Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine heavy metal concentrations in ash
samples taken from the filter of the gas cleaning system of biomass incinerators in
Austria. Knowing the concentrations of heavy metals is important for the
decision of further treatment or utilization of the ashes. The heavy metals
contained in the ashes remain in the bottom ash of the incinerator or leave the
incinerator with the off-gas and are collected in the off-gas filter. The amount of
the metals in the collected fly ash depends on the composition of the input
material. The aim of this study was to examine this influence and compare the
results with literature data. For measurement, the fly ash samples were at first
dissolved in a microwave digestion unit using nitric acid and hydrochloric acid.
Afterwards, 20 metals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical
emission spectrometry. Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn were found in higher
concentrations in the fly ash samples. The enrichment factor between the
concentrations in the fly ash and the concentrations in the input material was on
average in the range of 18.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 886-894 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Toxicological and Environmental Chemistry |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2011 |
Keywords
- Biomass incineration
- Fly ash
- Heavy metals