Industrial Waste Research Articles

MECHANICAL AND HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE OF PERVIOUS RECYCLED AGGREGATE GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE

The widespread expansion of the global economy and the increase in human population have been major contributors to pollution and environmental complications. Construction and demolition wastes (CDW), impervious pavement surfaces, and industrial waste disposal sites have emerged as serious environmental challenges over the past decade. These challenges must be addressed through the synergic use of different sustainable practices, including pervious surfaces, CDW, and industrial wastes. Their combined utilization produces a pervious geopolymer concrete made with recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). This research aims to develop and assess the mechanical and hydraulic properties of pervious geopolymer recycled aggregate concrete (PGRAC) with a design porosity of 15%. The mixes were made with two binder blends of ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash (1:0 and 1:1) and RCA replacement of 0 and 100%. The mechanical and hydraulic performance were characterized by compressive strength and permeability, respectively. Results showed that pervious concrete made with natural aggregates and comprising a binder blend of slag:fly ash of 1:0 demonstrated 36% higher compressive strength than counterparts having a binder blend of 1:1. Meanwhile, the permeability was unaffected by the variation in the binder. At 100% RCA, the compressive strength of mixes having a binder blend of 1:0 was 192% higher than that of the equivalent mix having a binder blend of 1:1. Yet, the latter had 12% higher permeability than the former. These research findings demonstrate the ability to produce sustainable PGRAC for use in pavement applications.

Dolomite-Based Concrete: A comprehensive review on mechanical properties

Concrete, an extensively used material contributes to greenhouse gas emissions due to use of Portland cement (PC). The production of PC worldwide is approximately 4 billion tons annually accounting for 8% of global CO2 emissions. To address this environmental challenge and mitigate carbon footprint, various industrial waste such as Fly Ash, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag, Metakaolin, Eggshell Powder, and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash have been employed to partially replace PC, alleviating disposal issues. A waste/byproduct of the dolomite business, dolomite powder is produced yearly in amounts of 1.75–2 million tons (MT), or 25% of the industry's total production (7–8 MT). The current paper intends to summarize the related research on the usage of dolomite powder as a PC replacement in relations to compressive, flexural and split tensile strength. A bibliographic analysis is done using VOSviewer providing relationships between the keywords and countries doing research on dolomite powder. Concrete incorporating dolomite exhibits enhanced mechanical properties, boasting a 5–10% increase in compressive strength, 6–12% higher tensile strength, and a 5–10% boost in flexural strength at a 10% dolomite replacement rate. This is because dolomite has a smaller particle size which fills the miso and macro pores improving the microstructure of concrete and decreasing the porosity Thus, the dolomite as a PC replacement increases overall performance and has proven to be a sustainable option for construction practices.

Comparative analysis of biochar production methods and their impacts on biochar physico-chemical properties and adsorption of heavy metals

Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth result in vast amounts of organic waste being produced, including agricultural waste, animal waste, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and municipal solid waste. Biochar production from solid waste has become a popular waste management method. However, in rural areas of developing nations, biomass is typically used for cooking without being charred. Urban biowaste-derived biochar may enhance soil fertility and overall soil health. However, large-scale biochar production from an electronic muffle furnace could be very expensive, and there is little information on the conversion of biowastes to biochar using traditional kilns or its effects on biochar characteristics, and farmers' biochar production methods are yet underdeveloped. Hence, this study provides biochar production from biowastes using two production methods: 1) a traditional kiln (a tin kiln) intended for use by small farmers and gardeners, and 2) a laboratory muffle furnace, with the aim of evaluating biochar characteristics. Biochar produced in a muffle furnace and tin kiln has found similar physicochemical and adsorption properties at the same pyrolysis conditions. They include high pH, EC, CEC, Pava, Ca, Mg, K, and carbon content. We expect these biochars to have larger long-term effects on agricultural characteristics and soil carbon sequestration. However, the present results might be utilized to drive cleaner biochar production for agricultural use in developing nations, which may multiply local producer benefits.

