Leaching and mechanical behaviour of concrete manufactured with recycled aggregates

The reuse of debris from building demolition is of increasing public interest because it decreases the volume of material to be disposed to landfill. This research is focused on the evaluation of the possibility of reusing recycled aggregate from construction or demolition waste (C&D) as a substitute for natural aggregate in concrete production. In most applications, cement based materials are used for building construction due to their cost effectiveness and performance; however their impact on the surrounding environment should be monitored. The interstitial pore fluid in contact with hydrated cementitious materials is characterized by persistent alkaline pH values buffered by the presence of hydrate calcium silicate, portlandite and alkaline ions. An experimental plan was carried out to investigate concrete structural properties in relation to alkali release in aqueous solution. Results indicate that the presence of recycled aggregate increases the leachability of unreactive ions (Na, K, Cl), while for calcium the substitution resulted in a lower net leaching. In spite of the lower mechanical resistance (40% less), such a waste concrete may be suggested as more environmentally sustainable.     

Leaching behaviour of hazardous demolition waste

Demolition wastes are generally disposed of in unlined landfills for inert waste. However, demolition wastes are not just inert wastes. Indeed, a small fraction of demolition waste contains components that are hazardous to human health and the environment, e.g., lead-based paint, mercury-contained in fluorescent lamps, treated wood, and asbestos. The objective of this study is to evaluate the release potential of pollutants contained in these hazardous components when they are mixed with inert wastes in unlined landfills. After identification of the different building products which can contain hazardous elements and which can be potentially pollutant in landfill scenario, we performed leaching tests using three different lysimeters: one lysimeter containing only inert wastes and two lysimeters containing inert wastes mixed with hazardous demolition wastes. The leachates from these lysimeters were analysed (heavy metals, chlorides, sulphates fluoride, DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon), phenol index, and PAH). Finally, we compared concentrations and cumulative releases of elements in leachates with the limits values of European regulation for the acceptance of inert wastes at landfill. Results indicate that limit values are exceeded for some elements. We also performed a percolation column test with only demolition hazardous wastes to evaluate the specific contribution of these wastes in the observed releases.     

Leaching behavior of toxic chemicals in recycled aggregates and their alkalinity

In this study, according to two kinds of test methods, the waste official test (WOT) method and the soil contamination official test (SCOT) method applied to domestic harmful substance analysis by Korean regulation, ten kinds of harmful substance values for two kinds of natural aggregates (crushed stone and sea sand) and three kinds of recycled aggregates (road use aggregate, coarse aggregate and fine aggregate) were analyzed, as well as their alkalinity levels. Through this analysis, it was found that recycled aggregates had a higher harmful substance value than natural aggregates, but were still within the standard values and were safe. The pH levels of natural aggregates and recycled aggregates were measured by grinding the specimens according to the testing methods, and the results indicated that the natural aggregate was below pH 9, while the recycled aggregates were found to have a strong alkalinity of pH 11. The pH measurement of recycled aggregates according to grain size and eluting time indicated that a small grain size yielded an initially high pH value that changed little over eluting time, while aggregates with a large grain size had a relatively low initial pH value, but increased with eluting time. In addition, the pH of recycled aggregates was higher for smaller grain sizes, and the WOT method yielded higher pH levels than the SCOT method.     

Leaching behaviour of a chromium smelter waste heap

This paper reports the results of geochemical sampling and modelling of leachates from a chromite ore processing residue (C.O.P.R.) pile under rainwater infiltration. The waste pile is located in the north of England and consists of 800,000 m3 of waste. The pH of fresh leachate is similar to that of a solution in equilibrium with portlandite Ca(OH)2, which is a major constituent of the waste. The in-gassing of CO2(g) causes the pH of the leachates to drop along the drainage ditch and calcite precipitation to occur. The extent of in-gassing is dependent upon the flow rate within the drainage ditch. The dissolution of solid solutions containing residual chromate is likely to control chromate concentrations within the leachate.     

Leaching behaviour of bottom ash from RDF high-temperature gasification plants

This study investigated the physical properties, the chemical composition and the leaching behaviour of two bottom ash (BA) samples from two different refuse derived fuel high-temperature gasification plants, as a function of particle size. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the materials contained large amounts of glass. This aspect was also confirmed by the results of availability and ANC leaching tests. Chemical composition indicated that Fe, Mn, Cu and Cr were the most abundant metals, with a slight enrichment in the finest fractions.Suitability of samples for inert waste landfilling and reuse was evaluated through the leaching test EN 12457-2. In one sample the concentration of all metals was below the limit set by law, while limits were exceeded for Cu, Cr and Ni in the other sample, where the finest fraction showed to give the main contribution to leaching of Cu and Ni.Preliminary results of physical and geotechnical characterisation indicated the suitability of vitrified BA for reuse in the field of civil engineering. The possible application of a size separation pre-treatment in order to improve the chemical characteristics of the materials was also discussed.     

