Elemental characterization of coal ash and its leachates using sequential extraction techniques

Over 50 million tons of coal ash are produced annually in North America. Technological improvements in air pollution control have decreased stack emissions but have also increased contaminant concentrations in the ash of coal-fired boiler applications. The leaching of heavy metals and other elements during regulatory tests may cause coal ash ro be classified as hazardous waste, complicating land disposal. The hazardous nature of coal ash remains unclear because current toxicity tests fail to effectively characterize the elemental distribution and chemical solubility of trace metals in the landfill environment. Leaching characteristics of ash samples can be investigated with various laboratory extraction procedures in association with multi-elemental analytical techniques (e.g., neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy). Such methods provide more thorough analyses of coal ash leaching dynamics than the regulatory assessments can demonstrate. Regulatory elements including Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Se were shown to remain in largely insoluble forms while elements such as B and S leached at higher levels. Experimental results may assist operators of coal-fired boiler industries in selecting coal types and disposal options to curtail the leaching of potentially toxic inorganic contaminants.     

Spectrophotometric determination of cobalt, nickel, palladium, copper, ruthenium and molybdenum after extraction of their isoamyl xanthate complexes into molten naphthalene

A method has been developed for the spectrophotometric determination of microamounts of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II), Ru(III) and Mo(VI) after extraction of their isoamyl xanthate complexes into molten naphthalene. The method has been applied to the determination of these metal ions in various alloys and in environmental samples (fly ash).     

以粉煤灰为原料合成Eu3+掺杂的铝硅酸钠发光材料

以粉煤灰为原料,采用固相法合成了Eu3+掺杂的铝硅酸钠发光材料。利用粉末X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、热分析技术(TG-DSC)、荧光光谱仪(PL)等对合成的样品进行表征,并与以分析纯的SiO2和Al2O3为原料得到的样品进行比较。结果表明:由不同的起始原料制备的NaAlSiO4:Eu3+均具有六方相结构;两种样品的形貌均不太规则,由许多小的球形颗粒和块状团聚体组成;由不同原料得到样品的TG-DSC曲线的变化趋势大致相同;在254及395 nm的紫外光激发下,均表现出Eu3+的特征发射。该研究为提高粉煤灰综合利用率、促进资源循环利用、减少其对环境的污染提供了一种新的思路。     

A technique for sequential leaching of coal and fly ash resulting in good recovery of trace elements

Coal and fly ash contain many elements. These elements exist in different forms which may change throughout the coal combustion process. There are several processes, including X-ray techniques and leaching techniques by which studies have attempted to assess the form of a particular element in a sample. This work focuses on determining the leachability of selected elements sequentially leached in four extraction solutions: water, 1 M ammonium acetate, 3 M hydrochloric acid and 50% hydrofluoric acid. The emphasis is on evaluating the steps involved in the leaching process with the mass recovery for each element being the basis for evaluation. The total amount of each element that will leach out under the given extraction condition is presented as a fraction of the total present in the material. The materials evaluated were NIST coal and fly ash standards. The elements measured in this study include aluminum, barium, beryllium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, sodium, strontium, vanadium and zinc.     

Comparative Efficiencies of Trace Metal Extraction from Municipal Incinerator Ashes

Abstract

Five laboratory solvent extraction methods for the determination of leachable trace metals from municipal incinerator fly and bottom ashes are evaluated. The trace elements of interest were cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese and lead. Five different extractants, 0.1NHCl, 1.0 N ammonium acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), chloroform and hexane were used on each ash to determine comparative extraction efficiencies.

Extraction efficiencies of the five solvents were determined based on total metal concentration, and were found to rank in the following order: 0.1NHCl<1.0N ammonium acetate < MIBK < chloroform < hexane. No one solvent was optimal for obtaining environmentally available values for all five metals. The inorganic solvents, 0.1NHCl and 1.0N ammonium acetate, exhibited higher removal of trace metals from ash particles relative to the organic solvents. Manganese concentrations were removed more efficiently by 0.1NHCl, whereas 1.0 N ammonium acetate was more efficient for removing copper concentrations. Cadmium, Cr, and Pb could effectively be extracted by either of the two inorganic solvents. Concentrations of trace metals extracted from refuse ash appeared to be a function of the elemental boiling point and the species that exist on combustion. However, the classification of elements for refuse ash in this study strayed somewhat from the traditional geochemical classification scheme into which coal ash is placed.     

