Marble Processing Plant Research Articles

Heavy metals and radionuclides in Islamabad's industrial area: A comprehensive analysis of soil and water pollution, source apportionment and health effects using statistical and geospatial tools

IntroductionHeavy metal pollution in industrial areas around the world is a significant problem that is worsening day by day. Heavy and toxic metals are detrimental to human health and ecology in a region. Hence, determining their level and potential is critical to form effective pollution control strategies for reducing the risks associated with them. Study areaIslamabad is the capital city of Pakistan with a dedicated industrial zone. PurposeThis study evaluated the heavy metal pollution levels in the soil and water of Islamabad's industrial area and radionuclides activity in the soil using statistical, geospatial tools as well as their subsequent health and ecological hazards. Materials and methodsElemental analysis in this study was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The radionuclides activity in the soil was quantified using High Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe). ResultsThe soil of Islamabad's industrial area is highly polluted with heavy and toxic metals. The risk posed by heavy metals to the eco-system was calculated using Ecological risk factor and was found to be above recommended level. Principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation and inverse distance weighting interpolation (IDW) revealed that the soil near the steel mills, landfill and marble processing plants is extremely polluted with heavy metals. Health hazards from heavy metal exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact were also calculated. Cr posed a carcinogenic risk to children via the three exposure pathways with the value being 4 × 10−4. Natural radioactivity levels for Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 were found to be 25.96±12.50, 15.84±2.59, 469.48±52.38 Bqkg−1, respectively. Elemental analysis of water samples coupled with geospatial analysis showed that water samples collected near the industrial complexes have elevated levels of Sb. The water quality for irrigation was assessed and the water from Islamabad's industrial area was found to be suitable for irrigation. ConclusionIn conclusion, the soil of Islamabad's industrial area is highly polluted with heavy metals and has lower levels of natural radioactivity. The water near the industries also has elevated levels of some heavy metals.

Towards Robotic Marble Resin Application: Crack Detection on Marble Using Deep Learning

Cracks can occur on different surfaces such as buildings, roads, aircrafts, etc. The manual inspection of cracks is time-consuming and prone to human error. Machine vision has been used for decades to detect defects in materials in production lines. However, the detection or segmentation of cracks on a randomly textured surface, such as marble, has not been sufficiently investigated. This work provides an up-to-date systematic and exhaustive study on marble crack segmentation with color images based on deep learning (DL) techniques. The authors conducted a performance evaluation of 112 DL segmentation models with red–green–blue (RGB) marble slab images using five-fold cross-validation, providing consistent evaluation metrics in terms of Intersection over Union (IoU), precision, recall and F1 score to identify the segmentation challenges related to marble cracks’ physiology. Comparative results reveal the FPN model as the most efficient architecture, scoring 71.35% mean IoU, and SE-ResNet as the most effective feature extraction network family. The results indicate the importance of selecting the appropriate Loss function and backbone network, underline the challenges related to the marble crack segmentation problem, and pose an important step towards the robotic automation of crack segmentation and simultaneous resin application to heal cracks in marble-processing plants.

Sustainable Use of Marble Waste in Industrial Production of Fired Clay Bricks and Its Employment for Treatment of Flue Gases.

In the current study, waste marble powder was utilized to produce lightweight fired clay bricks and in the treatment of flue gases. Marble waste powder used in clay bricks and flue gas treatment was collected from local marble processing plants, and its chemical composition was analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray fluorescence. Clay bricks were produced in local fired clay brick kiln by partial replacement (10–40%) of clay with calcined and uncalcined waste marble powder. The temperature in the firing zone of the kiln was 1000–1100 °C. Clay brick properties such as compressive strength, bulk density, porosity, and water absorption were analyzed. Results show that the porosity of clay bricks increases with an increase in marble waste percentage, and due to an increase in porosity, water absorption of clay bricks also increases, while compressive strength and bulk density decrease. Clay bricks with 10% uncalcined marble waste and 20% calcined marble waste satisfy the required Turkish and European compressive strength standard. Marble waste decreases the concentration of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter in flue gases. There is up to 43 and 65% reduction in the concentration of sulfur dioxide and particulate matters, respectively, in flue gases, after treatment with marble waste. The addition of marble waste to clay bricks is an effective and economical solution for waste marble powder management. Furthermore, it can be used for the treatment of flue gases from brick kilns before its addition to clay bricks.

