Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash Research Articles

Synthesis of pumice and medical waste incinerator fly ash based phosphate geopolymers for methylene blue dye adsorption: co-valorization, parameters and mechanism

Synthesis of pumice-based geopolymer composites, GP-0, GP-10, GP-20 and GP-30, substituted with fractions of 0, 10, 20 and 30% by weight of medical waste incinerator fly ash (MWI-FA), respectively and application for dye removal.

Comparison of Dioxin Destruction in the Fly Ash and Froths under Microwave Irradiation

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to check the feasibility to treat medical waste incinerator (MWI) fly ash directly through microwave irradiation. The destruction efficiency of dioxins in MWI fly ash and in its froth products after flotation was compared in the air/nitrogen (N2) atmosphere. Results demonstrated that the dioxin destruction effect was better in a N2 atmosphere than that in an air atmosphere. And the total dioxin mass destruction efficiency of fly ash and the froths were 55.4% and 95.6% in the air atmosphere, while their values were 65.0% and 98.4% in the N2 atmosphere, respectively. The vaporisation ratio of dioxins in MWI fly ash was up to 10.2% after 9 min N2 irradiation. Furthermore, dechlorinating reactions of dioxins would occur when MWI fly ash was treated in N2 atmosphere. Therefore, microwave-absorbing additives should be used to improve the decomposition of dioxins because of MWI fly ash containing less carbon constituents than the froths.

Cement solidification of the tailings after flotation of medical waste incinerator fly ash

Cement solidification of the tailings after flotation of medical waste incinerator fly ash

Detoxification of medical waste incinerator fly ash through successive flotation

ABSTRACTMedical waste incinerator (MWI) fly ash is considered hazardous waste because it contains hypertoxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans as well as heavy metals. To detoxify both substances, successive flotations of MWI fly ash were performed. The first step involved decarburization flotation, whereby 91.0% of the dioxins in MWI fly ash were transformed into a froth product. In the second step (ion flotation), the influence of ionic strength on heavy metals recovered from both raw and stimulated filtrates was explored. The results revealed that the optimal conditions were sodium dodecyl sulfate at 480 ppm, methyl isobutyl carbonyl at 150 ppm, impeller speed at 2000 rpm, and flotation time of 18 min for raw leachate, through which Zn (47.0%), Pb (56.5%), Cu (57.5%), and Cd (49.1%) were recovered. For the simulated filtrate, higher removal efficiencies were noted: 60.5%, 80.6%, 69.1%, and 64.1% for Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd, respectively. The harmful effects of the coexisting ions in the raw filtrate on heavy metal recovery were observed.

Experimental Investigation of the Decarburization Behavior of Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash (MWIFA)

The objective of the research was to compare the flotation performance of medical waste incinerator fly ash (MWIFA) by considering two methods: the cyclonic-static micro-bubble flotation column (FCSMC) method and conventional flotation cell (CFC) method. The results indicated that for FSCMC, the optimum parameters were kerosene = 3.5 g/kg·ash, methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) = 0.2 g/kg·ash, Tween 80 = 7.5% of kerosene concentration, slurry concentration = 100 g/L, and pump speed = 380 r/min. The optimized conditions resulted in a higher dioxin removal efficiency (90.98%), carbon removal efficiency (91.88%) and lower loss on ignition (LOI) (4.96%). The data obtained from the CFC under different optimum operating conditions were 88.65%, 90.63% and 5.68%, respectively. FSCMC was proven to be more efficient for the flotation of MWIFA than CFC.

Characteristics and Treatment Methods of Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash: A Review

Medical waste incinerator fly ash (MWIFA) is quite different from municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash (MSWIFA) due to its special characteristics of high levels of chlorines, dioxins, carbon constituents, and heavy metals, which may cause irreversible harm to environment and human beings if managed improperly. However, treatment of MWIFA has rarely been specifically mentioned. In this review, various treatment techniques for MSWIFA, and their merits, demerits, applicability, and limitations for MWIFA are reviewed. Natural properties of MWIFA including the high contents of chlorine and carbonaceous matter that might affect the treatment effects of MWIFA are also depicted. Finally, several commendatory and feasible technologies such as roasting, residual carbon melting, the mechanochemical technique, flotation, and microwave treatment are recommended after an overall consideration of the special characteristics of MWIFA, balancing environmental, technological, economical information.

Synthetic wollastonitic glass ceramics derived from recycled glass and medical waste incinerator fly ash

The present investigation focuses on the production of synthetic wollastonitic glass ceramics (WGCs) through vitrification of medical wastes incinerator fly ash (MFA) with soda lime recycled glass (SLRG) at 1300 °C, followed by re-crystallization in the range of 950 °C. The sintering process was carried out at the final temperature, previously determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA). The raw materials as well as the produced WGCs were characterized by chemical mineralogical and microstructural analyses. Their leaching behaviour was evaluated using the EN 12457-2 compliance leaching test. Re-crystallization led to the development of glass ceramics with two major crystalline phases: monoclinic wollastonite (b-CaSiO3) and gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7). The compressive and bending strength values varied from 190 to 194 MPa and 79–82 MPa, respectively. Although MFA exhibited high metals leaching values, indicating a hazardous waste, no trace elements were detected in the leachates of the WGCs.

