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Changes of chromium speciation and organic matter during low-temperature pyrolysis of tannery sludge

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Abstract

The application or disposal of char derived from tannery sludge is directly influenced by the mobility and bioavailability of Cr during pyrolysis process. This study focused on the changes of Cr speciation and organic matter in tannery sludge during low-temperature pyrolysis (100–400 °C) to evaluate the toxicity of char in terms of the leaching possibility of Cr. The results showed that (1) lower char yield and more porous structure were observed after pyrolysis. (2) Higher pyrolysis temperature increased Cr content in the char; however, Cr in this case was converted into the residual fraction which minimized its bioavailability therefore lowers its potential risk to the environment. (3) Organic matters in the acid and alkali leachates were mainly humic acid-like substance, and condensed organic matter might appear at 200 °C and then destruct. (4) Despite the comparatively high content of Cr in the char, the leaching toxicity of char was within the security range according to the national standard of China. The Cr content in the acid and alkali leachates decreased to the range of 16.5–35.3 and 0.2–6.8 mg/L, respectively. It was suggested that the potential toxicity of tannery sludge from Cr could be reduced before utilization or disposal by pyrolysis, especially under 400 °C.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this research from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21177079).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, 710021, China

    Jianjun Zhou, Hongrui Ma, Wenyue Sun, Chao Zhu & Xiangping Chen

  2. College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Mao Gao

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  1. Jianjun Zhou
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  2. Hongrui Ma
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  3. Mao Gao
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  4. Wenyue Sun
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  5. Chao Zhu
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  6. Xiangping Chen
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Correspondence to Hongrui Ma or Chao Zhu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Zhou, J., Ma, H., Gao, M. et al. Changes of chromium speciation and organic matter during low-temperature pyrolysis of tannery sludge. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 2495–2505 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0271-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0271-0

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