Chih-Ping Chang1,5, Yun-Hwei Shen1, I-Cheng Chou2, Ya-Fen Wang3, Yi-Ming Kuo 2, Juu-En Chang4

  • 1 Department of Resources Engineering, National Cheng KungUniversity, 1 University Rd., Tainan City 701, Taiwan
  • 2 Department of Safety Health and Environmental Engineering, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, 89 Wenhua 1st St., Rende Dist., Tainan City 717, Taiwan
  • 3 Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Rd., Chung Li 320, Taiwan
  • 4 Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan City 701, Taiwan
  • 5 Environmental Resource Management Research Center, Cheng Kung University, 500 Anming Rd. Sec. 3, Annan Dist., Tainan City 709, Taiwan

Received: September 30, 2011
Revised: January 30, 2012
Accepted: January 30, 2012
Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2011.09.0156  

  • Download: PDF


Cite this article:
Chang, C.P., Shen, Y.H., Chou, I.C., Wang, Y.F., Kuo, Y.M. and Chang, J.E. (2012). Metal Distribution Characteristics in a Laboratory Waste Incinerator. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 12: 426-434. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2011.09.0156


 

ABSTRACT


The metal distribution in the emissions of a laboratory waste incinerator (LWI) was investigated. The input materials and output materials (fly ash, bottom ash, and flue gas) were analyzed to examine the transportation and transmission behavior of heavy metals.

Toxic (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Pb), anthropogenic (Ag, Ba, Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn) and crust (Na) elements were adopted to characterize the distribution properties of the LWI under investigation. The results indicated that Ba, Cr and Hg (80.0, 13.0 and 12.9 mg/L, respectively) were the major metals in the organic liquid waste input, and Na, and Zn (7497 and 349 mg/kg, respectively) were the major ones for medical solid waste. The Na content in the fly ash could be as high as 911574 mg/kg, and this was found to be the major Na emission source according to the emission factors. The mass of Na may be supplied using a NaOH solution injection to neutralize the acidic combustion gas, and it was found that high contents of Na in the flue gas were from the sprinkled NaOH solution. For the output materials, NaCl was found to be the major crystalline form of Na in the ash, based on the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The crust (Na) element was the major element in the bottom and fly ash. The toxic (As, Cr, Ni, and Pb) and anthropogenic (Se) elements were mainly distributed in the second cooling tower ash and baghouse ash in a range of 64.5%–91.9%. The average concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg concentrations in the flue gas were all under Taiwan’s EPA regulation standards.

Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) data showed that the leachability of As, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Se exceeded the EPA’s regulations. It is thus suggested that the ash should be treated by further elutriation or vitrification processes to reduce the TCLP levels in the final products.


Keywords: Laboratory waste; Incineration; Metal distribution; Solid waste


Share this article with your colleagues 

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Aerosol and Air Quality Research has published over 2,000 peer-reviewed articles. Enter your email address to receive latest updates and research articles to your inbox every second week.

7.3
2022CiteScore
 
 
77st percentile
Powered by
Scopus
 
   SCImago Journal & Country Rank

2021 Impact Factor: 4.53
5-Year Impact Factor: 3.668

The Future Environment and Role of Multiple Air Pollutants

Aerosol and Air Quality Research partners with Publons

CLOCKSS system has permission to ingest, preserve, and serve this Archival Unit
CLOCKSS system has permission to ingest, preserve, and serve this Archival Unit

Aerosol and Air Quality Research (AAQR) is an independently-run non-profit journal that promotes submissions of high-quality research and strives to be one of the leading aerosol and air quality open-access journals in the world. We use cookies on this website to personalize content to improve your user experience and analyze our traffic. By using this site you agree to its use of cookies.