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

Abstract

Extraction of hazardous metals from dumped crystal glass waste was investigated for site decontamination and resource recovery. Mechanically activated glass waste was leached with biodegradable chelating agents of ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), where the concentration and reaction time were determined by using Box–Wilson experimental design. Hazardous metals of lead (Pb), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) and cadmium (Cd) with concentrations higher than regulatory limits were extracted wherein the extraction yield was found to vary Pb > Sb > As > Cd. Extraction was influenced more by type and concentration of chelator rather than by reaction time. A maximum of 64% of Pb could be extracted by EDDS while 42% using NTA. It is found that increase of chelator concentrations from 0.05 M to 1 M did not show improved metal extraction and the extraction improved with reaction time until 13 h. This study provides sustainable alternative for treating hazardous glass waste by mechanical activation followed by extraction using biodegradable chelator, instead of acid leaching. Graphical abstract

Carboxylic ligands to enhance material recovery from construction waste to produce CaCO3 for carbon utilization

“…[22][23][24] Carboxylic acids and carboxyl derivatives can also be utilized during dissolution to recover valuable metals, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA), oxalic acid, citric acid, malic acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA). [25][26][27] In certain cases, these organic species are preferable to their inorganic counterparts (e.g., cyanide, ammonia), due to their reduced toxicities. Carboxyl species are also utilized during other hydrometallurgical processes, such as flotation, solvent extraction, and precipitation.…”