Determination of Gold in e‐Waste Dust Samples and Geological Matrices by ICP‐MS after Extraction by an HClO4‐HBr‐HI‐Aqua Regia Mixture

This study describes two methods (Procedures‐1 and ‐2) for the direct extraction of Au by an inorganic acid mixture (HClO₄‐HBr‐HI‐aqua regia) from complex sample matrices. Standard PTFE jars at 200 °C were used to decompose test portions of 0.5–1 g, with subsequent precise and accurate analysis by ICP‐MS without any other preconcentration or separation. Procedure‐1 decomposed samples effectively without the necessity of leaching with HF and was developed for dust samples from e‐waste (electronic waste) processing; however, testing on geological reference materials showed very good results. The analyses of replicate decompositions (n = 5) from both procedures yielded very good precision (< 5% RSD) for most of the reference materials. The accuracy achieved was better than ± 10%, with the exception of NIST SRM 2782 data from Procedure‐1. Two unknown samples of dust from e‐waste processing (P‐1 and VM‐1) exhibited elevated concentrations of Au (21.31–61.64 μg g^?1) with precision better than 10% (n = 5). The proposed techniques are simple, sensitive and sparing in the use of chemicals, and are designed for a variety of e‐waste dust samples. No significant influences were observed for the predicted spectral interferences on mass ¹⁹⁷Au.     

Green Electronics through Legislation and Lead Free Soldering

Management of used electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is becoming a major issue as each year around 20 to 50 million tonnes of electronic waste (e‐waste) is generated worldwide. EEE contains over 1000 materials of which lead (Pb) has been one of the targets of the regulators forcing manufacturers to adopt lead free products. Industry has come up with several lead free solders with preference given to alloys containing tin, silver, and copper but there is no ,drop‐in' substitute to leaded solder. Issues with lead free solders such as temperature, intermetallics, tin whisker, tin pest, and reliability are yet to be resolved. The paper investigated the contribution of lead free soldering to green electronics in a holistic way. Global lead free movement has reached a point of no return. However, it is necessary to make sure that life span of EEE is not shortened thereby resulting in an unforeseen increase in e‐waste or problem shifting does not occur by shifting a problem from one life cycle to another or from one category/media to another.     

A Comparative Study of the Use of Organoclay‐Based Formulations and Organic Amendment to Reduce the Leaching of the Herbicide MCPA in Soil

MCPA (4‐chloro‐2‐methylphenoxyacetic acid) is an acidic herbicide widely used on olive crops in Spain. Due to its anionic form at natural soil pH, there is high risk of leaching and groundwater contamination by the use of this herbicide. The aim of this work was to study the effects of organoclay‐based formulations of MCPA and olive oil waste amendment on MCPA leaching in a sandy loam soil. For this purpose, batch adsorption and column leaching studies were performed. The organoclays used to prepare the clay‐based formulations of MCPA were obtained by treating Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy‐2) and Arizona montmorillonite (SAz‐1) with an amount of hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) cation equal to 100% of the CEC of the montmorillonites. The organic residue used in this study was a solid waste from olive oil production (olive oil waste, OOW). The soil was amended with the organic residue at the rate of 10% (w/w). Batch release and column leaching studies indicated that organoclay‐based formulations of MCPA reduced the release rate and the leaching of the herbicide as compared to the use of a conventional formulation containing the herbicide in an immediately available form. The increase in soil organic matter of the soil upon amendment with the organic residue also resulted in greater adsorption and reduced leaching of MCPA in the soil. Accordingly, both the use of organoclay‐based formulations and the amendment of soil with OOW are proposed as efficient strategies to reduce extensive leaching losses associated with the application of MCPA in high‐risk scenarios, such as Mediterranean olive groves.     

