[Review on environmental impact of solid wastes produced by municipal urban waste incinerators]

Incinerators reduce urban waste volumes and recover energy by combustion, but produce important quantities of solid wastes: bottom ashes and fly ashes. The presence of toxic heavy metals and persistent organic compounds, both in bottom and in fly ash, require attention for their disposal and for proposed use in cement production or as filling material in road construction. Recent ecotoxicological studies on leachates obtained from ashes produced by urban waste incinerators suggest an urgent proposal of common more stringent regulations in all Union European countries for ashes disposal and use.