skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Determination of the potential for release of mercury from combustion product amended soils: Part 2 - Coal fly ash generated stabilized soil and degradation products

Journal Article · · Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association
OSTI ID:21125954
; ; ;  [1]
  1. University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV (United States). Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

The potential for mercury (Hg) releases to the air and water from three soils, two subbituminous coal fly ashes, and mixtures of these materials as stabilized soil was assessed. In addition, the potential for Hg release from crushed stabilized material mixed into soil simulating degradation over time was investigated. In general, atmospheric Hg deposition was measured for the ash and materials made using the ash with the higher Hg concentration, whereas the second ash material and materials generated using this ash exhibited emission as the dominant flux. Fluxes measured from stabilized material were less than that measured for the pure ash material but of the same direction. Although the stabilized and degraded stabilized materials exhibited Hg fluxes that were significantly different from base soils, values were within the range reported for low Hg-containing background soils. Because of limitations of the experimental design (i.e., reduced light exposures and measurement of flux from dry materials) reported fluxes are most likely underestimates of that which would occur in the natural environment. Materials made to simulate degradation of the stabilized material did not exhibit higher releases than the stabilized material alone. Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP; EPA method 1312) results showed that the chemistry of a soil, especially pH, may influence the amount of Hg released to soil solutions, with more acidic soils potentially enhancing Hg release. 25 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.

OSTI ID:
21125954
Journal Information:
Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, Vol. 58, Issue 11; ISSN 1047-3289
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English