Abstract
The fate of heavy metals in multiple hearth sewage sludge incinerators was examined using mass balance techniques. All major process streams into and out of the incinerators were sampled in order to characterize the partitioning of Cu, Ni, Ph, and Cd into the major effluent streams, and to calculate a metals mass balance around the incinerators. The results indicate that the residual particulate matter from the incineration process becomes progressively more enriched in the more-volatile metals (Cd and Ph) with decreasing particulate size, in the order bottom ash < cyclone ash < scrubber water particulate < stack particulate. The less-volatile metals Cu and Ni are not similarly enriched. The mass balance indicates that approximately two-thirds of the Cd mass entering the incinerators is partitioned to the scrubber water stream, while the bottom ash stream receives most of the Cu, Ni, and Pb.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balogh, S. J.: 1989,The Fate of Metals in Metro Plant Incinerators, Metropolitan Waste Control Commission.
Bennett, R. L. and Knapp, K. T.: 1982,Environ. Sci. Technol. 16, 831.
Davison, R. L., Natusch, D. F. S., Wallace, J. R. and Evans, C. A.: 1974,Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 1107.
EPA Method 5: 1977,Fed. Regist. 42, 41776.
Flagan, R. C. and Friedlander, S. K.: 1978,Recent Developments in Aerosol Science, Wiley-Interscience.
Gerstle, R. W. and Albrinck, D. N.: 1982,J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc. 32, 1119.
Greenberg, R. R., Zoller, W. H. and Gordon, G. E.: 1981,Environ. Sci. Technol. 15, 64.
Greenwood, S. J.: 1988, personal communication.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Balogh, S. The fate of metals in sewage sludge incinerators. Water Air Soil Pollut 91, 249–254 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00666261
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00666261