Development of a novel non-contact and quick-response detector for boron in coal fly ash based on thermal neutron absorptiometry.

Coal fly ash (CFA), a by-product from coal-fired power plants, has many applications. However, there are concerns that the trace elements in CFA-based materials may contaminate groundwater. Therefore, many methods have been developed to rapidly measure these trace elements in CFA in order to management and/or screening their leachability.

Reproducibility of up-flow column percolation tests for contaminated soils.

Up-flow column percolation tests are used at laboratory scale to assess the leaching behavior of hazardous substance from contaminated soils in a specific condition as a function of time. Monitoring the quality of these test results inter or within laboratory is crucial, especially if used for Environment-related legal policy or for routine testing purposes. We tested three different sandy loam type soils (Soils I, II and III) to determine the reproducibility (variability inter laboratory) of test results and to evaluate the difference in the test results within laboratory.

Column percolation test for contaminated soils: Key factors for standardization.

Column percolation tests may be suitable for prediction of chemical leaching from soil and soil materials. However, compared with batch leaching tests, they are time-consuming. It is therefore important to investigate ways to shorten the tests without affecting the quality of results.