Feasibility study of the use of basic oxygen furnace sludge in a permeable reactive barrier

Paulo R Frade; Luiza Notini; Sara V Santos; Regina F P M Moreira; Mônica M D Leão; Camila C Amorim

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.02.035

Feasibility study of the use of basic oxygen furnace sludge in a permeable reactive barrier

J Hazard Mater. 2018 Jun 5:351:188-195. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.02.035. Epub 2018 Feb 18.

Authors

Paulo R Frade¹, Luiza Notini², Sara V Santos², Regina F P M Moreira³, Mônica M D Leão², Camila C Amorim⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Centro Universitário de Formiga (UNIFOR-MG), Formiga, Minas Gerais, 35570-000, Brazil.
² Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-970, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil. Electronic address: camila@desa.ufmg.br.

PMID: 29544182
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.02.035

Abstract

In this study, the steel manufacturing waste Basic Oxygen Furnace Sludge (BOFS) was tested as permeable reactive material for the remediation of soil contaminated with chromium. The material presents a high content of elemental iron and iron oxides typical of the steel manufacturing process. Here we propose a scheme of the chemical reactions responsible for remediation process including BOFS dissolution, Cr(VI) reduction and Cr(III) precipitation. Batch reactors showed that Cr(VI) removal increases as the pH decreases. Column tests demonstrated that the simulated PRB with BOFS as the reactive media was quite effective for removing Cr(VI) from groundwater, with a sorption capability of 0.213 mg Cr per gram of BOFS at an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 50 mg L^-1 at pH 5.5. A long-term test lasting 71 days confirmed the proposed mechanisms and the suitability of using BOFS in a permeable reactive barrier.

Keywords: Chromium removal; Contaminated groundwater; Passive treatment system; Steel waste.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't