Metal reduction from landfill leachate by using blast furnace slag and pine bark - discussion about the parameters significant for metal removal

Abstract

In Sweden there are many old landfills of which the content is more or less unknown, The
leachates from these are of varying quality, mirroring the waste deposited in the landfills,
Metals commonly occurring in leachates are i,e, zink (Zn), lead (Pb), cupper (Cu) and nickel
(Ni), Ni is of particular interest due to the un-predictable mobility of the metal, For small,
weak leachates a passive low-cost treatment system can be suitable, Reactive filter technology
is one alternative and by using by-products from national and global industries the
environmental benefit could be further increased, Pine bark (from pulp and paper industry)
and blast furnace slag (from steel manufacturing) are examples of such materials, Designing
filters for removal of metals from leachate includes taking a series of parameters into account
At the landfill site in Eskilstuna, Sweden, a facility was designed as a pilot study, Four
columns were filled with filter material, The materials were sand, amorphous and crystalline
blast furnace slag and pine bark, The aim was to investigate parameters significant for metal
uptake from landfill leachate, A screening of the metals, physio-chemical parameters and
some organic pollutants was conducted for a period of five months, A part from this, a batch
experiment was conducted, Contact time, initial concentration, other leachate components and
pH are examples of parameters that have a significant influence on the metal removing
capacity of a filter,