Comparative physicochemical analysis of galvanic sludge wastes.

The paper provides the physicochemical analysis of galvanic sludge to determine the presence and concentration of toxic metals. Two sludges sampled from the same factory, but from different technological processes, alkaline galvanic sludge obtained from galvanizing process and acidic sludge generated from the chromium plating process were analyzed. Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) revealed increased concentrations of toxic heavy metal ions Zn, Cr, Ni and Pb in the sludge from the galvanizing process and Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd and Zn from the chroming process.