Cyclones and fabric filters dusts from secondary aluminium flue gases: a characterization and leaching study

The present work aims at the characterization and leachability examination of aluminium dusts, generated during the secondary aluminium production from scrap. Two different types of dusts were examined: a cyclone aluminium dust and a fabric filter aluminium dust, derived from the waste gases de-dusting system, produced during the Al scrap meltdown. The characterization of both dusts was carried out using particle size distribution analysis, chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyses. Their microstructure and morphological characteristics were examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the basis of the examined dusts was different, as they consisted of different mixtures of metallic aluminium, salt flux constituents, aluminium oxide and aluminium nitrides. Their behaviour during leaching was determined by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test and the EN 12457-2 compliance leaching test. The results revealed that both dusts should be treated as hazardous wastes and in case of landfilling they should be disposed of at appropriate, regulation-prescribed waste dumps, after removing the water-soluble phases, such as chlorides or nitrides.     

Application of agricultural fibers in pollution removal from aqueous solution

Discharging different kinds of wastewater and polluted waters such as domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewaters into environment, especially to surface water, can cause heavy pollution of this body sources. With regard to increasing effluent discharge standards to the environment, high considerations should be made when selecting proper treatment processes. Any of chemical, biological and physical treatment processes have its own advantages and disadvantages. It should be kept in mind that economical aspects are important, too. In addition, employing environment-friendly methods for treatment is emphasized much more these days. Application of some waste products that could help in this regard, in addition to reuse of these waste materials, can be an advantage. Agricultural fibers are agricultural wastes and are generated in high amounts. The majority of such materials is generated in developing countries and, since they are very cheap, they can be employed as biosorbents in water and wastewater applications. Polluted surface waters, different wastewaters and partially treated wastewater may be contaminated by heavy metals or some organic matters and these waters should be treated to reduce pollution. The results of investigations show high efficiency of agricultural fibers in heavy metal and phenol removal. In this paper, some studies conducted by the author of this article and other investigators are reviewed.     

Simulation of thermal stress influence on the Boom Clay kerogen (Oligocene,Belgium) in relation to long-term storage of high activity nuclear waste: I. Study of generated soluble compounds

Closed pyrolyses were performed on the Boom Clay kerogen to simulate the weak thermal stress applied during the in situ CERBERUS heating experiment (80 °C for 5 a). Two stronger thermal stresses, encompassing the range generally considered for the long-term disposal of high-activity nuclear waste (80 °C for 1 ka and 120 °C for 3 ka), were also simulated. Quantitative and qualitative studies were carried out on the products thus generated with a focus on the C₁₂₊ fraction, especially on its polar components. It thus appeared that the soluble C₁₂₊ fractions generated during these simulation experiments comprise a wide variety of polar O- and/or N-containing compounds, including carboxylic acids and phenols. The nature and/or the relative abundance of these polar compounds exhibit strong variations, with the extent of the thermal stress, reflecting the primary cracking of different types of structures with different thermal stability and the occurrence of secondary degradation reactions. These observations support the idea that the compounds, generated upon exposure of the Boom Clay kerogen to a low to moderate thermal stress, may affect the effectiveness of the geological barrier upon long-term storage of high-activity nuclear waste.     

Multi-criteria analysis for the identification of waste disposal areas

The municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (ES) is currently the largest domestic producer and exporter of marble and granite in Brazil. The processing of the rock, especially the sawing results in a large volume of waste, including the abrasives used during sawing and the off-cut pieces. Presently these waste products are disposed of without proper environmental protection and cause pollution to surface water and groundwater resources, including silting, an increase in hardness and increased aluminium values in the groundwater. In order to minimize the harmful effects of these practices on the environment, a research project was undertaken to identify potential disposal sites for the generated waste. A multi-criteria approach was followed during which a database was compiled of all the companies generating waste products and also including a baseline environmental study of the region, integrated analysis (multi-criteria analysis) of the restriction factors and the preliminary identification of possible disposal sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Analysis of undisturbed layers of a waste deposit landfill – Insights into the transformation and transport of organic contaminants