Ingenious approach for retrieving valuable metals from gypsum via dehydration–rehydration two-step phase transition

Retrieving valuable metals (VMs) from industrial waste is an attractive approach to reduce the continuous consumption of metallic resources and prevent the environmental contamination by heavy metals. However, metal extraction efficiencies are extremely low due to their entrapment in crystal lattices. Herein, a universal strategy for extracting VMs from gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), a common industrial waste, was reported using a two-step phase transition of dehydration–rehydration; metal extraction was achieved by designing an appropriate phase transition route and controlling the phase transformation kinetics. As the phase transition route to CaSO4·0.5H2O (path-0.5) proceeded faster than that to CaSO4 (path-0), higher extraction efficiencies were realized for Cr (99.9%) and Cd (98.8%) from gypsum. Mechanistic investigations indicated that during the selected path-0.5 dehydration, water molecule loss from gypsum initiated a direct solid-state transformation, triggering the first rearrangement of local atoms and excluding partially incorporated metals toward the edge of the CaSO4·0.5H2O lattice. The subsequent rehydration from CaSO4·0.5H2O to CaSO4·2H2O, with a phase transition rate faster than that of path-0, triggered the secondary atom rearrangement. The synergism between the two atomic rearrangements finally led to the complete release of trapped metals. Additionally, this strategy was used for retrieving other metals (e.g., Pb, Zn, Hg, As, and Sr) from gypsum, thereby potentially offering a new approach for designing an appropriate phase transition route for extracting VMs from other hydrous minerals.

Strength and microstructural characterization of silica fume blended concrete with increased curing period

With rapid urbanization and an exponential surge in population, the need and demand for concrete structures have increased, and industrial waste has also increased. Due to this, the adverse effects on the environment have started to show. Utilizing industrial byproducts in concrete, such as silica fume (SF), not only contributes to the reduction of industrial waste, but also mitigates the adverse environmental effects. The present investigation is mainly focused on the influence of SF on the strength and microstructure of concrete with an increased period of curing. In this study, SF is used as a substitute for cement in varied proportions of 0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, and 40 %. This investigation determines the mechanical parameters of concrete, such as compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength, at curing periods of 28, 56, and 84 days. The results indicate that a 10 % substitution of cement with SF as the optimum dosage. In this investigation, scanning electron microscopy is performed to examine the microstructure of the concrete samples that contributed to the variation in strength characteristics with an increased period of curing. Microstructural analysis has revealed that the incorporation of SF in the concrete matrix with an increased period of curing has led to the decrease in voids and an increase in hydration products. The incorporation of SF in the concrete matrix led to the densification of the microstructure. With increased period of curing, the strength parameters have enhanced due to the pozzolanic reaction between SF and the free lime present in the concrete matrix.

Selective preparation of lithium carbonate from overhaul slag by high temperature sulfuric acid roasting – Water leaching

An efficient recycling process is developed to recover valuable materials from overhaul slag and reduce its harm to the ecological environment. The high temperature sulfuric acid roasting - water leaching technology is innovatively proposed to prepare Li2CO3 from overhaul slag. Under roasting conditions, fluorine volatilizes into the flue gas with HF, lithium is transformed into NaLi(SO4), aluminum is firstly transformed into NaAl(SO4)2, and then decomposed into Al2O3, so as to selective extraction of lithium. Under the optimal roasting – leaching conditions, the leaching rate of lithium and aluminum are 95.6% and 0.9%, respectively. Then the processes of impurity removal, and settling lithium are carried out. The Li2CO3 with recovery rate of 72.6% and purity of 98.6% could be obtained under the best settling lithium conditions. Compared with the traditional process, this work has short flow, high controllability, remarkable technical, economic, and environmental benefits. This comprehensive recycling technology is suitable for overhaul slag, and has great practical application potential for the disposal of other hazardous wastes in electrolytic aluminum industry.

