Collaborative Water Initiative Project on Stabilization of Water Treatment Residuals
EMSL Project ID
15791
Abstract
Toxic heavy metal removal from water typically generates a metal-laden, solid waste stream of spent sorbents or precipitated sludges. In many cases and particularly for the most efficient, high capacity sorbents, these solid residuals may be classified as hazardous wastes and necessitate the additional cost, security and liability considerations of hazardous waste handling and disposal. Stabilization of the wastes to achieve a non-hazardous state is an attractive alternative from both environmental and security perspectives. The project by The University of Arizona FaST (Faculty and Student Team), sponsored by Gary Smith at PNNL, is developing a high capacity, environmentally benign, low temperature stabilization technique based on polyceram technologies. The current work is specifically focussed on the residuals of arsenic removal processes used for drinking water purification. The project will evaluate the effect of several key parameters (solid loading, water content, drying versus curing times, etc.) on the stabilized residual's arsenic leaching resistance and is being conducted at APEL at PNNL. The performance will be compared to unstabilized residual and grout stabilized (the conventional process)residual leaching. Three of the most common, high performance sorbents used for arsenic treatment will utilized in the tests and stabilized and unstabilized residuals will be subjected to both conventional and more rigorous leaching challenge tests. Use of EMSL ICP-OES and AA-GF instrumentation for analysis of leached metals (As, Fe, and Al)and microwave digestion equipment for solid sample dissolution is requested and would be integral to project success. The faculty member of the team has experience with similar instrumentation and sample analysis.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2005-06-28
End Date
2006-07-07
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator