Phosphate and thermal stabilization of heavy metals in dredged sediments

Treatment and reuse of dredged harbor sediments in construction as an alternative to disposal reduces costs and conserves resources. This research focused on leachability of metal contaminants subsequent to phosphate addition and thermal treatment at 700 C. X- ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in combination with principal component analysis, target transformation, and linear combination revealed that in the untreated sediments Zn precipitated as the relatively soluble smithsonite (ZnCO_3) (67%) and adsorbed to hydrous iron oxides (15%) and hydrous manganese oxides (18%). Phosphate addition and calcination resulted in sparingly soluble phases, hopeite (Zn_3(PO_4)_2.4H_2O) (22%), and spinels, gahnite (ZnAl_2O_4) (44%) and franklinite (ZnFe_2O_4) (34%). Sequential extraction revealed similar shifts in metal forms from labile to recalcitrant residuals for Ni, Cu (spinels), Mn (crystalline oxides), Pb (phosphate mineral), Cd (alumino-silicate), and Co (adsorption to cryptomelane). The U.S. EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) confirmed both phosphate addition and calcination reduced leachability of metals with the combined treatment achieving up to an 89% reduction. In beneficial reuse, the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) revealed that impact to groundwater criteria can be achieved in the treated sediments but will be dependent on the applied dilution attenuation factor (DAF). This research demonstrates the importance of evaluating speciation alongside leaching behavior in developing accurate prediction and assessment of risks posed by waste materials.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering - (Ph.D.)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Year

2009

Author dc:creator

• Ndiba, Peter Kuria

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lisa Axe
• John R. Schuring
• Hsin Neng Hsieh

• Dredged sediments
• Thermal treatment
• X-ray absorption spectroscopy
• Sequential extraction
• Phosphate addition
• TCLP
• Environmental Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/dissertations/894

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.njit.edu:dissertations-1949