Pollution hotspots and potential impacts on land use in the Mohmand Marble Zone, Pakistan

Marble Processing Plants (MPP) are included in the list of environmentally unfriendly units since they generate a large amount of waste as sawdust, marble debris, and sludge. The produced waste causes environmental problems for the flora and fauna both aquatic and terrestrial environments. This paper is based on a geospatial survey modeling, where pollution hotspots are identified through geospatial proximity analysis. Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) quantitatively examines the material inputs and outputs of MPP products. The integration of the quantitative assessment and geospatial survey presents a conclusive model of the MPPs in proximity to different land-use classes including agriculture, water bodies, settlement, and barren land. Due to the presence of massive marble reserves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, the area is passing through a worst ecological implication phase. The marble-processing plants generate huge quantity of waste as marble stone in irregular pieces and slurry. More than 150 marble-processing plants in the study area are contributing to such environmental damages in different forms. Currently, no proper management system exists to handle this discharged/dumped marble waste. The study describes the pollution hotspots and their potential impacts on different segments of the environment. This approach can be used worldwide in environmental monitoring and planning, as a decision support tool.

Changes in genotoxicity, inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters of workers in marble processing plants

Workers in marble processing plants are at high risk of exposure to high levels of marble dust containing silica, but there are limited studies evaluating the genotoxicity and oxidative stress parameters of workers occupationally exposed to marble dust. In this study, we aimed to clarify how marble dust affects genotoxicity and immunotoxicity mechanisms alongside oxidative stress in the workers in the marble processing plants of Iscehisar, Turkey. The oxidative stress and immune system parameters were determined spectrophotometrically using commercial kits. Genotoxicity was evaluated by Comet and micronucleus (MN) assays in the lymphocytes and buccal cells, respectively. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and the levels of glutathione, and Clara cell secretory protein CC16 in workers (n = 48) were significantly lower than in controls (n = 41), whereas the levels of malondialdehyde, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta were significantly higher in workers. DNA damage in workers were significantly higher than in controls and there was a clear correlation between the increase in DNA damage and the duration of exposure. Marble workers had significantly higher MN frequencies when compared to controls. The results indicate the possibility of immunotoxic and genotoxic risks to workers in marble industry.

Evaluation of the HMA performance using combined effects of marble waste dust filler and superpave aggregate gradation

ABSTRACT During the fabrication of new products, a variety of wastes discharged and stored by causing harsh environmental problems. The marble processing plant is amongst the industrial sector that produces huge waste. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of marble waste dust filler and Superpave aggregate gradation on the performance of HMA. Based on the Marshall Mix design, seventy-two (72) specimens were produced from three below-restricted zone (BRZ) of Superpave gradation (BRZ4, BRZ5, & BRZ6) by using the 0.45 power chart. The design gradation obtained to be BRZ5 with 4.96% OBC with corresponding values 9.13 KN of stability, 2.96 mm of flow, 73.51% of VFA, 15.73% of VMA, 2.308 gm/cm3, of bulk density and 4% of air void. The crushed stone dust filler was partially replaced by Marble Waste Dust filler (under No. 200 sieve) at replacement rate of (1%, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5%) by keeping design gradation and OBC constant. The test showed satisfactory results. The Marshall mix design parameters of all mixtures are within specification limit under international and local specifications. Marble waste dust filler when blended with a BRZ of Superpave gradation indicated a substantial effect on Marshall stability with 10.18 KN value at 3% MWD filler content.

