Speciation of copper and zinc compounds relevant for the hazard property (HP) 14 classification of municipal solid waste incineration bottom and fly ashes.

The analysis of the presence and content of substances that are toxic to aquatic life in waste is essential for classification of waste with regard to hazard property (HP) 14 'ecotoxic'. For the determination of HP14 classified copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) compounds in various municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes (IBA) and one fly ash (FA) from Germany we applied X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy in combination with linear combination fitting. The analysis showed that approx.

Investigation of pH-dependent extraction methods for PFAS in (fluoropolymer-based) consumer products: A comparative study between targeted and sum parameter analysis.

Here, we report a comparative study of different sum parameter analysis methods for the extraction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from manufactured consumer products, which can be measured by combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Therefore, a hydrolysis-based extraction method was further developed, which accounts for the addition of hydrolyzable covalently bound polyfluoroalkylated side-chain polymers (SFPs) to the extractable organic fluorine portion of the mass balance proposed as "hydrolyzable organically bound fluorine" (HOF). To test this hypothesis, the method was applied to 39 different consumer products containing fluoropolymers or monomeric PFAS taken from four different categories: outdoor textiles, paper packaging, carpeting, and permanent baking sheets.

Taking a look at the surface: μ-XRF mapping and fluorine K-edge μ-XANES spectroscopy of organofluorinated compounds in environmental samples and consumer products.

For the first time, μ-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping combined with fluorine K-edge μ-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy was applied to depict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination and inorganic fluoride in sample concentrations down to 100 μg kg fluoride. To demonstrate the matrix tolerance of the method, several PFAS contaminated soil and sludge samples as well as selected consumer product samples (textiles, food contact paper and permanent baking sheets) were investigated. μ-XRF mapping allows for a unique element-specific visualization at the sample surface and enables localization of fluorine containing compounds to a depth of 1 μm.

Measurement of the Environmental Impact of Materials.

Global material use has increased by a factor of eight in the 20th century, and has reached more than 10 tons per capita per year [...

Dataset on geosynthetic material debris contamination of the South-East Baltic shore.

The database gives information on the contamination of the shore of the South-Eastern Baltic with the debris of geosynthetic materials for the period 2018-2020. This new type of coastal pollution enters the natural environment due to the destruction of coastal protection structures and construction activities. The database contains sections: (1) a list of types of geosynthetic material residues, their photographic images and photographs illustrating examples of finds in natural conditions [1 List_geosynthetic_debris_SEB], (2) monitoring data on the contamination of the beach strip with the debris of geotextiles, braids from gabions, geocontainers (big bags), geocells and geogrids for the beaches of the South-Eastern Baltic for the period 2018-2020 [2 Monitoring_geosynthetic_debris_SEB]; (3) statistical distributions of the found geosynthetic debris by size [3 Scales_geosynthetic_debris_SEB] and (4) results of test surveys on the shores of Lithuania and Poland adjacent to Kaliningrad Oblast.

Investigation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils and sewage sludges by fluorine K-edge XANES spectroscopy and combustion ion chromatography.

For the first time, fluorine K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was applied to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various soil and sewage sludge samples. The method can be used to determine the speciation of inorganic and organic fluorides, without pre-treatment of solid samples. Therefore, XANES spectra of several inorganic fluorides as well as selected fluorinated organic compounds were recorded.

Mini-review of waste-to-energy related air pollution and their limit value regulations in an international comparison.

The concept of circular economy supports mitigation of climate change and other environmental pressures to the planet. Circulating materials in anthropogenic processes come with the risk of accumulating hazardous substances and compounds. In this concept, waste incineration or waste-to-energy (WtE) is a necessary technology to remove these compounds from the life cycle.

A Novel Dry Treatment for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash for the Reduction of Salts and Potential Toxic Elements.

The main obstacle to bottom ash (BA) being used as a recycling aggregate is the content of salts and potential toxic elements (PTEs), concentrated in a layer that coats BA particles. This work presents a dry treatment for the removal of salts and PTEs from BA particles. Two pilot-scale abrasion units (with/without the removal of the fine particles) were fed with different BA samples.

Environmental Impact of Geosynthetics in Coastal Protection.

Geosynthetic materials are applied in measures for coastal protection. Weathering or any damage of constructions, as shown by a field study in Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia), could lead to the littering of the beach or the sea (marine littering) and the discharge of possibly harmful additives into the marine environment. The ageing behavior of a widely used geotextile made of polypropylene was studied by artificial accelerated ageing in water-filled autoclaves at temperatures of 30 to 80 °C and pressures of 10 to 50 bar.

Reductive Defluorination and Mechanochemical Decomposition of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): From Present Knowledge to Future Remediation Concepts.