Detoxifying PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in fly ash from medical waste incinerators with a DC double arc plasma torch

Medical waste incinerator (MWI) fly ash is regarded as a highly toxic waste because it contains high concentrations of heavy metals and dioxins, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Therefore fly ash from MWI must be appropriately treated before being discharged into the environment. A melting process based on a direct current thermal plasma torch has been developed to convert MWI fly ash into harmless slag. The leaching characteristics of heavy metals in fly ash and vitrified slag were investigated using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure, while the content of PCDD/Fs in the fly ashes and slags was measured using method 1613 of the US EPA. The experimental results show that the decomposition rate of PCDD/Fs is over 99% in toxic equivalent quantity value and the leaching of heavy metals in the slag significantly decreases after the plasma melting process. The produced slag has a compact and homogeneous microstructure with density of up to 2.8 g/cm3.

Co-Detoxification of Transformer Oil-Contained PCBs and Heavy Metals in Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash under Sub- and Supercritical Water

The simultaneous detoxification processes of transformer oil-contained PCBs and heavy metals in medical waste incinerator (MWI) fly ash were developed under sub- and supercritical water. The addition of MWI fly ash to transformer oil-contained PCBs was found to increase the destruction efficiency of PCBs, at the same time, it facilitated reducing the leaching concentration of toxic metals from residues (obtained after reaction) for harmless disposal. In this study, we elucidated primarily the catalysis possibility of heavy metals in raw MWI fly ash for PCBs degradation by adopting the sequential extraction procedure. For both MWI fly ashes, more than 90% destruction efficiency of PCBs was achieved at ≥375 °C for 30 min, and trichlorobenzene (TCB) existing in the transformer oil was also completely decomposed. The correlation of catalytic performance to PCBs degradation was discussed based on structural characteristics and dechlorinated products. Likewise, such process rendered residues innocuous through supercritical water treatment for reuse or disposal in landfill.

Heavy metals stabilization in medical waste incinerator fly ash using alkaline assisted supercritical water technology

This study investigated the process of aluminosilicate formation in medical waste incinerator fly ash containing large amounts of heavy metals and treated with alkaline compounds at 375 degrees C and examined how this process affected the mobility and availability of the metals. As a consequence of the treatments, the amount of dissolved heavy metals, and thus their mobility, was greatly reduced, and the metal leaching concentration was below the legislative regulations for metal leachability. Moreover, this process did not produce a high concentration of heavy metals in the effluent. The addition of alkaline compounds such as sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate can prevent certain heavy metal ions dissolving in water. In comparison with the alkaline-free condition, the extracted concentrations of As, Mn, Pb, Sr and Zn were decreased by about 51.08, 97.22, 58.33, 96.77 and 86.89% by the addition of sodium hydroxide and 66.18, 86.11, 58.33, 83.87 and 81.91% by the addition of sodium carbonate. A mechanism for how the formation of aluminosilicate occurred in supercritical water and affected the mobility and availability of the heavy metals is discussed. The reported results could be useful as basic knowledge for planning new technologies for the hydrothermal stabilization of heavy metals in fly ash.

Co-disposal of Heavy Metals Containing Waste Water and Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash by Hydrothermal Process with Addition of Sodium Carbonate: A Case Study on Cu(II) Removal

Fly ash generated from medical waste incinerator and wastewater produced from electroplating plants contains various hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals and chlorinated organic compounds. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the feasibility of removing heavy metals from wastewater using medical waste incinerator fly ash as the treatment reagent with addition of small amount of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) in a hydrothermal process. Copper (Cu) was used as the model heavy metal contaminant in the process. The results revealed that medical waste incinerator fly ash could effectively stabilize Cu(II) ion from wastewater, the crystal phase and simple substance formed during the treatment played a significant role in the fixation of heavy metals in wastewater and fly ash. The heavy metal leachability of treated ash was also measured after removal process. The co-disposal of Cu-containing wastewater and heavy metals-bearing medical waste incinerator fly ash by hydrothermal treatment with addition of a small amount of Na2SO3 was found promising as an effective way of removing Cu from wastewater. The reutilization feasibility of fly ash and the formation mechanism of copper-containing substances were also discussed in this paper.

Influence of supercritical water treatment on heavy metals in medical waste incinerator fly ash

In this work, medical waste (MW) incinerator fly ashes from different types of incinerators were subjected to supercritical water (SCW) and SCW + H 2O 2 (SCWH) treatments. Sequential extraction experiments showed that, after SCW treatment, heavy metals in exchangeable and carbonate forms in the ashes could be transferred into other relatively stable forms, e.g., Ba and Cr into residual fraction, Cu and Pb into organic matter fraction. SCWH treatment could stabilize heavy metals in Fe–Mn oxides and residual fractions. However, the behavior of As was quite different from heavy metals, which could be leached out from residue fraction after SCW and SWCH treatments. The leached As tended to absorb onto Fe–Mn oxides and organic matters under near neutral environment, but it could react with Ca 2+ at lower pH, increasing the mobility of this element. Therefore, it is necessary to neutralize acidic ash to near neutral condition before subjecting it to SCW and SCWH treatments so as to effectively stabilize hazardous elements in the ash. Consequently, it is believed that SCWH treatment is an effective alternative for hazardous elements detoxification in MW fly ash.

Metals leachability from medical waste incinerator fly ash: A case study on particle size comparison

This paper presents the results from a study of metals leachability of medical waste incinerator fly ash in Japan on the basis of particle size. Sequential extraction and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis were carried out in order to quantify the leaching amount of metals in each categorized particle size. Sequential extraction was also subjected to identify the preference of binding matrix of metals. The results of sequential extraction showed an increase both exchangeable and carbonate associated chromium concentrations in the bigger particle size fractions. Likewise, concentrations of carbonate matrix of arsenic and tin tended to increase in the bigger particle size fractions. In contrast, exchangeable associated cadmium as well as both exchangeable and carbonate matrices of barium were found higher in the smaller particle size fractions. However, no correlation was found in Kendal-tau correlation analysis between particle size of the ash and metals leachability of the TCLP.