Surface Characterization of Oleic Acid Coated Marble Dust

Calcite, being the most abundant mineral on earth crust, have wide application areas especially in polymer industry as a micronized functional filler material. It is hydrophilic in natural form, and made hydrophobic after surface modification to meet the requirements of polymer industry: the incompatibility between high energetic hydrophilic surface of calcite and the low-energy surface of hydrophobic polymers is a major problem. Treatment of micronized calcite with fatty acids is one of the most common method to obtain modified mineral surface. In present study, oleic acid (OA), fatty acid type surface modifying agent was used for the surface characterization of OA coated marble dust. Fine tailings of slab cutting unit of a marble processing plant was supplied. The sample was subjected to wet classification process to obtain micronized calcite fraction for experimental works. Surface modification of finely sized fraction was performed in a laboratory type flotation unit. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used as characterization techniques.

Natural stone waste generation from the perspective of natural stone processing plants: An industrial-scale case study in the province of Bilecik, Turkey

Natural stone has been used for various purposes, such as for building stone, megaliths, ornamental stone, hunting, and grinding, throughout history. Upon the advent of industrial-scale production for natural stone, both quarries and stone processing plants began to generate a high quantity of waste in large bulk. Natural stone waste is a current worldwide environmental problem. It is imperative to use natural stone waste in other industries and to declare the amount of waste generated by users. This study presents an on-site industrial analysis of the natural stone production process for natural stone waste which has not previously been quantitatively and qualitatively examined on an industrial scale. The study was conducted in nineteen natural stone processing plants, generating almost 98% of the marble produced in the province of Bilecik and 11% of that produced in Turkey. The resulting daily amount of waste generated was calculated on a monthly basis based on current production capacity. Following an analysis, the industrial waste was quantified, with the waste generation mechanism being analyzed and the types of waste being classified by size and quality. The results suggest that a natural stone processing plant generates nearly 1044 tons (solid and sludge) of natural stone waste a day. The waste generated was divided in two parts as sludge waste and large-size solid waste, and then analyzed under three categories. In addition, the samples collected from the plants were evaluated via physical-mechanical tests and XRD analyses. According to the figures of the marble processing plants, it can be said that a mid-scale marble processing plant with a monthly production capacity of 10.000 m2, on average generates a total of 50 tons of waste, comprising 25 tons of solid waste and 25 tons of sludge. It was also observed that natural stone waste was 28% in block cutting and 20% in gangsawing, as a result of cutting operations performed to turn one cubic meter of natural stone into a block. This translates into 756 kg and 540 kg of waste, respectively. Additionally, the storage of natural stone waste dispatched from various plants should be revised, and new categorized landfill areas and storage models should be introduced to individually store solid waste and sludge.

Sustainable use of sugarcane bagasse ash and marble slurry dust in crusher sand based concrete

AbstractProduction of ordinary Portland cement is consuming enormous energy and releases high carbon dioxide. Additionally, the use of river sand as fine aggregate has a direct effect on the erosion of river banks due to excess sand mining and hence, the use of river sand in concrete is banned in many developing countries. Hence, the assessment of concrete with blended cement and locally available alternative fine aggregates is the need for current construction practices. India becomes the ‐largest sugar producing country, a massive volume of bagasse ash (44,200 t/day) is discarded as waste. Similarly, marble processing plants dispose of marble slurry dust. An exploration of the use of agricultural and mining wastes in crusher sand‐based concrete is not yet reported. The current investigation focuses on the potential use of bagasse ash and marble slurry dust as pozzolan and alternative to crusher sand respectively in concrete and interlocking paver blocks. Compressive strength and capability against abrasion were investigated for bagasse ash and marble slurry dust blended concrete and paver block. Besides, water‐based tests were adopted to examine durability performance. Results from the study indicate an enhancement in abrasion resistance and a substantial reduction in permeability for blended concrete than control concrete. Optimum replacement levels were found to be 20% for bagasse ash and 25% for marble mining powder.