Over the past two decades, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have emerged as worldwide environmental contaminants, calling out for sophisticated treatment, decomposition and remediation strategies. In order to mineralize PFAS pollutants, the incineration of contaminated material is a state-of-the-art process, but more cost-effective and sustainable technologies are inevitable for the future. Within this review, various methods for the reductive defluorination of PFASs were inspected.

Using Environmental Simulations to Test the Release of Hazardous Substances from Polymer-Based Products: Are Realism and Pragmatism Mutually Exclusive Objectives?

The potential release of hazardous substances from polymer-based products is currently in the focus of environmental policy. Environmental simulations are applied to expose such products to selected aging conditions and to investigate release processes. Commonly applied aging exposure types such as solar and UV radiation in combination with water contact, corrosive gases, and soil contact as well as expected general effects on polymers and additional ingredients of polymer-based products are described.

What waste management can learn from the traditional mining sector: Towards an integrated assessment and reporting of anthropogenic resources.

Many organizations in Europe collect data and perform research on municipal solid waste and the secondary raw materials that can be produced from them through recycling, urban mining, or landfill mining. However, the information generated and presented thereby is often highly aggregated, while research activities are many a time isolated. Both reduce the usability of the data and information generated.

Legal situation and current practice of waste incineration bottom ash utilisation in Europe.

Almost 500 municipal solid waste incineration plants in the EU, Norway and Switzerland generate about 17.6 Mt/a of incinerator bottom ash (IBA). IBA contains minerals and metals.

The effect of polymer aging on the uptake of fuel aromatics and ethers by microplastics.

Microplastics are increasingly entering marine, limnic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, where they sorb hydrophobic organic contaminants. Here, the sorption behavior of the fuel-related water contaminants benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) and four tertiary butyl ethers to virgin and via UV radiation aged polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) pellets was investigated. Changes in material properties due to aging were recorded using appropriate polymer characterization methods, such as differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and microscopy.

Significance of cadmium from artists' paints to agricultural soil and the food chain.

Background: An Annex XV restriction dossier for cadmium in artists' paints was submitted by an EU member state to the European Chemicals Agency ECHA. By cleaning, used brushes under the tap cadmium can enter the food chain via waste water treatment and subsequent agricultural application of the sewage sludge. It was estimated that 110 kg Cd per year is spread on agricultural land via this exposure route.

Innovative treatment trains of bottom ash (BA) from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) in Germany.

The industrial sector of bottom ash (BA) treatment from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) in Germany is currently changing. In order to increase the recovery rates of metals or to achieve a higher quality of mineral aggregates derived from BA, new procedures have been either implemented to existing plants or completely new treatment plants have been built recently. Three treatment trains, which are designated as entire sequences of selected processing techniques of BA, are introduced and compared.

Effect of contact time on the release of contaminants from granular waste materials during column leaching experiments.

When reusing or disposing of contaminated granular waste materials there is a need to evaluate how the contaminants will interact on the pathway soil-groundwater and the effect this interaction will have on the surrounding environment. While column testing can provide a closer approximation to field percolation conditions than batch testing, there is still a need to develop column testing procedures that consider the requirements of practical testing time frames. This study evaluates the effect of different column contact times (2.

Evaluation of leaching and extraction procedures for soil and waste.

Laboratory leaching tests may be used for source term determination as a basis for risk assessment for soil-groundwater pathways on contaminated sites. In order to evaluate different leaching procedures, batch extraction tests and percolation tests were performed using three reference materials produced from contaminated soil, demolition waste and municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash. Emphasis was placed on the investigation of the leachability of the heavy metals copper and chromium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the anions chloride and sulfate.

Results of interlaboratory comparisons of column percolation tests.

Laboratory leaching tests may be used for source term determination as a basis for risk assessment for soil-groundwater pathway (leachate forecast) on contaminated sites in Germany. Interlaboratory comparisons on the evaluation of the reproducibility of column percolation tests were conducted within the framework of an integrated R+D program using three waste reference materials. The interlaboratory comparisons of column percolation tests showed good reproducibility of the results for inorganic and organic parameters as well as for the accompanying parameters.

Behaviour of uranium in hydroxyapatite-bearing permeable reactive barriers: investigation using 237U as a radioindicator.

This study was undertaken to investigate the long-term performance of hydroxyapatite (HAP) as reactive material for the removal of uranium in passive groundwater remediation systems. 237U used as a radioindicator enabled tracking the movement of the contamination front through a test column without taking samples or dismantling the apparatus. The stoichiometric ratio between uranium and HAP was found to be 1:(487 +/- 19).

Behaviour of uranium in iron-bearing permeable reactive barriers: investigation with 237U as a radioindicator.

This study was undertaken to investigate the long-term performance of elemental iron as reactive material for the removal of uranium in passive groundwater remediation systems. By using 237U as a radioindicator it was possible to track the movement of the contamination front through a test column without taking samples or dismantling the apparatus. The stoichiometric ratio between uranium and iron was found to be 1:(1390+/-62).