Valorisation of coal gasification slag and fly ash to mesoporous activated carbon @zeolite socony mobil-5 composite for preconcentration of pharmaceuticals and their removal

Upcycling industrial solid waste, such as coal gasification slag and fly ash, to functional adsorbents with unique structures for water decontamination is of great importance to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.0. This study used coal gasification slag and fly ash to synthesise mesoporous activated carbon @zeolite socony mobil-5 (MAC@ZSM-5) composite. Various analytical techniques were used to investigate the surface, morphological, and structural properties of the MAC@ZSM-5 composite. The MAC@ZSM-5 composite had a relatively high specific surface and was classified as a mesoporous adsorbent. The MAC@ZSM-5 composite was used as an adsorbent in ultrasound-assisted micro solid phase extraction (UA-µSPE) for effective preconcentration and removal of aspirin (ASP), ibuprofen (IBP), and paracetamol (PCT) from water samples before determination by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm characterised the adsorptive removal method, while the kinetics followed a pseudo-second order type. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic, spontaneous, and chemisorption. Additionally, the UA-µSPE/HPLC-DAD method displayed a good linear range of 0.1–1000 µg/L, with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.99. The developed method had a good performance, as shown by the relatively low limits detection (LODs: 0.017–0.064 µg/L) and quantification (LOQs: 0.057–0.21 µg/L) as well as high precision (relative standard deviation (%RSD) < 5 %). The proposed method was applied successfully for preconcentration and removal of the target analytes from real water samples. The MAC@ZSM-5 composite was reusable (up to 5 cycles) and proved a promising adsorbent for effective extraction, preconcentration, and adsorptive removal of emerging contaminants from water bodies.

Hybridization of heat recovery from exhaust gas of boilers using thermoelectric generators

This study investigates the possibilities for energy recovery and environmental effect reduction of waste heat, a consequence of industrial activities. The main objective of the work is to integrate thermoelectric generators (TEGs) into industrial hybrid waste heat recovery system. The study consists of combining TEGs modules with a boiler waste heat recovery system with Rockwool insulation, taking into consideration variables like thermal resistance, power output, water temperature, and energy conversion efficiency. The results show that TEG placement has a major impact on system performance. One of the promising configuration is TEGs placed close to heat source, especially outside exhaust pipe outer walls, where electrical power up to 27 W can be generated and heat of 4215 W can be recovered from the exhaust gas.

Assessment of water quality using entropy-weighted quality index, statistical methods and electrical resistivity tomography, Moti village, northern Pakistan

In this study, twenty-two water samples were collected from boreholes (BH), and streams to evaluate drinking water quality, its distribution, identification of contamination sources and apportionment for Moti village, northern Pakistan. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) is utilized to determine the level of heavy metals in water such as arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and ferrous (Fe). Groundwater chemistry and its quantitative driving factors were further explored using multivariate statistical methods, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) models. Finally, a total of eight electrical resistivity tomographs (ERTs) were acquired across i) the highly contaminated streams; ii) the villages far away from contaminated streams; and iii) across the freshwater stream. In the Moti village, the mean levels (mg/l) of heavy metals in water samples were 7.2465 (As), 0.4971 (Zn), 0.5056 (Pb), 0.0422 (Cu), 0.0279 (Cd), 0.1579 (Mn), and 0.9253 (Fe) that exceeded the permissible limit for drinking water (such as 0.010 for As and Pb, 3.0 for Zn, 0.003 for Cd and 0.3 for Fe) established by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018). The average entropy weighted water quality index (EWQI) of 200, heavy metal pollution index (HPI) of 175, heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) of 1.6 values reveal inferior water quality in the study area. Human health risk assessment, consisting of hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI), exceeded the risk threshold (>1),indicating prevention of groundwater usage. Results obtained from the PCA and PMF models indicated anthropogenic sources (i.e. industrial and solid waste) responsible for the high concentration of heavy metals in the surface and groundwater. The ERTs imaged the subsurface down to about 40 m depths and show the least resistivity values (<11 Ωm) for subsurface layers that are highly contaminated. However, the ERTs revealed relatively high resistivity values for subsurface layers containing fresh or less contaminated water. Filtering and continuous monitoring of the quality of drinking water in the village are highly recommended.