Comprehensive GC/MS analysis was applied to both the mobile liquid phase (seepage water) and the immobile solid matter of discrete layers derived from a waste deposit landfill. The vertical distribution of organic compounds supports information on the transport, transfer and transformation processes with depth and, consequently, with time.Numerous low molecular weight organic contaminants of natural and xenobiotic origin were identified and partially quantified. Several were selected to act as molecular indicators for different processes. Interpretation of their occurrence and concentration profiles (considering possible waste sources) and their molecular properties allowed us to (i) differentiate immobile and mobile fractions, (ii) reveal restrictions in the vertical transport by transfer processes between particulate and water phase, (iii) identify dynamic accumulations of individual contaminants and (iv) estimate approximate residence times. In addition, intensive degradation processes were pointed out for the natural fraction of the organic matter by way of determination of specific transformation products. Besides the transformation of natural components, transformation of numerous xenobiotics was recognised. In particular, with respect to an important group of contaminants, the phthalate-based plasticisers, a detailed view of (i) the influence of transfer and transport phenomena on transformation processes as well as (ii) the consecutive appearance of different degradation steps in both seepage water and solid waste was pointed out. The information provides a valuable base for the prediction of the long term behaviour of organic contaminants in waste deposit landfills.     

废雷尼镍催化剂的组成分析

运用红外光谱、X射线粉末衍射、等离子体发射光谱、X射线光电子能谱、扫描电镜、元素分析等多种仪器分析手段,对一种废雷尼镍催化剂的组成进行全面分析,该废催化剂中镍元素的含量较高,具有较高的回收利用价值;通过实验得到其中组分镍、铝、钙、铁、钼、铜、硅的定量信息和部分定性信息,建立了废雷尼镍催化剂中镍回收利用的技术方案。     

川东北固体沥青的有机地球化学

采用选择性化学降解方法并结合多种有机地球化学测定手段对川东北固体沥青的成因进行研究。生物标志化合物参数和沥青反射率数据表明,此类固体沥青经历了相对较高的热演化程度。化学降解释放出的生标化合物以C₁₆和C₁₈一元脂肪酸为主,具有明显的偶碳优势,揭示这类固体沥青的母质可能以菌藻类低等水生生物输入为主。降解产物中还含有一定的正构烷烃及甾萜类化合物,与抽提物中的相应组分对比表明,它们可能具有相同的来源,但经历的热演化程度明显较抽提物中的组分偏低。单体碳同位素组成特征表明,这类母质可能形成于一个半深水-深水的沉积环境,单体氢同位素组成特征则揭示出是一个环境水为富D的海相环境。     

Selection of hazardous waste dumpsites based on parameters effecting soil adsorption capacity – a case study

A careful selection of waste dumpsites, particularly hazardous ones, is very important for sustainable water resources management. Several laboratory experiments were carried out on the field samples to study adsorption capacity using p-dichlorobenzene (a solvent used in various industrial processes) as the test contaminant. The effect of parameters such as organic matter, clay, and iron and aluminium oxides, which are known to influence the soil adsorption capacity, are studied in the present work. Several soil samples from the Patancheru Industrial Area (Hyderabad, India) were collected and characterized. Only three soils, which had a comparatively high percentage of organic matter, clay, iron and aluminium oxide contents were used for the adsorption studies. The results clearly indicated a decrease in the adsorption capacity of the soils by as much as 75% when organic matter was removed. The other parameters such as clay and iron and aluminium oxides also play an important role in adsorption (57 and 39.8% reduction respectively). It was observed that out of the selected factors organic matter in the soils has the maximum effect regarding the adsorption of p-dichlorobenzene. Since the selected soils contain comparatively more organic matter, clay and iron and aluminium oxides in the selected industrial area, these can be used as sites for dumping hazardous waste, which can be further treated by methods like bioremediation.     

Oxygen-containing subunits in sulfur-rich nonpolar macromolecules

Substantial amounts of alcohols occur in the desulfurization products of sulfur-rich nonpolar macromolecular fractions (NPMF) isolated from two crude oils and a sediment extract. These macromolecularly bound oxygenated compounds have been investigated in detail. Released straight chain components may have a hydroxy functionality at any position of the carbon skeleton and without any isomer predominance. Furthermore, the carbon-number distributions are very similar for the different alcohol isomers in each case and resemble those of the aliphatic hydrocarbons released by desulfurization. Thus, released hydrocarbons and alcohols likely originate from common functionalized precursors, most probably from polyunsaturated lipids of biological origin. Furthermore, they may derive from polyunsaturated components formed by elimination reactions on functionalized precursors which incorporated oxygen in free or already bound form at an early stage of diagenesis. The presence of hydroxyl functionalities at every position in the carbon skeleton suggests that double bond isomerization probably occurred in linear components prior to oxygen incorporation. Similarly, 2-hydroxy stanols released by desulfurization most likely result from oxygen uptake into Δ²-sterenes during diagenesis. The presence of mid-chain hydroxylated phytanols in the degradation products with OH-group mainly at the tertiary positions indicates that they result (at least partially) from oxygen incorporation into unsaturated phytane skeletons. Additional functionalities in the oxygenated substances, such as double bonds, aldehydes or allylic alcohols, may have served as substrates for reactions with sulfur species, resulting in sulfur-rich cross-linked macromolecular structures.The type of oxygen groups present in the macromolecules could be partially assigned by sequential chemical degradation experiments. The results indicate that free OH-functions are not abundant. Part of the oxygen is present as carboxylic acid, ester and ketone functions. However, the nature of a substantial part of the oxygen species remains unclear.     

