Physico-chemical characteristics of fine fraction materials from an old crystal glass dumpsite in Sweden

Abstract

Physico-chemical characteristics of waste, particularly fine fraction (FF), from an old crystal glass waste dump in Sweden were studied to assess recycling or disposal alternatives. Hand-sorting of the waste indicated glass content of 44.1% while sieving established the FF as a more soil-like mix of glass and other materials constituting 33.3% of all excavated waste. The FF was around neutral pH with 24.4% moisture content, low values of Total Dissolved Solids, Dissolved Organic Carbon and fluorides, but hazardous concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. While the FF leached metals in low concentrations at neutral pH, it leached considerably during digestion with nitric acid, implying leaching risks at low pH. Thus, the waste requires safe storage in hazardous waste class 'bank account' storage cells to avoid environmental contamination as metal recovery and other recycling strategies for the glass waste are being developed. The study could fill the information gap regarding preservation of potential resources in the ongoing , fast-paced excavation and relandfilling of heavy metal contaminated materials in the region.

Efficient and low-energy mechanochemical extraction of lead from dumped crystal glass waste

“…In Sweden, contaminated glass dumps are excavated and materials landfilled as a remediation measure. Unlike transferring the contamination problem (Pasalari et al 2019), remediation could incorporate recovery of the contaminants like Pb for use in batteries, radiation shielding and other protective coatings (Mutafela et al 2019;Yu et al 2016).…”

Sustainable extraction of hazardous metals from crystal glass waste using biodegradable chelating agents

“…Madesjö glass dump is a heap of glass waste from Orrefors Glass Factory that is located about 15 km away. The factory was active from 1898 to 2012 and produced crystal and other household glass [4].…”

“…Heavy metal pollution is a global challenge, as approximately half of the polluted sites globally are contaminated by heavy metals and metalloids [1,2]. These sites include closed and operational industrial sites, such as glassworks, where the use of toxic raw materials, like As, Cd, Pb and Sb, has resulted in hazardous emissions, effluents and other solid wastes [3,4]. In south-eastern Sweden, dumped factory waste is the main source of environmental exposure to these metal contaminants around old, non-operational glassworks [5,6].…”

“…From the sustainability perspective, glass waste decontamination with metal recovery could potentially reduce environmental and human health effects and their associated economic impact while providing secondary metals [4]. Only very few studies are documented for decontamination and metal recovery from the actual crystal glass [7].…”

The EU Training Network for Resource Recovery through Enhanced Landfill Mining—A Review

“…A post-NEW-MINE study on contaminants in landfills [56], despite using a misleading soil definition [57], added further information on this topic. Other publications [44,58] also addressed the observation that the fine fraction makes up the majority of the landfilled material, but used correct terminology. Further post-NEW-MINE studies on leachate characteristics [59] and composition of the fine fraction [60] added further information to these fields.…”