Synergistic preparation of geopolymer using electrolytic manganese residue, coal slag and granulated blast furnace slag

To improve the utilization rate of industrial solid waste and the sustainable development of geopolymer research and development, this article uses electrolytic manganese residue (EMR), coal slag (CS), and granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as raw materials to prepare a new eco-friendly geopolymer cementitious material (GOCM). The mechanical properties, phase composition, and microstructure of GOCM are measured and analyzed using methods such as compressive bending strength test, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion test, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of material ratio, water cement ratio, and alkali activator content on GOCM are explored. Meantime, the environmental characteristics of GOCM were also investigated through toxicity leaching experiments. Results show that CS improves the flowability and late compressive strength of GOCM, and EMR reduces the setting time of the slurry, the maximum strength of GOCM was observed when the contents of EMR, CS, and GGBS were 25 %, 55 %, and 20 %, the mass fraction of alkaline activator was 14 %, and the W/C was 0.45. and the maximum compressive strength reaches 22.8 MPa. The hydrates in GOCM are composed of flocculent, cluster, block C–S–H gel. The hydrates formed have excellent stabilization effect on heavy metals in raw materials. When the GOCM material ratio is optimal (the contents of EMR, CS, and GGBS were 25 %, 55 %, and 20 %), the leaching concentration of Cd, Cr, and Mn is lower than the limit values (Cd < 0.001 mg/L, Cr < 0.01 mg/L, Mn < 0.05 mg/L) specified in GB/T14848-2017.

Experimental study on flow characteristics of falling film over horizontal tubes under countercurrent gas flow

Open-absorption heat pump serves as an important means of industrial waste heat recovery, and the overall performance of the heat pump system depends on the absorber’s performance. Horizontal-tube–falling-film absorption refers to a complex process involving the coupling of fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer. For the complete understanding of the intertube flow characteristics of horizontal-tube falling film under countercurrent gas flow (We), Visual experimental studies on falling-film flow were conducted using high-speed photography. The critical Reynolds number (Re) was quantitatively characterized to represent the transition of different flow patterns between tubes. The experiment was conducted to investigate the variation in the critical Re under the coupling effects of various factors and establish an experimental prediction correlation formula for the critical Re and solution properties, We, s, and d with an error margin of less than 10%.The influence of single factors was characterized qualitatively and then subjected to sensitivity analysis. The factors affecting the critical Re in descending order of magnitude were as follows: solution mass fraction > s > d > countercurrent gas flow (We). A reduction of approximately 50% in the critical Re for every 10% increase in the solution mass fraction.

The Application of Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques in the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials from Industrial Waste Streams, Part I

This month’s column is a contribution from my daughter Glenna, who recently completed her PhD studies in environmental science from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Her article explores the current landscape of global critical raw materials (CRM) trends in research and the applications of atomic spectroscopy (AS), including inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), and X-ray analytical techniques in their identification of diverse industrial and environmental media, which have been essential in method validation and quantification of CRMs in complex matrices presenting high risks of interference. Some important examples that are presented include rare earth elements (REE) in water leaching purification (WLP) residues that co-occur with radio- active materials, REEs and other metals in acid mine drainage (AMD) environments, REEs in coal combustion (fly ash) residues, arsenic (As) from groundwater treatment sediment, and platinum-group elements (PGE) from sewage sludge. In addition, the article classifies the different techniques in use at each stage of the CRM recovery train, investigate present challenges to each analytical method, and discuss the problem-solving tools used.

Extraction of bioactive compounds from pecan nutshell: An added-value and low-cost alternative for an industrial waste

The pecan nutshell [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh) C. Koch] (PNS) is a source of bioactives with important beneficial properties for the human health. PNS represents between 40–50 % of total mass of the nut, resulting as waste without any added value for the food industry. Even though a variety of methods were already developed for bioactive extraction from this waste, unconventional methodologies, or those which apart from green chemistry principles, were discarded considering the cost of production, the sustainable development goals of United Nations and the feasibility of real inclusion of the technology in the food chain. Then, to add-value to this waste, a low-cost, green and easy-scalable extraction methodology was developed based on the determination of seven relevant factors by means of a factorial design and a Response Surface Methodology, allowing the extraction of bioactives with antioxidant capacity. The pecan nutshell extract had a high concentration of phenolic compounds (166 mg gallic acid equivalents-GAE/g dry weight-dw), flavonoids (90 mg catechin equivalent-CE/g dw) and condensed tannins (189 mg CE/g dw) −related also to the polymeric color (74.6 %)-, with high antioxidant capacities of ABTS+. radical inhibition (3665 µmol Trolox Equivalent-TE/g dw) and of iron reduction (1305 µmol TE/g dw). Several compounds associated with these determinations were identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, such as [Epi]catechin-[Epi]catechin-[Epi]gallocatechin, myricetin, dihydroquercetins, dimers A and B of protoanthocyanidins, ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives. Hence, through the methodology developed here, we obtained a phenolic rich extract with possible benefits for human health, and of high industrial scalability for this co-product transformation.