澜沧江中上游流域矿区土壤重金属含量的调查

为了解澜沧江中上游流域矿区的开采和利用对周围生态环境的影响因素,通过选择对该矿区中3种重金属污染物Pb、Cd、Mn进行了调查和实验。确定澜沧江中上游流域的相应采样面,通过湿消化法处理样品,原子吸收光谱法测定了重金属的含量,并作了重金属污染评价。结果表明,澜沧江中上游流域矿区土壤Cd平均值为21.89 mg/kg,超标率为100%,土壤中重金属含量由高到低为Cd,Mn,Pb,重金属之间相关性不显著(P>0.05)。研究区土壤已经被严重污染,单项污染指数由高到低为Cd(21),Pb(0.87),Mn(0.81)。可见澜沧江中上游流域矿区土壤中Pb、Cd、Mn的污染已经呈现出了危害人群健康的趋势,其中Pb、Cd污染最严重,对于重金属污染应采取综合治理措施。     

粉煤灰在废水处理中的应用研究进展

粉煤灰的高附加值综合利用已成为循环经济和环境保护领域中亟待解决的重要课题之一,粉煤灰用于水处理是变废为宝、变害为利的一种尝试。粉煤灰因其形貌特征、比表面积、孔隙率和化学成分等方面的优势而在膜过滤、Fenton处理、光催化、吸附等方面均有显著应用价值。本文重点介绍粉煤灰在这几方面的应用,并对其在废水处理中的应用前景进行了展望。     

Comparative Toxicity of Fly Ash: An In Vitro Study

Fly ash produced during coal combustion is one of the major sources of air and water pollution, but the data on the impact of micrometer-size fly ash particles on human cells is still incomplete. Fly ash samples were collected from several electric power stations in the United States (Rockdale, TX; Dolet Hill, Mansfield, LA; Rockport, IN; Muskogee, OK) and from a metallurgic plant located in the Russian Federation (Chelyabinsk Electro-Metallurgical Works OJSC). The particles were characterized using dynamic light scattering, atomic force, and hyperspectral microscopy. According to chemical composition, the fly ash studied was ferro-alumino-silicate mineral containing substantial quantities of Ca, Mg, and a negligible concentration of K, Na, Mn, and Sr. The toxicity of the fly ash microparticles was assessed in vitro using HeLa cells (human cervical cancer cells) and Jurkat cells (immortalized human T lymphocytes). Incubation of cells with different concentrations of fly ash resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability for all fly ash variants. The most prominent cytotoxic effect in HeLa cells was produced by the ash particles from Rockdale, while the least was produced by the fly ash from Chelyabinsk. In Jurkat cells, the lowest toxicity was observed for fly ash collected from Rockport, Dolet Hill and Muscogee plants. The fly ash from Rockdale and Chelyabinsk induced DNA damage in HeLa cells, as revealed by the single cell electrophoresis, and disrupted the normal nuclear morphology. The interaction of fly ash microparticles of different origins with cells was visualized using dark-field microscopy and hyperspectral imaging. The size of ash particles appeared to be an important determinant of their toxicity, and the smallest fly ash particles from Chelyabinsk turned out to be the most cytotoxic to Jukart cells and the most genotoxic to HeLa cells.     