Use of Waste Material for Sustainable Self Compacting Concrete

This paper explores one of the major environmental concerns which is disposal or recycling of the waste materials”. “Marble processing plants produce millions of tons of waste dust in the powder form every year”. “Having a considerable high degree of fineness in comparison to cement, marble powder may be utilized as filler for the production of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC)”. “This research paper aimed at developing an eco-friendly and workable self-compacting concrete with the maximum amount of marble powder”. For this, a control mix and four other mixes with varying amounts of marble powder as 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% are prepared. These mixes are then tested for their fresh properties by slump flow, j-ring, and V-funnel at T 5minutes. Compressive strength is used to evaluate the hardened concrete. It was found that up to 15 % marble powder addition, the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete mix did not vary considerably. However, it was also found that with the addition of marble powder the compressive strength decreased.

Development of Sustainable Alkali Activated Binder for Construction Using Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and Marble Waste

The rapid growth in the construction sector leads to high demand for construction materials and hence global research studies focus on the use of sustainable alternative materials to meet the demand. Sugarcane bagasse ash is a by-product from sugar industry and about 44,220 tonnes/day is disposed of as waste in India. Bagasse ash consists of reactive silica and can be used as a sustainable source material in alkali activated binder instead of disposed as a waste. Similarly, marble waste from marble processing plants can be used as an alternative for fine aggregates. Alkali-activated concrete has high strength and durability compared to conventional cement concrete. Bagasse ash can be blended with other industrial by-products like slag to produce high quality of alkali-activated concrete without cement. The combined effect of bagasse ash and marble waste in alkali-activated mortar is not yet investigated. This present study focuses on the performance of bagasse ash and marble waste as a precursor and fine aggregates respectively in alkali-activated mortar. Influence of three different molarities (6 M, 8 M and 10 M) and two curing methods (heat and ambient curing) and three levels of replacement using bagasse ash (10%, 20% and 30%) were investigated. This experimental results showed that a considerable improvement in compressive strength for bagasse ash with marble waste blended alkali-activated mortar specimens compared to only bagasse ash blended mortar specimens. Moreover, the strength of bagasse ash blended specimens was increased with molarity. Ambient cured bagasse ash blended specimens exhibited higher strength compared to the heat cured specimens.

Coagulation/flocculation process for marble processing plant effluent: Modelling and optimization through response surface methodology

AbstractIn this study, the coagulation‐flocculation of a wastewater discharged from a marble processing plant was statistically analyzed and optimized. To make a systematic investigation on the coagulation‐flocculation of the highly turbid wastewater (>1000 NTU), the response surface methodology was used to estimate a capable quadratic model with R‐squared value of 98.84%. According to this model, the most critical parameter was the suspension pH with a p‐value < 0.0001. Furthermore, the PEO‐flocculant was proven as a substantial agglomerating reagent specifically at pH 12. On the other hand, no significant turbidity removal was observed upon the addition of the Fe‐coagulant. When the experimental parameters of the coagulation‐flocculation were optimized, it was found out that the minimum supernatant turbidity value of 3.81 NTU can be achieved by using the minimum amount of the Fe‐coagulant:50 mg/l, and the maximum amount of the PEO‐flocculant of 1.5 ppm at pH 11.5‐12.0. In conclusion, it was proved that the significance of the calcium dissolved from the marble particles was greater than the Fe‐coagulant in this process. The hydrolyzed calcium (CaOH+) species established a chemical bridge between the particle and the polymer and, as a result, enhanced the performance of the flocculation at the alkaline pH values.

Life Cycle Energy Assessment of a Typical Marble Processing Plant

This article describes how marble is one of the most important stone resources in terms of durability. It is aesthetically pleasing, and a decorative material used by many architects, as well as plays an important role in the economy of India. Most of the marble processing activities are performed by small and medium scale industries (SMEs) not only in India but worldwide. These industries have low efficiency and productivity due to lack of new technologies, high productivity cost and a lack of proper sustainable waste management systems, thereby increasing the waste generated during the processing stage. There is a significant need within the sector for increasing production efficiency, combined with the need of a substantial reduction in waste generated that can be achieved by endorsing technological innovations. This is in addition to following best available processing practices, incorporating energy saving technologies and modernizing the sectors management and organization structure which will substantially increase efficiency as well as production. This article provides a systematic approach for assessing the current energy and present environment status of a typical SME processing units of Rajasthan area, and proposes measures for meeting cleaner production principles. An evaluation methodology was developed considering the realistic plant operation scenarios. The total energy inputs for processing the products with their appropriate environmental indices like CO2 emissions were calculated. Alternatively, the CO2 emissions were also calculated by Gabi educational software for different industries and the best way of reducing the energy consumption is suggested by following alternate source of energy.