Development of geopolymer mortar made from bagasse ash with waste aluminum

Geopolymer concrete is a type of concrete that is produced using industrial waste materials such as fly ash, slag, and other similar materials instead of traditional Portland cement. This research studied the variables affecting geopolymer mortar from bagasse ash mixed with aluminum scraps. The waste materials, bagasse ash (BA) and aluminium scrap (AL) were crushed to reduce the particles by grinding. An amount of ALU 0.01 – 0.15 wt% bagasse (BA) ash was added to the mixture. The alkaline solutions (AS) used to leach silicon oxide and aluminium oxide from BA were sodium hydroxide (NH) and sodium silicate (NS). The concentration of NH solution was varied between 7.5 – 15 molar. The ratio of alkaline solution to bagasse ash (AS/BA) was controlled at 0.50. Mortar samples were cast and cured at 60 80 and 100 °C for 48 hours. The results showed that the 10-molar sodium hydroxide solution tended to support the higher compressive strength. The highest compressive strength of geopolymer was found when using 0.04% aluminum scrap and curing at 80 °C. The additional water improved the workability of the fresh mortar, but the lower strength of the geopolymers was archived. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT HIGHLIGHTS Do not use as a cementitious binder Reuse waste materials It is an environmentally friendly and sustainable material

Synergistic effect on simultaneous treatment of Cr(VI) and chloramphenicol using a non-thermal plasma technology

Toxic organic and heavy metal contaminants commonly exist in industrial waste stream and the treatment is of great challenge. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) non-thermal plasma was employed for the simultaneous treatment of two important contaminants, chloramphenicol (CAP) and Cr(VI) in an aqueous solution through redox transformations. More than 70% of CAP and 20% of TOC were degraded in 60 min, while Cr(VI) was completely removed in 10 min. The hydroxyl radicals could be the main active species for the degradation. Meanwhile, the consumption of hydroxyl radicals was beneficial to the reduction of Cr(VI). The synergistic effect was investigated between CAP degradation and Cr(VI) reduction. The reduction of Cr(VI) would be enhanced in the presence of CAP with a low concentration and could be inhibited under a high concentration of CAP, because part of hydroxyl radicals could be consumed by a low concentration of CAP and the obtained intermediates with a higher kinetic rate. However, CAP with a high concentration could also react with some reductive species, such as eaq- and •H, which could compete with Cr(VI) and inhibit the reduction of Cr(VI). In addition, the presence of Cr(VI) could enhance the degradation and mineralization of CAP, and the identification of obtained intermediates indicated that the presence of Cr(VI) could change the degradation path of CAP as Cr(VI) would react with reductive species and enhance the generation of hydroxyl radicals, leading to more hydroxylation reactions. Moreover, the mechanism for the simultaneous redox transformations of CAP and Cr(VI) was illustrated. This study indicates that the DBD non-thermal plasma technology could be one of better solutions for simultaneous elimination of heavy metal and organic contaminants in aquatic environment.