Leaching Studies of Inorganic and Organic Compounds from Fly Ash

Fly ash is produced in massive quantities by fossil fuel based power plants and waste incinerators, and contains high levels of potentially toxic chemicals. Various leaching tests exist to determine the available fractions, but the outcome is strongly dependent on the experimental conditions, and these have not yet been harmonised at the international level. In order to test existing protocols for heavy metals, several intercomparisons were organised within the framework of an EU-INCO project "ANALEACH", in which seven institutes from five countries participated. Two existing reference materials were made available for the project and test batches of two new fly ash reference materials were produced. Availability tests, leaching tests and pH-stat tests were studied and critical steps in the procedures were identified. Fly ashes can also contain large amounts of inorganic sulphur and nitrogen compounds, and the determination and leaching behaviour of these compounds were also studied. In one intercomparison for metals, inorganic S and N-compounds were also included. A five-step leaching test was optimised for fly ash in order to link metal fractions to different types of binding. Column leaching experiments were carried out to investigate leaching from fly ash into soil, mimicking the effects of (acid) rain on fly ash deposited on topsoil after atmospheric transport. The major fraction of the leached metal ions was retained by the soil. Also large numbers of organic compounds (including many toxic ones) were identified in fly ash extracts, especially in city waste incinerator ash. Leaching procedures based on ultrasonic extraction were developed for organic compounds and an intercomparison exercise was organised. In a field study at the river Nitra(Slovakia) numerous organic pollutants were found at elevated levels downstream from a major fly ash dump site.     

Rapid laser fluorometric method for the determination of uranium in soil, ultrabasic rock, plant ash, coal fly ash and red mud samples

A simple and rapid laser fluorometric determination of trace and ultra trace level of uranium in a wide variety of low uranium content materials like soil, basic and ultra basic rocks, plant ash, coal fly ash and red mud samples is described. Interference studies of some common major, minor and trace elements likely to be present in different, geological materials on uranium fluorescence are studied using different fluorescence enhancing reagents like sodium pyrophosphate, orthophosphoric acid, penta sodium tri-polyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate. The accurate determination of very low uranium content samples which are rich in iron, manganese and calcium, is possible only after the selective separation of uranium. Conditions suitable for the quantitative single step extraction of 25 ng to 20 μg uranium with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide and single step quantitative stripping with dilute neutral sodium pyrophosphate, which also acts as fluorescence enhancing reagent is studied. The aqueous strip is used for the direct laser fluorometric measurement without any further pretreatment. The procedure is applied for the determination of uranium in soil, basalt, plant ash, coal fly ash and red mud samples. The accuracy of the proposed method is checked by analyzing certain standard reference materials as well as synthetic sample with known quantity of uranium. The accuracy and reproducibility of the method are fairly good with RSD ranging from 3 to 5% depend upon the concentration of uranium.     

Calorimetry in testing waste materials from the brown coal combustion

The calorimetric measurements were applied in testing the wastes collected from different furnaces in electric power plants as materials to be used in civil engineering. The fly ash materials were collected from two power stations based on different brown coal deposits and working with conventional and fluidized bed installation. The reactivity of high calcium fly ash from sub-bituminous coal combustion has been proved in calorimetric, conductometric, chemical shrinkage, and rheological measurements before their practical implementation on larger scale. Highly soluble components of fly ash contribute to the hydration products and structure formation, followed by setting and hardening of fly ash–cement mixture. These results have been the base of research project aimed in the innovative solutions dealing with the management of deposits of wastes generated as a result of coal combustion. The standardization and potential use on larger scale of these materials, necessary from the environmental point of view, seems to be the question of nearest future.     

固体添加剂对垃圾掺烧污泥焚烧飞灰高温过程中重金属挥发特性的影响

在研究垃圾与污泥掺烧后焚烧飞灰中重金属浸出特征的基础上,重点研究了飞灰在1 000 ℃条件下高温处置过程中重金属(Cu、Zn 、Pb、Cd)随不同停留时间的挥发特性及添加剂(CaO、Al₂O₃、SiO₂、高岭土、粉煤灰)对重金属转化与挥发特性的影响。研究结果表明,飞灰中重金属Zn、Pb、Mn含量较高,Ni的含量较低,而毒性较大的Cd达到29.4 mg/kg。浸出液中七种金属都满足危险废物鉴别标准(GB5085.3-1996),并且重金属的浸出浓度受浸取时间及浸取液pH值影响较大。在同样的高温处置条件下,焚烧飞灰中不同重金属的挥发特性有较大的差别。其中,Pb表现出易挥发的特性,其挥发率超过80%,而Cu挥发性较小,其挥发率小于30%。综合来看,飞灰中重金属的挥发性大小依次为Pb>Cd>Zn>Cu。飞灰中添加Al₂O₃和高岭土可以抑制Cd的挥发,添加Al₂O₃后Pb的挥发率有所减少,添加SiO₂、CaO、高岭土、粉煤灰均使Zn的挥发率降低,而对Cu的挥发率没有抑制作用,这与飞灰中高Cl含量及各痕量元素化合物对固体添加剂活性位选择性的竞争吸附有关。     

