Maria Zołotajkin

Comparison of methods for leaching heavy metals from composts

This paper presents the determination of total iron, copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, lead, cadmium and mercury contents in the compost obtained from sorted municipal organic solid waste applying the following methods of sample mineralization: 40% hydrofluoric acid with preliminary incineration of a sample, a mixture of concentrated nitric(V) and chloric(VII) acids with preliminary incineration of organic matter and a mixture of nitric(V) and chloric(VII) acids without sample incineration. The speciation analysis of Tessier was used to estimate the bioavailability of the metals. Elution degrees of the mobile forms of the metals from the compost with 10% nitric(V) acid and 1 mol/dm(3) hydrochloric acid were compared. The contents of the elements in the eluates were determined applying atomic absorption spectrometry.

BORON REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER USING ADSORBENTS

In the present study, boron adsorption on activated alumina and activated carbon impregnated with calcium chloride, tartaric acid and mannitol was investigated. The adsorbate in question was the wastewater from the chemical landfill in Tarnowskie Gory of 25-70 mg l−1 boron content. The removal of boron from the above-described wastewater was examined in the static (batch) and dynamic (column) experiments. The static experiments were carried out to assess boron adsorption isotherms, based on which the most efficient adsorbent as well as the rough resin load was determined. On the basis of the dynamic experiment results, the boron adsorptive capacities of the examined resins were deduced. It was concluded that the use of the impregnants increased the ability of activated carbon to adsorb boron. Granulated activated carbon WG-12 impregnated with mannitol was found to be the most promising for the boron removal from wastewater of the Chemical Wastewater Plant in Tarnowskie Gory.

A new adsorbent for boron removal from aqueous solutions.

A new adsorbent based on natural clinoptilolite and amorphous zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) was prepared for the uptake of boron from fresh water. The sorption behaviour of this adsorbent for boron was investigated using a batch system and found to obey Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherm models. The ZrO2 loading level, pH, temperature, contact time, initial boron concentration and adsorbent dose, on the removal of boron were studied. It was found that the removal of boron increased while the adsorbent dose increased and the temperature decreased at an optimum pH (pH=8) and a contact time of 30 min. At optimum conditions, the maximum boron percentage removal was 75%. According to the D–R model, the maximum capacity was estimated to be>3 mg B/g of the adsorbent. The adsorption energy value (calculated as 9.13 kJ/mol) indicated that the adsorption of boron on clinoptilolite modified with ZrO2 was physical in nature. The parameters of the adsorption models and the pH investigations pointed to the possibility of a chemisorption process. The thermodynamic parameters (standard entropy Δ S°, enthalpy Δ H°, and free energy Δ G° changes) of boron adsorption were also calculated. The negative value of Δ S° indicated a decreased randomness at the solid–solution interface during the boron adsorption. Negative values of Δ H° showed the exothermic nature of the process. The negative values of Δ G° implied that the adsorption of boron on clinoptilolite modified with amorphous ZrO2 at 25°C was spontaneous. It was considered that boron dissolved in water had been adsorbed both physically and chemically on clinoptilolite modified with 30% ZrO2.

Changes of chemical forms of zinc and zinc sulfide during the composting process of municipal solid waste

Changes of chemical forms of metallic zinc and zinc sulfide during the composting process ofmunicipal solid waste in oxygen conditions have been determined. Speciation of zinc was carriedout by means of sequential extraction. It has been found that contamination of the waste with Znis dangerous to the environment because zinc accumulates in bioavailable forms - organicallybound and carbonate. Zinc sulfide remains mainly in a less mobile sulfide form. The compostingprocess increases the mobility of zinc insignificantly.

Comparison of the Chemical Properties of Forest Soil from the Silesian Beskid, Poland

There is spruce forests degradation observed in the Silesian Beskid. The aim of the work was the assessment of parameters diversifying organic layers of soils in two forest areas: degraded and healthy spruce forests of Silesian Beskid. 23 soil samples were collected from two fields—14 soil samples from a degraded forest and 9 soil samples from a forest, where pandemic dying of spruce is not observed. Implementation of hierarchical clustering to experimental data analysis allowed drawing a conclusion that the two forest areas vary significantly in terms of content of aluminium extracted with solutions of barium chloride ( ), sodium diphosphate ( ), and and in the amount of humus in soil.

Assessment of aluminum bioavailability in alum sludge for agricultural utilization

Inorganic aluminum ions, [Al(H2O)6]3+, [Al(OH)(H2O)5]2+, and [Al(OH)2(H2O)4]+, are toxic to a number of crops. The aim of this study was to estimate the danger of soil contamination of bioavailable aluminum and heavy metals forms because of alum sludge which was a by-product of water, and wastewater treatment technology using aluminum coagulant is introduced into the soil. Aluminum and selected heavy metal fractionation was carried out in the post-coagulation sludge collected at a water treatment plant (where aluminum was used as a coagulant), fermented sewage sludge at a municipal wastewater treatment plant (which did not apply aluminum coagulant), and soil from water treatment plant as well as the mixtures of sludge and soil. It has been found that post-coagulation sludge used as natural fertilizer is a secondary source of bioavailable aluminum, especially when aluminum coagulants are used during water and wastewater treatment. The evaluation of applicability of the sludge to very weak acidic and acidic agricultural soils was carried out. The authors shall debate the question whether, in this case, the Regulation of EU and Polish Government on sewage sludge should also take the bioavailable aluminum into account and add to the list of the elements whose allowable contents are limited.