Ecotoxicity of Recycled Aggregates: Application of a Prediction Methodology

Abstract

Due to environmental concerns, the search for sustainable construction solutions has been increasing over the years. This global concern is creating a trend in the use of recycled aggregates resulting from construction and demolition wastes from different sources. In addition to their physical and mechanical properties, it is important to analyse their ecotoxicological risk to determine whether their leachates might be an issue. To assess ecotoxicity, biological tests should be performed for different trophic levels. This type of test is expensive and needs a high level of expertise, which leads to a lack of studies on recycled aggregates including ecotoxicity analysis. This paper presents a set of predictive ecotoxicity results based on the published studies on recycled aggregates. These results are the outcome of applying an innovative methodology previously developed and validated by the authors aiming to foresee the ecotoxicological fate of building materials’ constituents and products. The application of this methodology enables the classification of a recycled aggregate product as safe or unsafe in terms of ecotoxicity risk, while keeping biological testing to a minimum.

Eco-Toxicity Assessment of Industrial By-Product-Based Alkali-Activated Binders Using the Sea Urchin Embryogenesis Bioassay

“…Chemical transformations, which take place under high alkalinity conditions when waste-based binders are formulated, as well as the conditions of use of the construction material, affect the leaching behavior and, consequently, the potential toxicity to the environment (Kobetičová and Černý, 2017;Ribé et al, 2014). Therefore, when waste is used in construction materials, it is essential to inquire about the potential environmental and health impacts in the different stages of their life cycle, such as the construction and demolition stages or service life and disposal (Maia et al, 2022;Rodrigues et al, 2017). In the European context, a test battery has been developed for the ecotoxicological characterization of eluates from construction products for regulatory purposes and voluntary initiatives by manufacturers or eco-labels (CEN/TR 17105:2017) (CEN, 2017).…”