城市生活垃圾生态填埋技术研究概况和进展

对城市生活垃圾生态填埋技术的发展概况及研究进展进行了综述,包括生态填埋技术的概念、意义、现状和发展趋势,并提出了目前该领域研究中需重点研究的课题和一些新的思路。     

减小水样浊度对废水中六价铬测定结果影响的方法探讨

建立了二苯碳酰二肼分光光度法测定废水中Cr(Ⅵ)的三波长法,减小了水样浊度的影响,但不能减小除浊度之外的其他干扰对Cr(Ⅵ)测定结果的影响。三波长法的测定波长为540 nm,460 nm和660 nm为参比波长,方法检出限为0.3μg/L(3.143s),拟合方程的线性关系为0.9998,8.0μg/L标准点水样测定结果的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=7)为1.44%,实际样品加标回收率均值为84.8%～93.8%。与单波长法相比,三波长法提高了二苯碳酰二肼分光光度法测定水中Cr(Ⅵ)的精密度和准确度,与浊度补偿法相比具有较好的精密度,可减轻分析人员的工作量。三波长法适用于较低浊度废水(显色后样品本底在540 nm处的吸光度小于0.1000)中Cr(Ⅵ)的直接比色分析,浊度较高的样品应适当稀释后显色测定。     

贵屿电子废弃物拆解地及周边地区表层土壤中多溴联苯醚的分布趋势

自2005年以来对电子垃圾拆解地广东贵屿地区多溴联苯醚( PBDEs)污染状况的研究主要集中在垃圾场源区,已不能代表PBDEs对其周边大范围地区的污染现状.为了评价贵屿镇及周边大范围不同土地利用类型的PBDEs污染情况,本文采用网格采样、索氏抽提、复合硅胶/氧化铝层析柱分离纯化、气相色谱-质谱联用技术分析了贵屿拆解场地及其周边72 km2地区表层土壤中8种PBDEs的含量及分布特征.结果显示,与2005年文献数据对比,贵屿镇水库周边土壤的PBDEs污染并无缓解趋势且仍在持续,水稻田土壤中污染有所降低;所有化合物中以十溴联苯醚( BDE 209)占主导,主要分布在贵屿镇及附近的电子垃圾拆解区,含量范围为0.4 ～ 720.9 ng/g(干重),是除BDE 209之外的7种化合物总量(变幅为nd～ 83 ng/g)的10倍以上.PBDEs各化合物的地理分布情况受拆解地区和化合物蒸气压、水溶性等物化性质的影响而显示出显著的差异性:分子量较大的化合物分布在贵屿镇及紧邻村落电子废弃物拆解的主要源区;分子量居中的化合物的分布与特定地点有关;分子量较小的化合物以贵屿镇为中心向四周均匀扩散;且PBDEs从污染源向清洁地区扩散的途中发生了化合物分馏现象.     

地球物理勘探技术在地质处置库选址中的应用

简要介绍了我国高放废物地质处置库选址的发展趋势,说明深部断裂构造、岩体的空间形态以及局部不良地质体是当前处置库选址的主要地质问题,综合论述了高放废物处置库选址中采用的地球物理勘探技术,介绍了重磁勘探、地震勘探、电磁法勘探及地面γ能谱测量等地球物理勘探技术,并且以甘肃北山新场预选区岩体为例,说明地球物理勘探技术解决的主要地质问题以及存在的不足。结果表明,该技术在探测处置库预选区花岗岩深部地质构造特征方面具有明显的优势,为处置库场址的稳定性和完整性评价提供参考。     

Mineralogy and speciation of Zn and As in Fe-oxide-clay aggregates in the mining waste at the MVT Zn–Pb deposits near Olkusz,Poland