Leaching assessment of concrete made of recycled coarse aggregate: Physical and environmental characterisation of aggregates and hardened concrete

Each year, millions of tonnes of waste are generated worldwide, partially through the construction and demolition of buildings. Recycling the resulting waste could reduce the amount of materials that need to be manufactured. Accordingly, the present work has analysed the potential reuse of construction waste in concrete manufacturing by replacing the natural aggregate with recycled concrete coarse aggregate.However, incorporating alternative materials in concrete manufacturing may increase the pollutant potential of the product, presenting an environmental risk via ground water contamination.The present work has tested two types of concrete batches that were manufactured with different replacement percentages. The experimental procedure analyses not only the effect of the portion of recycled aggregate on the physical properties of concrete but also on the leaching behaviour as indicative of the contamination degree. Thus, parameters such as slump, density, porosity and absorption of hardened concrete, were studied. Leaching behaviour was evaluated based on the availability test performed to three aggregates (raw materials of the concrete batches) and on the diffusion test performed to all concrete.From an environmental point of view, the question of whether the cumulative amount of heavy metals that are released by diffusion reaches the availability threshold was answered. The analysis of concentration levels allowed the establishment of different groups of metals according to the observed behaviour, the analysis of the role of pH and the identification of the main release mechanisms. Finally, through a statistical analysis, physical parameters and diffusion data were interrelated. It allowed estimating the relevance of porosity, density and absorption of hardened concrete on diffusion release of the metals in study.     

Leaching behaviour of waste and stabilized waste materials; characterization for environmental assessment purposes

The importance of systematic trends in trace contaminant leaching from waste materials and stabilized waste is stressed. Similarities in leaching behaviour of different waste materials and mechanisms for leaching from stabilized waste forms are identified. The use of diffusion measurements to quantify the mobility of specific chemical species in waste and soil is discussed. Implementation of more fundamental regulatory testing procedures which reflect the behaviour of materials in end use applications, is recommended to allow better control over environmental impact in the wide variety of utilization and disposal practices.     

Leaching behaviour of different scrap materials at recovery and recycling companies: Full-, pilot- and lab-scale investigation

Scrap material recovery and recycling companies are confronted with waste water that has a highly fluctuating flow rate and composition. Common pollutants, such as COD, nutrients and suspended solids, potentially toxic metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and poly chlorinated biphenyls can exceed the discharge limits. An analysis of the leaching behaviour of different scrap materials and scrap yard sweepings was performed at full-scale, pilot-scale and lab-scale in order to find possible preventive solutions for this waste water problem. The results of these leaching tests (with concentrations that frequently exceeded the Flemish discharge limits) showed the importance of regular sweeping campaigns at the company, leak proof or covered storage of specific scrap materials and oil/water separation on particular leachates. The particulate versus dissolved fraction was also studied for the pollutants. For example, up to 98% of the polyaromatic hydrocarbons, poly chlorinated biphenyls and some metals were in the particulate form. This confirms the (potential) applicability of sedimentation and filtration techniques for the treatment of the majority of the leachates, and as such the rainwater run-off as a whole.     

Leaching behaviour of elements and evaluation of pre-treatment methods for municipal solid waste incinerator residues in column leaching tests.

Two new pre-treatment methods (water-washing/carbonation and carbonation/phosphate stabilization) of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator residues were evaluated by column leaching tests under aerobic conditions and anaerobic conditions (which were changed to aerobic conditions after 10 months). A mixture of bottom ash and fly ash (5:1 ratio) was pre-treated using each method. Shredded incombustible residues (SIR) were added to each ash preparation in proportions similar to the ratios present in landfills. For comparison, landfill wastes typical of Japan, namely, a mixture of bottom ash, chelating-pre-treated fly ash, and SIR, were also examined. Leachate samples were collected periodically and analysed over a 15-month period. When compared with chelating pretreatment, both water-washing/carbonation and carbonation/ phosphate stabilization reduced the leaching of Pb, Al, and Cu by about one to two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the initial concentrations of Ca and Pb in leachates from column of water-washing/carbonation were 56-57% and 84-96% less than those from the column of carbonation/phosphate stabilization. Therefore, water-washing/carbonation was considered to be a promising approach to obtain early waste stabilization and to reduce the release of heavy metals to near-negligible levels. The leaching behaviour of elements was also discussed.     