Preservation of coal-waste geochemical markers in vegetation and soil on self-heating coal-waste dumps in Silesia,Poland

Occurrence and distributions of geochemical markers on vegetation and in soils covering two self-heating coal waste dumps were investigated with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and compared with those of bitumen expelled on the coal waste dump surface. Presence of biomarkers, alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and such polar compounds as phenols indicate that components of self-heating coal wastes indeed migrate to soils and plants surface and their characteristic fingerprints can be applied in passive monitoring to investigate migration of contaminants from self-heating coal wastes. Moreover, results allow to discriminate between the Upper- and Lower Silesian coal basins, notwithstanding value shifts caused by heating. Mechanisms enabling the migration of geochemical compounds into soils include mixing with weathered coal-waste material, transport in gases emitted due to self-heating and, indirectly, by deposition of biomass containing geochemical substances. Transport in gases involves mostly lighter compounds such as phenols, methylnaphthalenes, methylbiphenyls, etc. Distributions and values of geochemical ratios are related to differences in their boiling temperatures in the case of lighter compounds but preserve geochemical features in the case of heavier compounds such as pentacyclic trierpanes.     

Impact crushing of particle–particle compounds—experiment and simulation

Particle–particle compound consists of various sized particles with non-uniform properties, whose properties vary in large range depending upon applications, methods of manufacturing and ratio of its compositions. The different types of engineering agglomerates and building materials, like concrete, are some of the examples of particle compounds. Recycling of value material from building waste such as aggregates from concrete ball provides impetus to investigate particle–particle compounds.The liberation of aggregates is carried out by impact crushing in a large scale pneumatic cannon. Both experiments and Finite and Discrete Element simulations are adopted to study the cracking phenomena of aggregates. Also, the different aspects of crushing of particle–particle compounds at different velocities are discussed.     

Petrogenesis of municipal solid waste combustion bottom ash

A petrographic study was conducted on a suite of bottom ash particles from 3 different modern municipal solid waste combustors. The object of the study was to evaluate the mineralogical characteristics and formation process of the bottom ash by using standard geological techniques of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. This information was subsequently used to model the bottom ash petrogenesis based upon an examination of the mineralogy, melt structure, and composition of the ash.Bottom ash can be divided into two major groups: 1) refractory waste products and 2) melt products. The refractory waste products consist largely of rock and mineral fragments, various waste metals, and unmelted glass shards. The melt products consist of two distinct glasses: 1) isotropic glass, and 2) opaque glass. Complex silicate minerals are precipitated from and are abundant in the isotropic glass whereas both metal oxide and silicate minerals are precipitated from the opaque glass.The isotropic and opaque glasses formed simultaneously in different locations on the combustor grate. The contrast in melting (liquidus) temperatures shown by these glasses suggests that the isotropic melts were produced at localized hot spots (1500°C to 1650°C) and the opaque melts formed at cold spots (1150°C to 1400°C) on the grate. This could be the result of heterogeneous distribution of combustible municipal solid waste on the grate or from localized hot spots where air is introduced through the grates. In some instances the two glasses then had the opportunity to variably mix with each other. Fe-oxides represent waste metal fragments that were assimilated by melting and later recrystallized.Bottom ash is produced via a co-mingled two melt system that forms melilite-bearing, alkaline, volcanic-like rocks. The great similarity of the bottom ash residues between these 3 different MSW combustors suggests that, despite variable combustor designs and heterogeneous waste feed, high temperature combustion of MSW produces bottom ash of fairly uniform composition and structure that formed via the petrogenetic process described above. Alterations to the combustion process or implementations of secondary treatment technologies may render the bottom ash residue into a more environmentally stable material better suited for aggregate or long term secure disposal in landfills.     

