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Published on: February 21, 2017
Temporary stabilization of air pollution control residues using carbonation
Hua Zhang1, Pin-Jing He, Li-Ming Shao
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Carbonation can temporarily stabilize alkaline waste, reducing metal leaching risks during transport. However, it does not ensure safe disposal due to potential heavy metal release under acidic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Alkaline waste materials, such as air pollution control (APC) residues from municipal solid waste incineration, pose environmental risks due to potential metal leaching.
- Carbonation is explored as a stabilization method for these hazardous waste streams.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of carbonation in reducing metal leaching toxicity from alkaline APC residues.
- To evaluate the impact of leachate pH on the leaching behavior of both raw and carbonated APC residues.
- To identify key parameters controlling metal leaching in carbonated waste.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of leaching behavior through pH-varying tests on raw and carbonated APC residues.
- Application of Partial Least Square (PLS) modeling to identify significant process parameters.
- Thermodynamic modeling using Visual MINTEQ to simulate metal speciation and leaching.
Main Results:
- Carbonation significantly reduced metal leaching toxicity in APC residues within a pH range of 8-11.
- Carbonated residues exhibited a similar heavy metal release potential as raw ash when exposed to acidic conditions (acid shock).
- Carbonation proved effective in mitigating leaching risks during temporary storage and transportation.
Conclusions:
- Carbonation offers a viable temporary stabilization strategy for alkaline APC residues, reducing risks during handling and transport.
- Carbonated waste is not suitable for final disposal without further treatment due to its vulnerability to acid shock.
- Further research may be needed to develop permanent stabilization solutions for APC residues.
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