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Concentrations of heavy metals in fly ash from a coal-fired power plant with respect to the new Finnish limit values

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Abstract

In Finland, the new limit values for heavy metals in fertilizers used in agriculture and in forestry came into force in March 2007, and for materials used as earth construction agents, in June 2006. From the utilization point of view, it was notable that the total heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mo, Zn, As, Ni, Ba, and Hg) in fly ash from a coal-fired power plant were lower than those limit values. The concentrations of the easily soluble elements Ca, Mg, Na, P, and Zn in the fly ash were between 3.5 and 35 times higher than those found in the coarse mineral soils of Finland. Fly ash is a potential agent for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility. If inorganic materials and by-products are utilized in earthworks, the content of harmful compounds must be low and the harmful components must be tightly bound to the matrix. Therefore, a five-stage sequential extraction procedure was used to evaluate the extractability of different elements in fly ash into the following fractions: (1) the water-soluble fraction, (2) the exchangeable fraction (CH3COOH), (3) the easily reduced fraction (NH2OH-HCl), (4) the oxidizable fraction (H2O2 + CH3COONH4), and (5) the residual fraction (HF + HNO3 + HCl).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Production Technology, Laboratory of Chemical Pulping and Environmental Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland

    Olli Dahl

  2. City of Kemi, Town Planning and Building Committee, Environmental Research Division, Valtakatu 26, FI-94100, Kemi, Finland

    Risto Pöykiö

  3. Stora Enso Oyj, Kemi, Finland

    Hannu Nurmesniemi

Authors
  1. Olli Dahl
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  2. Risto Pöykiö
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  3. Hannu Nurmesniemi
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Correspondence to Risto Pöykiö.

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Dahl, O., Pöykiö, R. & Nurmesniemi, H. Concentrations of heavy metals in fly ash from a coal-fired power plant with respect to the new Finnish limit values. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 10, 87–92 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-007-0189-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-007-0189-6

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