Chemical-technological and mineralogical-geochemical aspects of the radioactive waste management

This paper considers various matrices that are able to incorporate components of radioactive wastes (RAW) of different origin. It is noted that attempts to develop the single phase crystalline matrix to immobilize all RAW components failed. The only single phase matrix brought to the industrial application is glass, which is able to accumulate practically all RAW components but in limited concentrations. Prospects are related with some types of ceramics for immobilization of narrow fractions of RAW or individual radionuclides (for instance, minor actinides), as well as some types of low-temperature matrices (iron-phosphate, magnesium–potassium–phosphate, and geopolymers). Approaches to choosing the technology of waste form synthesis are considered. Perspectives of application of both high-temperature (cold-crucible induction melting, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis) methods and modified cementation technologies are demonstrated. It is noted that the final isolation of RAW from the biosphere suggests their disposal in underground repositories. The most difficult technical problem is the disposal of RAW containing long-lived radionuclides. It is shown that the quantitative assessment of repository safety with allowance for their characteristics and all possible processes and phenomena is required to substantiate the safe disposal of long-lived radionuclides.     

Quantitative X-Ray Diffraction Technique for Evaluating the Stabilization of Hazardous Metals in Ceramic Products

A sustainable waste management system requires the beneficial uses of waste residues, such as sludge and incineration ashes, generated from environmental treatments. Among the use strategies, the practices of mixing hazardous metal-bearing solids with clay materials to produce ceramic products are often found with significant improvement in reducing the metal leach ability from products. However, relatively much fewer studies have clearly answered the questions of "What are the metal stabilization mechanisms other than simply the dilution effect and the encapsulation of metals?"; "What are the mineral phases of metals and how much are they in the products?"; and "How thermal conditions can effetely promote the transformations of metal-hosting mineral phases?". As many sustainability movements have increasingly promoted the adoption of those products generated from the beneficial use of waste materials, quantitative understandings of the metal incorporation efficiencies are important to facilitate the design of safe and reliable waste-to-resource strategies. Current findings on the metal incorporation mechanisms between common alumino silicates and hazardous metals (nickel, copper, and zinc) under different thermal conditions will be presented, and the results show the important role of forming aluminates and ferrites to significantly reduce the metal leach ability from the products. In the study, the technique of quantitative X-ray diffraction (QXRD) was applied to report the metal incorporation efficiencies through a 3-hour sintering process, aiming to stabilize the hazardous metals and also to turn the waste residues for usable ceramic products. Prolonged leach tests for potential metal-containing phases were carried out in acidic environments to evaluate the durability of thermally treated products. Both aluminate and ferrite spinels proved superior for thermomobilization of hazardous metals. With the information reported, this study has identified the key mechanisms of stabilizing the hazardous metals when thermally treated with common ceramic raw materials, and also demonstrates the importance of quantitative understanding in the development of a safe waste-to-resource strategy.     

A critical review on waste paper sorting techniques

Efficient waste paper recycling has a significant role in the sustainable environment. Recyclable waste paper as a fundamental ingredient of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) is indeed an “urban ore”. Waste papers are considered as the solid recovered fuel which is recovered from MSW. Recyclable waste papers are segregated into various grades to produce high-quality products. Moreover, sorted paper streams save energy, chemicals, and water, as well as reduce sludge and rejects. Information technology is widely integrated with the waste management industry into its operations such as recycling, reuse, segregating based on categories and so on. This review article focuses on the life cycle of waste paper and existing waste paper sorting techniques. In the paper industry, many types of sensors are used in different mechanical and optical waste paper sorting systems. Such sensors include lignin, gloss, stiffness, mid-infrared, infrared, and color sensors. In this review, also described the effectiveness of different waste paper sorting systems, and finally, recommended appropriate waste paper sorting techniques based on effectiveness and low-cost implementation.     

Compositional and source characterization of base progressively extracted humic acids using pyrolytic gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Cyclic base extraction is a commonly used method for the isolation of humic acids from soils and sediments. However, every extract may differ in chemical composition due to the complex nature of humic acids. To better understand the chemical composition of each extract, the heterogeneous property of humic acids and their speciation in environmental samples, eight fractions of humic acids were obtained in the present work by progressive base-extraction of Pahokee peat, and their chemical composition was characterized using two complementary pyrolytic techniques, namely conventional pyrolysis and methylation pyrolysis (TMAH) GC/MS. These quick and effective procedures provide an insight into the structure of macromolecules. The work shows that the lignin-derived aromatic compounds are major components of pyrolysates in both pyrolytic techniques, while aliphatic compounds originating from microorganisms and plants are minor components. Other compounds derived from proteins and carbohydrates at lower concentrations were also detected. Fatty acids were found in the pyrolysis without methylation, indicating their association with humic acid in a free state. These compounds are different from those formed during pyrolysis with in situ methylation, where fatty acids are generally believed to be the cleavage products of carboxylic groups bound to humic acids. A relative decreasing abundance of aromatic components and increasing abundance of aliphatic components in the pyrolysates as the peat was progressively extracted was also observed in this work, suggesting that the extraction of more hydrophobic aliphatics may be delayed in comparison to the aromatic components. Speciation and origin differences may also be important particularly considering that the contribution from lignin organic matter decreased with extraction number, as the contribution of microbial organic matter increased. The observed change in chemical composition with the extracted fractions indicates again that the humic acid distribution and their speciation are complex, and complete extractions are necessary to obtain a representative humic acid sample.     