Characterisation of fine-grained tailings from a marble processing plant and their acute effects on the copepod Calanus finmarchicus

Submarine tailing disposal (STD) of mining waste is practiced as an alternative to land fill disposal in several countries. Knowledge regarding the environmental implications of STD on fjord and other marine ecosystems, including the pelagic environment, is scarce. In this study, we characterised the particle shape, size and metal content of the fine-grained fraction of tailings (FGT) from a Norwegian marble processing plant and investigated their acute toxicity and impact on feeding rate in adult Calanus finmarchicus. Initial tailing dispersions with a concentration of 1 mg mL−1 contained approximately 72 million particles, with 62% of particles between 0.6 and 1 μm in size. After a sedimentation time of 1 h, 69% of the particles between 0.6 and 5 μm remained dispersed, decreasing to 22% after 6 h. When subjected to low energy turbulence in exposure experiments, the formation of fragile agglomerates was observed. The FGT contained Al, Mn, Fe and Ni, with no detectable dissolution occurring during the 48 h exposure period. Acute exposure (up to 5 g L−1) to FGT caused no mortality in C. finmarchicus. Similarly, feeding rates determined during a 40 h depuration period, were not significantly impacted. However, surface attachment and uptake of FGT into the digestive tract of the copepods was observed. This indicates that, whilst marble FGT are not acutely toxic to copepods, chronic effects such as impacts on organism's energy budgets could occur, highlighting the need for further research on potential sublethal effects in organisms exposed to fine inorganic particles.

The Relationship Between Mineral Content and Flocculant Characteristics for Slurry Waste Water Recycling at Marble Processing Plants

The requirements for clean water in marble processing are partially realized by treating and recycling slurry wastes from the cutting and processing plant. In this study, the flocculation of calcitic and dolomitic (21.2 % MgO) marble wastes was investigated using six flocculants with different molecular weights and anionic levels. Nine solutions between 0.1 and 2.5 mg/L were prepared, and marble waste samples were treated in natural, slightly acidic, and alkaline media. The anionic flocculants had a more dramatic effect on the slower-settling dolomitic marble than the calcitic marble. Calcite precipitation was better in an alkaline medium, while dolomitic marble precipitation was better at a slightly acidic pH of 6.

Enhancement of concrete properties by waste physicochemical treatment sludge of travertine processing wastewater

Travertine treatment sludges are by-products derived from travertine marble processing plants. These treatment sludges are being generated in considerable amounts in marble production plants in Turkey. Various proportions (5–15% w/w of the cement) of physicochemical sludge admixtures obtained from the physico-chemical treatment (coagulation-flocculation) of a travertine processing plant wastewater were used ascement replacement for concrete with 250 kg/m3 cement dosage. Slump tests were performed on fresh concrete, and compressive strengths were determined for 7 and 28 days hardened concrete samples. The freeze/thaw resistance, water absorption, capillary suction, void ratio and porosity were performed for the hardened concrete samples. Considering the properties of hardened concrete such as compressive strength, workability and physical properties, AS and NS are the admixtures that can be suggested both to enhance the concrete properties and to have a new utilization area for a waste material. Higher 28-day compressive strength of about 28.43 MPa (AS) and 28.82 MPa (NS) was achieved at 15% admixing level by weight of cement while reference sample compressive strength was 25 MPa.