准东煤中碱金属的赋存形式及其在燃烧过程中的迁移规律实验研究

对新疆煤采用三步化学提取实验(蒸馏水洗、醋酸铵洗、稀盐酸洗)以分析其碱金属赋存特性,对水溶的阴离子进行了离子色谱分析。分别检测了在不同温度、不同停留时间下准东煤灰的碱金属量,并用Factsage软件模拟该煤灰中碱金属的析出形式。结果表明,煤中的钠主要是水溶钠,钾主要以不可溶钾存在,水溶碱金属主要以水合离子形式的氯化物存在。准东煤中碱金属在400~600℃析出最快,主要是水溶态碱金属的释放,碱金属的释放主要发生在燃烧后期。灰中碱金属在高温下会与烟气中的成分发生反应,主要产物是氯化物以及氢氧化物。在700℃钠对准东煤中低温共融物的形成有很大贡献。     

Coal bioprocessing research at the institute of gas technology

Coal bioprocessing research at the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) has included solubilization, gasification, desulfurization, denitrogenation, production of specialty chemicals, and the remediation of organic and inorganic wastes associated with coal utilization. Currently, research is focused on desulfurization and remediation. Desulfurization research concerns the development of processes to remove organic sulfur or to convert a portion of pyritic sulfur to sulfuric acid rapidly, thereby serving as a pretreatment to aid the thermochemical conversion of coal to coke and liquid products. The removal of as much as 91% organic sulfur from coal has been achieved, and biodesulfurization of coal has been confirmed by seven analytical techniques performed in six different laboratories. Recent studies have involved the use of molecular genetics to develop strains of bacteria with higher levels of desulfurization activity, and the development of methods for the preparation, storage, and utilization of biodesulfurization catalysts. Remediation studies include the development ofin situ and on-site technologies to treat soil contaminated with coal tar, the leaching of metals from fly ash, and the treatment of waste water resulting from fly ash leaching or from acidic mine drainage (AMD). IGT currently has two projects in EPA’s SITE program concerned with the remediation of coal tar-contaminated soil, and other related technologies are being developed. Efficient laboratory-scale processes for the removal of metals from fly ash and from soil so that the solids pass EPA’s TCLP test, and the subsequent treatment of the leachates or AMD to meet all regulatory requirements have been developed. Data obtained in these projects are presented in particular, and a general discussion of the application of biotechnology to coal is offered.     

A Sequential Extraction Method Measures the Toxic Metal Content in Fly Ash from a Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator

The purpose of this research was to develop an optimized pretreatment procedure for toxic metals (Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu) content in fly ash from a municipal waste incinerator. In addition, modified sequential extraction procedures were used to characterize the chemical composition of the fly ash samples. The sequential extraction resolved the fly ash elements into the following chemical forms: soluble, exchangeable, carbonate, oxide, organic, and silicate compounds. Certified reference city waste incineration ash (BCR.176) was used as target ash samples. A H₂O₂+HNO₃+HF mixed acid digestion solution with a low temperature evaporation procedure was selected as optimal for the fly ash digestion. The digested solution was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), which effectively determined the concentrations of the toxic metal elements in BCR.176. Except for Cd, the recovery of Pb, Zn, and Cu under H₂O₂+HNO₃+HF digestion and their sequential extraction procedures were higher than 95%. The relative standard deviations (RSD) for recoveries of the four elements were within 10%. Furthermore, the sequential extraction procedure's results provided information on the potential mobility of the studied elements. Most of the Cd was bound to water‐soluble and carbonate material in the fly ash samples. Most of the Pb, Zn, and Cu was released to carbonates and bound to organic matter in the fly ash samples.     