Identification and emission factors of molecular tracers in organic aerosols from biomass burning Part 1. Temperate climate conifers

Smoke particulate matter from conifers subjected to controlled burning, both under smoldering and flaming conditions, was sampled by high volume air filtration on precleaned quartz fiber filters. The filtered particles were extracted with dichloromethane and the crude extracts were methylated for separation by thin layer chromatography into hydrocarbon, carbonyl, carboxylic acid ester and polar fractions. Then, the total extract and individual fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The major organic components directly emitted in smoke particles were straight chain aliphatic compounds from vegetation wax and diterpenoid acids (biomarkers) from resin. The major natural products altered by combustion included derivatives from phenolic (lignin) and monosaccharide (cellulose) biopolymers and oxygenated and aromatic products from diterpenoids. Other biomarkers present as minor components included phytosterols, both the natural and altered products, and unaltered high molecular weight wax esters. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were also present, however, only as minor constituents. Although the concentrations of organic compounds in smoke aerosols are highly variable and dependent on combustion temperature, the biomarkers and their combustion alteration products are source specific. The major components are adsorbed or trapped on particulate matter and thus may be utilized as molecular tracers in the atmosphere for determining fuel type and source contributions from biomass burning.     

基于可靠度理论的阻滑键加固渣土边坡多目标优化设计方法

随着城市建设的发展,渣土边坡的数量和规模急剧增加,渣土边坡的防控研究受到了广泛关注。针对渣土边坡人工分层堆填建筑余渣土体参数的不确定性,采用预埋阻滑键加固渣土边坡的方式,提出了基于可靠度理论的阻滑键多目标优化设计方法。考虑不同阻滑键潜在组合对渣土边坡预估破坏损失的影响,将渣土边坡的预估破坏损失、稳定安全性和加固设计成本作为设计目标,通过多目标优化理论确定帕累托前沿并计算其关节点,获得预埋阻滑键加固边坡的最佳设计方案。以深圳市某渣土边坡为例,计算结果表明,将破坏概率作为衡量阻滑键加固渣土边坡效果指标时,应在渣土边坡前缘预埋两组尺寸长3 m、间距5 m的阻滑键加固边坡。采用上述阻滑键设计组合加固该渣土边坡时,可实现该边坡预估破坏损失、设计成本和稳定性达到最佳平衡。     

青海柴达木盆地南八仙油气田油源与成藏机理

柴达木盆地南八仙油气田不同油气藏间原油性质特征变化明显,油层在纵向井段上分布范围逾3000余m。通过地球化学实验并结合构造等地质条件分析,认为该区各种深、浅层油气藏中的原油具有煤成烃的基本地球化学特征,并且为同一来源,油源为临近地区较深部位中侏罗统煤系地层;该区深、浅层原油物性间的差异也反映在地球化学指标上,其成因或成藏机理是：深部早期油藏在断裂等地质作用下发生了明显的蒸发分馏作用,其分馏出的产物在浅部再次聚集成藏。     

Leaching evaluation of cement stabilisation / solidification treated kaolin clay

Sustainable land management often requires redevelopment of existing and often contaminated Brownfield sites over use of Greenfield or agricultural land. Stabilisation / solidification (S/S) offer a viable remediation option with particular suitability in treating heavy metal contaminants. However, uncertainties over long-term durability and previously cheap landfill disposal costs resulted in limited use in many countries. There is a need to characterise treated material and assess components containment and release, to improve S/S confidence and inform remedial design, using the evaluation of the leaching controlling mechanisms. To improve understanding of key features that will enable improvements to such designs, this paper presents an evaluation of leaching for CEM II stabilised kaolin, using the leaching behaviour of 4 main components—aluminium, silicon, calcium and sulphur. Results show no detrimental implications on chemical durability due to kaolin degradation with hydration under induced alkalinity, with increased formation of stable cementitious minerals. Availabilities for components show that aluminium and silicon had minimal leachability compared to total content, whilst calcium and sulphur show almost total leaching availability. Decreasing calcium and silicon leachability under natural chemical conditions with increased hydration duration supports the increased formation of stable cementitious products with time, using the products of kaolin dissociation.