Leaching behavior of some demolition wastes

Demolition wastes may be used in different civil engineering applications as road constructions, concrete, and embankments or landfill. Regardless its application, leaching tests of the waste should be carried out to assess concentrations of pollutants. Concrete, brick and mixture of concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics wastes were subject to percolation test—CEN/TS 14405, and batch test—SR EN 12457. The leachates were analyzed with respect to concentration of inorganic elements—arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, zinc, fluoride, chloride and sulfate, and organic compounds (phenol index). The concentrations of elements in leachates were compared with the limit values of European regulation for the acceptance of inert wastes at landfills. Generally, the releases of inorganic species in leachates were below limits values. Some waste leachates obtained by percolation and batch test had high values for phenol index.     

Lightweight aggregates from incinerated sludge ash

A range of artificial aggregates has been developed from incinerated sewage sludge ash. The ash is either pelletized or slabbed and subsequently fired until it sinters and expands to form lightweight products which are later graded for use as aggregates in concrete. From the standard tests conducted on size grading, bulk density, absorption and fracture strength, it appears that both the pellets and slabs are potentially suitable as lightweight aggregates in concrete. Preliminary studies on concrete incorporating these aggregates support this hypothesis. No studies of potential containment release at high temperature was made during these studies.     

Characterization and Leaching of Coal Fly Ash

Physical characteristics, chemical composition and leaching behaviour of a waste fly ash from a coal-fired power station are reported. Particle size distribution was studied by the following techniques: sedimentation in a liquid medium; sedimentation in an air flow; and Fraunhofer diffraction of a laser beam. Results obtained by the different methods are in good agreement. Mineralogical content and chemical composition were determined by X-ray diffraction, electronic microprobe and X-ray fluorescence. Acid leaching of the samples was investigated, using the following strong acids in sequence: HCl+ HNO₃, H₂F₂, HClO₄. Analysis of leachates by atomic absorption shows trace metals In, Tl, Ge, Cu, Ga, Pb, Ni, Co, Mn, Cd, Zn, Cr.In this work fly ashes from a Spanish power plant are characterized according to the type of particles, size distribution and chemical composition by means of physical methods. Three particle size fractions are leached by acids and analysis of trace elements in the leaching liquor is carried out. The concentration of trace metals is somewhat higher in the particles of smallest size.     

助剂作用下超声浸取电解锰渣

用8-羟基喹啉、黄原酸钾、十六烷基三甲基溴化铵、磷酸三丁酯、柠檬酸5种物质作浸取助剂,考察了助剂作用下超声辅助浸取法从电解锰渣中提取锰的工艺条件。实验结果表明：用1%（质量分数）柠檬酸作浸取助剂,在固液比（g/mL）为1∶4、酸矿比（mL/g）为0.3∶1、浸取温度为70℃的条件下,超声浸取15min,锰浸出率平均可达57.28%,是加热酸浸法锰浸出率的2.72倍,是无助剂超声辅助浸取法锰浸出率的1.52倍。     

Chemically treated plastic aggregates for eco-friendly cement mortars

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The use of waste plastic as aggregate in cement composites can solve the problem of the disposal of waste plastics in a sustainable way, and it...     

Leaching characteristics of woody biomass ash after low-temperature combustion

The leaching properties of trace elements in wood ash were examined to evaluate the safety of using woody biomass ash. Boron and selenium were detected in high concentrations not only in ash collected from an electric furnace but also in combustion ash from a small wood stove. As for the leaching of trace elements, the influence of calcium compounds on boron and selenium in wood ash is proposed. The leaching of trace elements is enhanced when calcium carbonate is the calcium compound in ash, although it is inhibited in the case of portlandite. There is little information in the literature that can be used to determine the effective use of wood biomass ash, thus limiting the development of woody biomass for applications such as thermal power generation.     