Towards sustainable construction: Performance evaluation of slag-cenosphere geopolymers under different NaOH concentrations

The incorporation of industrial wastes into construction materials, such as geopolymers, is highly desirable to improve their environmental impact. The choice of source materials, such as slag and cenosphere, and the amount of activator used significantly impact the properties of geopolymers. For instance, including high-reactivity precursors and optimizing activator composition may enhance mechanical strength and durability. However, no studies have evaluated the effect of cenosphere addition on the properties of geopolymer composites. This research study aims to unveil the synthesis of a binary geopolymer material by integrating slag and cenosphere as precursors, activated by sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Geopolymer composites were prepared to assess the impact of cenosphere addition (by substituting the slag with cenosphere in different percentages of 25, 50, and 75 %) and NaOH concentration (specifically 6 M, 9 M, and 12 M) on the material's properties. Additionally, one conventional mortar with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5 was also prepared. Compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), electrical resistivity, water absorption, density, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted. Results showed that increasing the cenosphere percentage increased the water absorption and decreased the compressive strength, UPV, electrical resistivity, and density compared to the geopolymer mixture with 100 % slag content. However, up to 50 % substitution of cenosphere, the geopolymer mix performed better than conventional mortar. Notably, results suggest a potential increase in CO2 uptake due to the addition of cenosphere, further enhancing the environmental performance of geopolymer composites. The findings of this study suggest the potential use of slag-cenosphere geopolymer as an alternative and sustainable construction material.

Sustainable proteins from wine industrial by-product: Ultrasound-assisted extraction, fractionation, and characterization

Plant proteins are increasingly being used in the food industry due to their sustainability. They can be isolated from food industry waste and converted into value-added ingredients, promoting a more circular economy. In this study, ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (UAAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction yield and purity of protein ingredients from grapeseeds. Grapeseed protein was extracted using UAAE under different pH (9–11), temperature (20–50 °C), sonication time (15–45 min), and solid/solvent ratio (10–20 mL/g) conditions. The structural and functional attributes of grapeseed protein and its major fractions (albumins and glutelins) were investigated and compared. The albumin fractions had higher solubilities, emulsifying properties, and in vitro digestibilities but lower fluid binding capacities and thermal stability than the UAAE and glutelin fraction. These findings have the potential to boost our understanding of the structural and functional characteristics of grapeseed proteins, thereby increasing their potential applications in the food and other industries.

A year-long study of eco-friendly fibre reinforced cementitious composites with high volume fly ash and industrial waste aggregates

A year-long study of eco-friendly fibre reinforced cementitious composites with high volume fly ash and industrial waste aggregates

Thermodynamic analysis of a solid oxide electrolysis cell system in thermoneutral mode integrated with industrial waste heat for hydrogen production

Thermodynamic analysis of a solid oxide electrolysis cell system in thermoneutral mode integrated with industrial waste heat for hydrogen production

An effective way to utilize solid waste resources: The application of modified fly ash in removing Cu2+ and Pb2+ in wastewater

The sustainable development of society requires the support of developed industrial production, which inevitably produces a series of industrial by-products, including heavy metal-containing wastewater and solid waste. Using solid waste to adsorb heavy metal ions in wastewater is a sustainable way. This not only reduces the environmental threat caused by solid waste accumulation, but also reduces the treatment cost of heavy metal ions in wastewater. In this study, fly ash was modified to prepare magnetic adsorbent (M-AT), which was used to adsorb Cu2+ and Pb2+ in wastewater. The results showed that M-AT has a good adsorption effect on Cu2+ and Pb2+ in wastewater. Its maximum adsorption capacity for Cu2+ and Pb2+ was 53.18 and 85.86 mg/g, respectively. Ion exchange and complexation reaction were major adsorption mechanisms of M-AT for Cu2+ and Pb2+, they played an important role in the adsorption process. M-AT maintained a good adsorption effect on Cu2+ and Pb2+ under different influence factors. This ensured that M-AT can be used in complex application environments. In addition, M-AT exhibited good reusability, its removal rate for Cu2+ and Pb2+ reached 50.21 % and 75.15 % after 5 adsorption–desorption cycles. And the removal rate of M-AT for Cu2+ and Pb2+ in domestic sewage treatment plant influent, tailings drainage, industrial wastewater was 82.80 %, 87.12 %, 85.12 % and 95.10 %, 91.20 %, 93.13 %, respectively. These results proved the feasibility of M-AT in treating Cu2+ and Pb2+ in wastewater. This study provides a new way for the resource utilization of fly ash. Applying solid waste to treat heavy metal-containing wastewater is a sustainable way to treat industrial waste.