Evaluation of heavy metal leaching from coal ash-versus conventional concrete monoliths and debris

Waste Management
Willis Gwenzi, Nyarai M Mupatsi

Abstract

Application of coal ash in construction materials is constrained by the potential risk of heavy metal leaching. Limited information is available on the comparative heavy metal leaching from coal ash-versus conventional concrete. The current study compared total and leached heavy metal concentrations in unbound coal ash, cement and sand; and investigated the effect of initial leachant pH on heavy metal leaching from coal-ash versus conventional concrete monoliths and their debris. Total Pb, Mn and Zn in coal ash were lower than or similar to that of other materials, while Cu and Fe showed the opposite trend. Leached concentrations of Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe in unbound coal ash, its concrete and debris were comparable and in some cases even lower than that for conventional concrete. In all cases, leached concentrations accounted for just <1% of the total concentrations. Log-log plots of concentration and cumulative release of Fe versus time based on tank leaching data showed that leaching was dominated by diffusion. Overall, the risk of Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe leaching from coal ash and its concrete was minimal and comparable to that of conventional concrete, a finding in contrast to widely held public perceptions and earlier results...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 8, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Jiang-Shan LiChi Sun Poon
Mar 20, 2021·Chemosphere·SeongChul RyuSaravanamuthu Vigneswaran
Dec 26, 2018·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Munyaradzi Mtisi, Willis Gwenzi

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