Utilization of washed MSWI fly ash as partial cement substitute with the addition of dithiocarbamic chelate

The management of the big amount of fly ash as hazardous waste from the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) has encountered many problems in China. In this study, a feasibility research on MSWI fly ash utilization as partial cement substitute in cement mortars was therefore carried out. MSWI fly ash was subjected to washing process to reduce its chlorine content (from 10.16% to 1.28%). Consequently, it was used in cement mortars. Ten percent and 20% replacement of cement by washed ash showed acceptable strength properties. In TCLP and 180-day monolithic tests, the mortars with washed ash presented a little stronger heavy metal leachability, but this fell to the blank level (mortar without washed ash) with the addition of 0.25% chelate. Therefore, this method is proposed as an environment-friendly technology to achieve a satisfactory solution for MSWI fly ash management.     

Long-term nitrate increases in two oligotrophic lakes, due to the leaching of atmospherically-deposited N from moorland ranker soils

During the last 50 years nitrate concentrations in Buttermere and Wastwater (Cumbria, UK) have risen significantly, by 70 and 100%, respectively. By estimating contemporary nitrate fluxes in the lakes' catchments and in sub-catchments and comparing them with the fractional areas of different soil types, it is deduced that the surface water nitrate is derived almost entirely from organic-rich ranker soils that have a limited ability to retain atmospherically-deposited nitrogen. Little or no nitrate leaches from the other major soil type, a brown podzol, despite it having a lower C:N ratio (12.0 g g(-1)) than the ranker (17.0 g g(-1)), nor is there much contribution from the small areas of improved (chemically fertilised) grassland within the catchments. Although some nitrate leaching is occurring, total N losses are appreciably smaller than atmospheric inputs, so the catchment soils are currently accumulating between 3 and 4 g N m(-2) a(-1).     

Evaluation of gold and silver leaching from printed circuit board of cellphones

Electronic waste has been increasing proportionally with the technology. So, nowadays, it is necessary to consider the useful life, recycling, and final disposal of these equipment. Metals, such as Au, Ag, Cu, Sn and Ni can be found in the printed circuit boards (PCB). According to this, the aims of this work is to characterize the PCBs of mobile phones with aqua regia; obtaining “reference” values of leaching, to gold and silver, with cyanide and nitric acid, respectively; and study the process of leaching of these metals in alternative leaching with sodium thiosulfate and ammonium thiosulfate. The metals were characterized by digesting the sample with aqua regia for 1 and 2 h at 60 °C and 80 °C. The leaching of Au with a commercial reagent (cyanide) and the Ag with HNO₃were made. The leaching of Au and Ag with alternative reagents: Na₂S₂O_3, and (NH₄)₂S₂O₃ in 0.1 M concentration with the addition of CuSO₄, NH₄OH, and H₂O₂, was also studied. The results show that the digestion with aqua regia was efficient to characterize the metals present in the PCBs of mobile phones. However, the best method to solubilize silver was by digesting the sample with nitric acid. The leaching process using sodium thiosulfate was more efficient when an additional concentration of 0.015 and 0.030 M of the CuSO₄ was added.     

煤矸石中重金属的淋滤特征研究

以内蒙古某矿区的煤矸石为研究对象,采用试验模拟法对煤矸石中的重金属的淋滤特征进行研究.结果表明:经过8 d的淋滤试验,重金属淋滤强度达到稳定,各个样品中各元素的最大淋出率平均值为:Cd＞Cr＞Pb＞Cu＞Hg＞As;Hg,Cr,Cd元素的最大淋出率与样品中元素背景值负相关;淋滤液中的As来源于硫化物的风化;煤矸石中重金属对环境的影响主要发生在淋滤初期,且重金属在自然条件下的淋滤过程对环境的影响较小,只有Cr和Cd的浓度超过了国家地表水Ⅲ类水质标准.     

上海市城市垃圾处理现状

说明上海市城市垃圾的产生、组成和收集运输情况，介绍常用垃圾处理方法和上海市城市垃圾卫生填埋技术，描述厌氧塘－兼性塘－曝气塘接湿地土地处理的上海市城市垃圾渗沥水处理方法，并展望上海未来城市垃圾处理的远景。     

垃圾填埋场渗沥液排放标准的讨论

通过垃圾填埋场渗沥液的来源，性质以及对环境的影响等情况和国内对渗沥液的处理技术分析，根据目前处理渗沥液的技术水平，建议制定适当当前保护环境需要的行业排放标准。     

氢化物发生原子荧光法在测定土壤中浸出硒、总硒的应用

应用氢化物发生原子荧光光谱法研究了测定基地土壤中的浸出硒、总硒的技术。称取一定量土样置于烧杯中,加蒸馏水间歇手动搅拌2小时后放置过夜,取上清液测有效硒;用HNO3-HF-HClO4分解法全量消解样品,同时做全程空白实验,样品处理后加入10%硫脲-10%抗坏血酸混合改进剂以消除Cu、Ag、Ni、Pd等金属离子的干扰,并以1%硼氢化钠为还原剂,在25%的盐酸介质中测定总硒。其浸出态硒测定的检出限为1.5×10-3mg/kg,总硒测定的检出限为0.032mg/kg。     

