Zinc speciation in fly ash from MSWI using XAS - novel insights and implications.

The chemical forms of zinc in fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) crucially affect ash management, influencing both material recovery options and the risk of unwanted leaching into ecosystems. The zinc speciation was investigated in fly ash samples sourced from full-scale MSWI plants, including four grate fired boilers (GB) and one fluidized bed boiler (FB). We applied X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), and the spectra were analyzed against a unique library of over 30 relevant compounds, tailored to the nuances of zinc chemistry of fly ash.

Removal and release of microplastics and other environmental pollutants during the start-up of bioretention filters treating stormwater.

Untreated stormwater is a major source of microplastics, organic pollutants, metals, and nutrients in urban water courses. The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge about the start-up periods of bioretention filters. A rain garden pilot facility with 13 bioretention filters was constructed and stormwater from a highway and adjacent impervious surfaces was used for irrigation for ∼12 weeks.

Enhanced soil washing with copper recovery using chemical precipitation.

Worldwide, the number of contaminated sites is large, and remediation methods including recovery of metals have potential to be key aspects of a sustainable and circular economy. Soil washing, followed by chemical precipitation is a possible method for recovery of metals. The purpose of this study is to propose a complete recovery method, where Cu is efficiently leached from samples with contaminated bark ash and soil.

Leaching for recovery of copper from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash: influence of ash properties and metal speciation.

Recovery of metals occurring in significant amounts in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash, such as copper, could offer several advantages: a decreased amount of potentially mobile metal compounds going to landfill, saving of natural resources and a monetary value. A combination of leaching and solvent extraction may constitute a feasible recovery path for metals from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash. However, it has been shown that the initial dissolution and leaching is a limiting step in such a recovery process.

Remediation of metal polluted hotspot areas through enhanced soil washing--evaluation of leaching methods.

Soil washing offers a permanent remediation alternative for metal polluted sites. In addition, the washed out metals can be recovered from the leachate and re-introduced into the social material cycle instead of landfilled. In this paper, soil, bark and bark-ash washing was tested on four different metal polluted soil and bark samples from hotspots at former industrial sites.

Phosphorus recovery from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash.

The potential of phosphorus (P) recycling from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) residue is investigated. Vast and ever increasing amounts of incineration residues are produced worldwide; these are an environmental burden, but also a resource, as they are a major sink for the material flows of society. Due to strict environmental regulations, in combination with decreasing landfilling space, the disposal of the MSWI residues is problematic.

Removal of hazardous metals from MSW fly ash--an evaluation of ash leaching methods.

Incineration is a commonly applied management method for municipal solid waste (MSW). However, significant amounts of potentially hazardous metal species are present in the resulting ash, and these may be leached into the environment. A common idea for cleaning the ash is to use enhanced leaching with strong mineral acids.