Leaching of Alkali from Concrete in Contact with Waterways

Concrete is usually the preferred material for construction of structures in contact with water during their service life. Early age exposure to water is beneficial for curing of concrete structures. However, the pollution of water from freshly cast concrete in contact with water has not been investigated in detail. A significant increase in the alkalinity has recently been observed in a stream in contact with freshly installed concrete culverts. High alkalinity has caused distress to fresh water fish in the stream. A preliminary laboratory study was commenced to explore the effect of leaching of alkali into water from freshly placed concrete. Freshly cast concrete specimens were exposed to fresh water, covering a range of conditions observed in the field such as volume of concrete/volume of water, age of exposure and cement content. Analysis of the results indicated that early age contact with fresh concrete can lead to an increase in the pH levels of water up to 11, similar to the levels of pH observed in pore water inside freshly cast concrete. It was noted that until an age of 4 days from casting of concrete, the age of exposure does not significantly affect the changes in the peak pH levels of water. Continuous monitoring of water in contact with concrete also indicated that the pH levels diminish with time, which is attributed to the possible reaction of calcium hydroxide with atmospheric carbon. The paper will present the experimental study, the results, analysis and outcomes as well as planning of a more comprehensive study to observe possible ways of reducing the leaching of alkali from freshly placed concrete.     

Leaching of mercury-containing cement monoliths aged for one year

A directive from the Swedish Government states that waste containing more than 1% of mercury shall be permanently deposited. The stabilization of mercury by conversion to a sparingly soluble compound like the sulphide is crucial to ensure long-term immobilization in a permanent storage. Immobilization by the solidification/stabilization (S/S) method and possible formation of HgS from mercury oxide or elemental mercury by reaction with a sulphur source (S or FeS) is investigated by a modified version of the NEN 7345 Dutch tank-leaching test. The diffusion of mercury during 11 months from 1-year-old mercury containing monoliths of Portland and slag cement is demonstrated. In a geologic repository under conditions representative of deep granitic bedrock (bicarbonate buffered to pH 8.6), a favourable monolith combination is slag cement with addition of the iron sulphide troilite. The apparent diffusion coefficient of mercury is estimated.     

Leaching characteristics and phytotoxic effects of sewage sludge biochar

Biochar was prepared via the pyrolysis of sewage sludge at temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 °C and the physical–chemical compositions of the biochars obtained were analyzed. Leaching tests were conducted using the biochars to investigate the release of the constituents and their phytotoxic effects on wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds in a germination test. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the contributions of the constituents to the germination index (GI). The results showed that the biochars were rich in micronutrient contents and they improved the germination of wheat. The heavy metal contents were higher in the biochars than the sewage sludge and their levels increased with the pyrolysis temperature, but they were within the acceptable limits for land application, thereby suggesting that sewage sludge is suitable for use as a biochar substrate. The different components of the biochar leachates could promote and inhibit the germination of wheat seeds, where the GI was promoted at lower concentrations but inhibited at higher concentrations. Our results suggest that biochar is an effective and environmentally friendly fixative for the immobilization of heavy metals in sewage sludge when applied to land or disposed of in landfill, but its ecotoxicity needs to be assessed to ensure its environmental safety.     

Leaching properties of stabilised/solidified cement-admixtures-sewage sludges systems

One of the main objectives of this work is to present an effective alternative for the final destination of sludge from urban waste water treatment plants by its use as a component of mortar or concrete. A binding and stabilizing matrix of sludge-cement and sludge-cement-coal fly-ash was investigated and the effects of various percentages of waste and binder, on the behavior of sludge in the system are presented. Assessment of the environmental quality of the final product and the consequent guarantee of its use in the building industry demand that it meets a number of requisites, one of which is that the effluents extracted by water action should be contamination-free, or at least that the concentration of contaminants should be below certain pre-set limits. For this a number of leaching tests must be carried out, such as the Netherlands Leaching Test .     

Leaching of heavy metals in acid mine drainage.

Acid mine drainage is one of the most serious environmental problems that the coal and metal mining industry is currently facing. The generation of low pH drainage enhances the dissolution of heavy metals in water. The samples used in this research originated from three pits at mine dumps. In a study reported in this paper, three types of tests; namely static test, kinetic test and column test were conducted to estimate acid generation and acid neutralization reaction rates, and to predict the solubility of metals and their release rates. Static test showed that all samples had a pH of net acid generation (NAG pH) <4, a net acid producing potential (NAPP) >10 kg H2SO4tonne(-1), and a S-content >3%, which can be classified as a high acid-forming capacity. Simulated runoff in the column tests was equivalent to 5-year average rainfall in Indonesia, the resultant leachates showed acidic behaviour (pH < 3.5). Based on the results, it was found that high mobilization of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) takes place under strong acidic conditions (pH approximately equal 2).