Evaluation of Filter Material for Treatment of Different Types of Wastewater

This paper presents an evaluation of the suitability of a mixed absorbent based on peat and carbon-containing ash for treatment of wastewaters, such as wastewater from professional car washes, landfill leachate and stormwater. This mixture is very attractive, since it is a low-cost material which has a capability to simultaneously remove inorganic as well as organic pollutants. Since any filter material eventually needs to be replaced either due to saturation of pollutants or reduced infiltration capacity, it is important that the residual can be handled at low cost and that the environment will be not impaired. The tested mixture, used in filter beds, showed low leaching values and high simultaneous removal efficiency of metals as Cu, Cd and Pb, non-polar organic compounds such as PCBs. Polar organic compounds as phenols were also efficiently removed by microbial and/or chemical degradation in the studied treatment plants with the filter bed acted as a biofilter. Filter material used for three years in a full-scale plant for leachate treatment and four years in treatment plants for wastewater from car washes, had sufficiently high energy content indicating that energy recovery is a good alternative for handling after its usage. Results show that the presented filter material is excellent for both small scale applications (e.g. treatment systems for car wash wastewater with capacity between 250 - 3000 m3 per year) as well as large-scale applications (e.g. filter systems for landfill leachates with capacity above 30,000 m3 per year).

Leaching toxicity characteristics of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash

The continuously increasing production of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash （MSWIBA） has promoted its utilization as construction material and raised environmental concern. The physico-chemical properties and leaching behavior of MSWIBA were studied, and ecotoxicological testing using a luminescent bacterium bioassay was performed to assess the ecological pollution risks associated with its leached constituents. The MSWIBA was leached by two types of leachants, H2SO4/HNO3 and HAc solution, at different liquid to solid ratios and contact times. The concentrations of heavy metals and anions in the leachates were analyzed. Multi- variate statistical analyses, including principle component analysis, Pearson＇s correlation analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, were used to evaluate the contributions of the constituents to the toxicity （ECso） of the MSWIBA leachate. The statistical analyses of the ecotoxicological results showed that the Ba, Cr, Cu, Pb, F and total organic carbon （TOC） concentrations were closely correlated with the ECso value, and these substances were the main contributors to the ecotoxicity of the MSWIBA leachate. In addition, the cluster of these variables indicated similar leaching behaviors. Overall, the research demonstrated that the ecotoxicological risks resulting from MSWIBA leaching could be assessed before its utilization, which provides crucial information for the adaptation of MSWIBA as alternative materials.

Effects of calcined aluminum salts on the advanced dewatering and solidification/stabilization of sewage sludge

The high moisture content （80%） in the sewage dewatered sludge is the main obstacle to disposal and recycling. A chemical dewatering and stabilization/solidification （S/S） alternative for the sludge was developed, using calcined aluminum salts （AS） as solidifier, and CaCl 2 , Na 2 SO 4 and CaSO 4 as accelerators, to enhance the mechanical compressibility making the landfill operation possible. The properties of the resultant matrixes were determined in terms of moisture contents, unconfined compressive strength, products of hydration, and toxicity characteristics. The results showed that AS exhibited a moderate pozzolanic activity, and the mortar AS 0 obtained with 5% AS and 10% CaSO 4 of AS by weight presented a moisture contents below 50%–60% and a compressive strength of （51.32 ± 2.9） kPa after 5–7 days of curing time, meeting the minimum requirement for sanitary landfill. The use of CaSO 4 obviously improved the S/S performance, causing higher strength level. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry- differential scanning calorimetry investigations revealed that a large amount of hydrates （viz., gismondine and CaCO 3 ） were present in solidified sludge, leading to the depletion of evaporable water and the enhancement of the strength. In addition, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure （TCLP） and horizontal vibration （HJ 557-2009） leaching test were conducted to evaluate their environmental compatibility. It was found that the solidified products conformed to the toxicity characteristic criteria in China and could be safely disposed of in a sanitary landfill.

Synthesis and Characterization of Iron-Rich Glass Ceramic Materials：A Model for Steel Industry Waste Reuse

Wastes deriving from steel industry, containing large amounts of iron oxides and heavy metals, when collected in landfills are subjected to atmospheric agents, with consequent release of toxic substances in the soil and groundwater. The reuse of these wastes as raw materials for the production of advanced materials is a viable way both to overcome the environmental impact and to reduce the disposal costs,proposing new technologically advanced materials. This work aims to simulate these interesting glassceramics by using glass cullet coming from recycled municipal waste and high amount of iron（III） oxide（from 25 wt% to 50 wt%）, the prevalent component of steel waste. The oxide was mixed with glass cullet and vitrified. The samples composition and the microstructure were investigated by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, and X-ray diffraction（XRD） was used to evaluate the nature of the crystalline phases.The chemical stability of the materials, in terms of ionic release into saline solution, was assessed. The electrical behavior of the samples was also investigated by varying the iron ions content and controlling the crystallization process. It is possible to obtain chemically stable materials with a nearly semiconducting behavior.