Oxidation zones of ore deposits offer valuable insights into the long-term fate of many metals and metalloids. In this work, we have studied a paleo-acid rock drainage (ARD) system – the oxidation zone of Mississippi-valley type Zn–Pb deposits near Olkusz in southern Poland. The ARD systems exhausted their acid-generating capacity and have come almost to the conclusion of the mineral and geochemical transformations. Primary pyrite, marcasite, galena and sphalerite have been decomposed but the acidity was neutralized by the abundant carbonate host rocks. Zinc is stored in smithsonite, hemimorphite, and Zn-rich sheet aluminosilicates. Some of these minerals formed simultaneously with the oxidation zone but some precipitated in the soils in situ, thus documenting the mobility of Zn, Al, and Si in the soils. Iron oxides are represented mostly by goethite, either well-crystalline or nanocrystalline, as determined by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, micro-X-ray diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Iron oxides bind a substantial amount of arsenic, to a lesser extent also zinc, lead, and cadmium, as shown by electron microprobe analyses and sequential extractions. The X-ray absorption spectroscopy data of the local environment of arsenic in goethite suggest the existence of bidentate mononuclear complex, in addition to the more common bidentate binuclear complex. These results suggest that arsenic is incorporated in the crystal structure of goethite, in addition to adsorbed to the surface of the particles or occluded in the voids and pores. Zinc is bound in goethite as a mixture of tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated cations. This study shows that the mature system binds the metals from the primary sulfides relatively strongly. Yet, some release of the metals was observed in this study, either in the laboratory (by sequential extractions) and in nature (e.g., neoformed Zn phyllosilicates). The physical conditions in the oxidation zone and on the surface are largely similar but the metals, to a certain extent, are still mobile in the soils. We may speculate that their mobility near the surface, in the mining waste, may be enhanced by a higher water/rock ratio than in the oxidation zone. This result implies that although the studied material is relatively benign, it still has a potential to cause local environmental problems.     

Eu(Ⅲ)溶液对膨润土-砂混合物渗透性能影响研究

在高放废物处置库长期运营过程中包封容器将发生破坏,核素会向外界迁移,缓冲回填材料的水力传导系数是评价处置库工程屏障性能的重要指标。采用柔性壁渗透仪,研究2.0×10-5 mol/L的Eu(III)溶液作为渗入液时膨润土-砂混合物的渗透特性。结果表明,膨润土-砂混合物的水力传导系数K=(2.07⁵.23)×10-10 cm/s;在05.23)×10-10 cm/s;在0⁵0%掺砂率范围内,膨润土-砂混合物吸水膨胀过程中渗透性能随掺砂率增大时没有明显的变化,能够满足高放废物处置库缓冲回填材料低渗透性的要求。使用有效黏土密度的概念,得到膨润土-砂混合物的体积膨胀率随初始有效黏土密度的增大呈指数增大的趋势;混合物水力传导系数的对数值与有效黏土密度存在良好的线性衰减关系;与蒸馏水相比,渗入液(ECDD)为2.0×10-5 mol/L的Eu(III)溶液时,膨润土-砂混合物的水力传导系数较小,可能是由于渗入液黏滞性的影响。     

Use of shredded tyre waste in improving the geotechnical properties of expansive black cotton soil

In recent years, geotechnical engineers are using tyre waste to alter the properties of soil for providing sustainable solutions to complex engineering problems. It is noted that black cotton soil, which is expansive in nature, covers a major portion of the Indian sub-continent, such as the Deccan plateau, Malwa plateau and a portion of Gujarat and poses challenging problems to infrastructural development in the region. In the present study, authors have characterised the geotechnical properties of black cotton soil, which is partially replaced with 4.75 mm passing – 2 mm retained (coarse fraction) and 2.0 mm passing - 75 micron retained (fine fraction) shredded tyre waste. The results of the experimental studies clearly show that partial replacement of black cotton soil with shredded tyre waste alters the geotechnical properties favourable to engineering applications and greatly reduces the swelling potential of the black cotton soil. It is noted that instead of fine fraction (2.0–0.075 mm), replacement with coarse fraction (4.75–2.00 mm) of shredded tyre waste can better be used for light weight fill behind the retaining walls as well as for embankment construction as it helps in reducing swelling pressure as well as improving the strength properties.