Simultaneous Removal of Heavy Metals and PCDD/Fs from Hospital Waste Incinerator Fly Ash by Flotation Assisted with Hydrochloric Acid

Abstract

Hospital solid waste (HSW) incinerator fly ash was designated as a special controlled waste because of its high concentrations of toxic heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Most of the PCDD/Fs along with carbon constituents including powder activated carbon and unburned carbon in fly ash could be removed by column flotation on the basis of their hydrophobicity. The feasibility of extracting heavy metals from fly ash by adding a little of hydrochloric acid to the slurry during the flotation process was examined in this paper. The results showed that the acidic pulp could contribute to the high extraction ratio of the heavy metals, but the performance of decarburization and removal of PCDD/Fs was inhibited at very low pH value. Given consideration to the removal of two toxic matter including PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in HSW incinerator fly ash, the appropriate pulp pH value should be controlled at about 5. After flotation, both PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in the tailings could simultaneously meet the permitted limits of a landfill site of municipal solid waste in China. It was suggested that flotation with the assistance of an appropriate amount of acid might be a potential technology for the treatment of HSW incinerator fly ash.