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Heavy metals in flue gas cleaning residue

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Abstract

During combustion, most of the inorganic nutrients and trace elements in the fuel are retained and enriched in the ash. However, here we show that, due to the low total heavy metal concentrations, the flue gas cleaning residue (i.e. the fly ash) originating from the wet scrubber device at a medium-sized (32 MW) municipal district heating plant, is a potential forest fertilizer. Furthermore, the easily soluble calcium (1,980 mg kg−1; d.w.) and phosphorus (50 mg kg−1; d.w.) concentrations indicate that the flue gas cleaning residue is a potential agent for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the technical staff of Suomen Ympäristöpalvelu Oy, especially M.Sc. Ilkka Välimäki, under whose supervision all the chemical analyses were performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. City of Kemi, The Town Planning and Building Committee, Environmental Research Division, Valtakatu 26, 94100, Kemi, Finland

    Risto Pöykiö

  2. Stora Enso Oyj, Veitsiluoto Mill, 94830, Kemi, Finland

    Hannu Nurmesniemi

  3. Mass and Heat Transfer Process Laboratory, Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Riitta L. Keiski

Authors
  1. Risto Pöykiö
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  2. Hannu Nurmesniemi
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  3. Riitta L. Keiski
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Correspondence to Risto Pöykiö.

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Pöykiö, R., Nurmesniemi, H. & Keiski, R.L. Heavy metals in flue gas cleaning residue. Environ Chem Lett 8, 295–300 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0220-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0220-3

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