Biochar: A review of its impact on pesticide behavior in soil environments and its potential applications

Biochar is produced from the pyrolysis of carbon-rich plant- and animal-residues under low oxygen and high temperature conditions and has been increasingly used for its positive role in soil compartmentalization through activities such as carbon sequestration and improving soil quality. Biochar is also considered a unique adsorbent due to its high specific surface area and highly carbonaceous nature. Therefore, soil amendments with small amounts of biochar could result in higher adsorption and, consequently, decrease the bioavailability of contaminants to microbial communities, plants, earthworms, and other organisms in the soil. However, the mechanisms affecting the environmental fate and behavior of organic contaminants, especially pesticides in biochar-amended soil, are not well understood. The purpose of this work is to review the role of biochar in primary processes, such as adsorption–desorption and leaching of pesticides. Biochar has demonstrable effects on the fate and effects of pesticides and has been shown to affect the degradation and bioavailability of pesticides for living organisms. Moreover, some key aspects of agricultural and environmental applications of biochar are highlighted.     

海口市蔬菜土壤重金属含量特征研究

采用野外调查法结合实验室分析法对海口市郊区蔬菜土壤重金属含量特征进行研究,测定了Cr、As、Cd、Cu、Zn、Pb、Ni、和Hg 8种重金属全量、有效态含量及蔬菜土壤pH值和有机质含量,重金属全量与有效态含量间的相关性及土壤pH值,有机质含量与蔬菜土壤中重金属全量间的相关性。结果表明,海口市蔬菜土壤中各种重金属均表现出一定的累积趋势;8种重金属元素有效态含量与全量呈正相关,重金属有效态占全量比例在1.86%~13.47%之间,其中Cd、Pb和Hg较高,分别为13.47%、10.23%和8.42%,三者表现出较大的潜在污染风险;土壤p H值和有机质含量与重金属全量表现出一定的相关性,相关性大小与重金属种类有关;重金属全量并不能全面正确评价土壤的环境效应,对蔬菜土壤重金属污染程度进行评价时,应把重金属全量、有效态含量与土壤基本理化性质结合起来进行研究。     

Assessment of mobility and bioavailability of contaminants in MSW incineration ash with aquatic and terrestrial bioassays

Incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a waste treatment method which can be sustainable in terms of waste volume reduction as well as a source of renewable energy. In the process fly and bottom ash is generated as a waste material. The ash residue may vary greatly in composition depending on the type of waste incinerated and it can contain elevated levels of harmful contaminants such as heavy metals. In this study, the ecotoxicity of a weathered, untreated incineration bottom ash was characterized as defined by the H14 criterion of the EU Waste Framework Directive by means of an elemental analysis, leaching tests followed by a chemical analysis and a combination of aquatic and solid-phase bioassays. The experiments were conducted to assess the mobility and bioavailability of ash contaminants. A combination of aquatic and terrestrial bioassays was used to determine potentially adverse acute effects of exposure to the solid ash and aqueous ash leachates. The results from the study showed that the bottom ash from a municipal waste incineration plant in mid-Sweden contained levels of metals such as Cu, Pb and Zn, which exceeded the Swedish EPA limit values for inert wastes. The chemical analysis of the ash leachates showed high concentrations of particularly Cr. The leachate concentration of Cr exceeded the limit value for L/S 10 leaching for inert wastes. Filtration of leachates prior to analysis may have underestimated the leachability of complex-forming metals such as Cu and Pb. The germination test of solid ash and ash leachates using T. repens showed a higher inhibition of seedling emergence of seeds exposed to the solid ash than the seeds exposed to ash leachates. This indicated a relatively low mobility of toxicants from the solid ash into the leachates, although some metals exceeded the L/S 10 leaching limit values for inert wastes. The Microtox® toxicity test showed only a very low toxic response to the ash leachate exposure, while the D. magna immobility test showed a moderately high toxic effect of the ash leachates. Overall, the results from this study showed an ecotoxic effect of the solid MSW bottom ash and the corresponding ash leachates. The material may therefore pose an environmental risk if used in construction applications. However, as the testing of the solid ash was rather limited and the ash leachate showed an unusually high leaching of Cr, further assessments are required in order to conclusively characterize the bottom ash studied herein as hazardous according to the H14 criterion.