A new luminol chemiluminescence reaction using a tetravalent nickel-periodate complex as the oxidant

A modified sequential extraction procedure was developed and applied to characterize the species of metals in fly ash. Two fly ash samples were collected from a coal-fired thermal power plant located in the north of China. A sample was collected from the conventional pulverized coal (PC) combustor and another from the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustor. After extraction by the proposed sequential extraction procedure, the elements in the fly ash samples were divided into a water-extractable fraction (F1), an acid-soluble fraction (F2), a reducible fraction (F3), an oxidizable fraction (F4) and a residual fraction (F5). Except for Cu, V, Cd in the PC sample and V, Zn in the CFB sample, most of the other metals were present in the residual fraction (F5), which was very difficult to release into the environment. The fraction distribution patterns in the two samples were also compared. The results indicated that the distribution of metals in different fractions in fly ash samples were probably impacted by different combustion processes.     

Multielement analysis of Chinese Environmental Reference Materials by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied for the simultaneous determination of up to 33 elements including major, minor and trace elements in the environmental reference materials soil and coal fly ash from China. The procedure involves both short and long irradiations followed by the measurement of the gamma spectra with a Ge(Li) detector. The analytical results are presented and discussed.     

不同预处理方法对准东高碱煤中碱金属含量测定的影响

以四种不同的准东高碱煤及气化飞灰为研究对象,对高碱煤及气化飞灰中碱金属(Na、K)的赋存形态,以及不同预处理方法(低温灰化法、直接消解法、中国国标法、萃取法及氧弹燃烧法)对准东高碱煤及气化飞灰中碱金属(Na、K)含量测定的影响进行了测试分析。结果表明,准东高碱煤中碱金属Na主要以水溶态形式存在,碱金属K主要以水不溶态形式存在;不同的预处理方法对准东高碱煤中碱金属(Na、K)含量的测定结果影响显著,对于准东高碱煤及气化飞灰中碱金属(Na、K)含量测定,建议采用氧弹燃烧法,萃取法也可以相对准确地反映煤中碱金属Na的含量。     

Application of sequential extraction and the ICP-AES method for study of the partitioning of metals in fly ashes

In this work, the original BCR extraction scheme was modified and applied to study the partitioning of metals in fly ashes. In the first step, the water-soluble fraction was investigated here. The next metal fractions were acid-soluble, reducible, and oxidisable. Two kinds of coal fly ash certified reference materials were analysed. Metal concentrations in the extracts were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The efficiency of the extraction process for each step was examined. The partitioning of metals between the individual fractions was investigated and is discussed.     

Mesoporous titanium dioxide as a novel solid-phase extraction material for flow injection micro-column preconcentration on-line coupled with ICP-OES determination of trace metals in environmental samples

Mesoporous titanium dioxide as a novel solid-phase extraction material for flow injection micro-column preconcentration on-line coupled with ICP-OES determination of trace metals (Co, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, V, Ce, Dy, Eu, La and Yb) in environmental samples was described. Possessing a high adsorption capacity towards the metal ions, mesoporous titanium dioxide has found to be of great potential as an adsorbent for the preconcentration of trace metal ions in samples with complicated matrix. The experimental parameters including pH, sample flow rate, volume, elution and interfering ions on the recovery of the target analytes were investigated, and the optimal experimental conditions were established. Under the optimized operating conditions, a preconcentration time of 90 s and elution time of 18 s with enrichment factor of 10 and sampling frequency of 20 h⁻¹ were obtained. The detection limits of this method for the target elements were between 0.03 and 0.36 μg L⁻¹, and the relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) were found to be less than 6.0% (n =7, c =5 ng mL⁻¹). The proposed method was validated using a certified reference material, and has been successfully applied for the determination of the afore mentioned trace metals in natural water samples and coal fly ash with satisfactory results.