepting one of said batches from said weighing unit and determining the presence and amount of one or more specified chemical elements in said batch;
• a diverter gate, adapted to accept said batch of material from said detector module and to direct said batch into one of said two or more channels;
• and
• a controller, adapted to control the activation and the timing of the activation of the elements of said apparatus and to perform calculations and store data necessary for the operation of said apparatus;
• characterized in that:
• said waste is not presorted prior to entering said loading unit;
• said detector module comprises elements for performing a neutron activation analysis technique to determine the presence and amount of said one or more specified chemical elements in said batch;
• that the results of said determination is used to decide into which of said channels said batch is to be directed;
• and said predetermined criteria, is whether the amount of said specified chemical is less than or greater than a predetermined threshold value.