Coagulation/Flocculation/Sedimentation Applied to Marble Processing Wastewater Treatment

In the current work, the application of chemical coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation, an established and low cost method, to marble processing wastewater treatment is studied, and the optimum conditions for the maximum solid waste removal are investigated. The environmental impact from the operation of a modern marble processing plant is actually important, due to the consumption of high amounts of water resulting in the production of high effluent volumes, and therefore particular efforts are made for the efficient wastewater treatment in order to recover and reuse the effluents of the process, and avoid uncontrolled discharge and disposal of solid residue from the primary wastewater treatment. For that purpose, hydrated metal salts including Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 . 18H 2 O, FeCl 3 . 6H 2 O and FeSO 4 . 7H 2 O were examined for their turbidity removal capacity under various dosages and studied in relation to the wastewater pH and electrical conductivity. Jar test results showed that FeCl 3 . 6H 2 O presented the highest turbidity removal ability at doses of about 0.375 g/L, while the poorest coagulation/flocculation potential was found for FeSO 4 . 7H 2 O. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the preparation of a strategic plan for the integrated management of marble processing operations with a lower environmental footprint.

Sustainable use of marble slurry in concrete

The Portland cement manufacturing process is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and depletion of natural resources. The partial substitution of cement by industrial waste such as fly ash, silica fume, slag, stone waste etc. not only contributes to sustainable development, but also enhances the durability of concrete. Among the different wastes investigated in the past, the effect of marble slurry on durability of concrete has not been studied. Cutting, grinding and polishing manoeuvres in marble processing plants generate a large amount of slurry, which adversely affects the environment and humans. The present study examines the feasibility of using marble slurry in concrete production, as partial replacement of Portland cement. Six concrete mixes, containing marble slurry (up to 25%) in place of Portland cement were prepared and evaluated for strength, permeability, porosity, morphology, resistance to chloride migration, carbonation and corrosion. Optimal replacement level of Portland cement by marble slurry was found at 10%.

Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for future uses in high value-added products

The disposal of microfine marble sawdust contained in marble slurry waste, currently represents an additional economic burden for dimension stones companies. This is because the sawdust is considered less important in comparison with the crushed calcareous aggregate produced in stone processing plants. In addition, the sludge is mistakenly viewed as waste that has to be disposed of in landfill. State of the art in recovery and utilisation of calcareous sawdust is mainly aimed in uses as substitute for more expensive ingredient in the building sector. Moreover limestone dust, recovered from marble sawing and processing slurry, has not yet found real economically feasible industrial usage. Due to the high market value of micronised CaCO3, we study the use of limestone sawdust as functional filler in industrial products having higher added value, such as paper, rubber, paints, pharmaceuticals. Standard requirements of CaCO3 for this kind of products are very tight, especially those relating to purity level, particle size distribution and brightness. The high Calcium limestone deposit and the factories in Orosei Marble producing area (Sardinia, Italy) allow the production of high quality microfine dust. To evaluate the properties of the sawdust, several analysis were carried out to compare the results with the standard requirements of CaCO3 for paper, rubber and tyre production. The assessment concerns five different factories and it highlights the possible usage of the sawdust produced in Orosei by carrying out simple and inexpensive changes in both stone-working process and wastewater treatment. Finally, a commentary on environmental laws pertaining to the recycle of this kind of waste is also made in this paper.

Fresh and hardened characteristics of self compacting concretes made with combined use of marble powder, limestone filler, and fly ash

One of the major environmental concerns is disposal or recycling of the waste materials. Marble processing plants and limestone quarries produce millions of tons waste dust in the powder form every year. Having considerable high degree of fineness in comparison to cement, these materials may be utilized as filler for production of self compacting concretes (SCCs). For this purpose, an experimental program has been conducted to investigate the possibility of using marble powder (M) and limestone filler (LF) in the production of SCCs with and without fly ash. Two series of concrete mixtures containing binary and ternary blends of fine materials were designed and cast with a constant water–binder ratio of 0.35. Test results showed that high replacement level of the filler slightly affected the fresh properties of the SCCs adversely. However, the inclusion of fly ash mitigated such problems. Moreover, mechanical and transport properties were improved by using marble powder and limestone filler.