Integrated management of ash from industrial and domestic combustion : a new sustainable approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy conversion

This work supports, for the first time, the integrated management of waste materials arising from industrial processes (fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration and coal fly ash), agriculture (rice husk ash), and domestic activities (ash from wood biomass burning in domestic stoves). The main novelty of the paper is the reuse of wood pellet ash, an underestimated environmental problem, by the application of a new technology (COSMOS-RICE) that already involves the reuse of fly ashes from industrial and agricultural origins. The reaction mechanism involves carbonation: this occurs at room temperature and promotes permanent carbon dioxide sequestration. The obtained samples were characterized using XRD and TGA (coupled with mass spectroscopy). This allowed quantification of the mass loss attributed to different calcium carbonate phases. In particular, samples stabilized using wood pellet ash show a weight loss, attributed to the decomposition of carbonates greater than 20%. In view of these results, it is possible to conclude that there are several environmental benefits from wood pellet ash reuse in this way. In particular, using this technology, it is shown that for wood pellet biomass the carbon dioxide conversion can be considered negative

Multi-element analysis of vegetal foodstuff by means of low power total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry

In this work, an analytical methodology in combination with a low power benchtop total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) system has been developed for multi-elemental analysis of vegetal materials. An easy and rapid sample preparation consisting in suspending 20 mg of sample in de-ionized water showed to be the most suitable for this kind of samples. However, for comparison purposes, two digestion procedures were also applied. A set of fifteen certified reference materials and three real vegetal samples were employed for the quantitative determination of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Pb, As and Sn. All the parameters affecting sample preparation and TXRF measurements conditions were carefully evaluated. Accurate and precise results were obtained for mid-high Z elements (Mn-Sr) using internal standardization as quantification approach, while for light Z elements (K and Ca), due to absorption effects, an improvement of analytical results by external calibration was necessary

Analytical performance of benchtop total reflection X-ray fluorescence instrumentation for multielemental analysis of wine samples

Recent technological improvements have led to a widespread adoption of benchtop total reflection X-ray fluorescence systems (TXRF) for analysis of liquid samples. However, benchtop TXRF systems usually present limited sensitivity compared with high-scale instrumentation which can restrict its application in some fields. The aim of the present work was to evaluate and compare the analytical capabilities of two TXRF systems, equipped with low power Mo and W target X-ray tubes, for multielemental analysis of wine samples. Using the Mo-TXRF system, the detection limits for most elements were one order of magnitude lower than those attained using the W-TXRF system. For the detection of high Z elements like Cd and Ag, however, W-TXRF remains a very good option due to the possibility of K-Lines detection. Accuracy and precision of the obtained results have been evaluated analyzing spiked real wine samples and comparing the TXRF results with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). In general, good agreement was obtained between ICP-OES and TXRF results for the analysis of both red and white wine samples except for light elements (i.e., K) which TXRF concentrations were underestimated. However, a further achievement of analytical quality of TXRF results can be achieved if wine analysis is performed after dilution of the sample with de-ionized water. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Poultry litter ash characterisation and recovery

Guedes, Alexandra/0000-0001-6397-3713; Valentim, Bruno/0000-0002-1463-9126; Bilo, Fabjola/0000-0001-7362-3258; FAHIMI, Ario/0000-0002-0974-313XWOS: 000540072300002PubMed: 32464522[No abstract available]Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection)This research was funded under the scope of the ERA-MIN2 Joint Call (2017) "Design of a product for substitution of phosphate rocks - DEASPHOR" and the project "Energy recovery of waste sludges and their re-use as an alternative to some natural resources, for the production of "Green" composites - RENDERING", financed by the Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection)

Plants from Urban Parks as Valuable Cosmetic Ingredients: Green Extraction, Chemical Composition and Activity

The research on the possibilities of using biowaste from urban green areas is scarce. In this work, four plants, widely distributed in urban parks in Central Europe (Lotus corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Knautia arvensis and Plantago major) were extracted using eco-friendly solvents based either on aqueous cyclodextrin solutions (hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin or γ-cyclodextrin) or natural deep eutectic solvents based on glycerol, betaine and glucose. Metal content was determined using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). The content of selected metabolites was determined using UV-VIS spectrophotometric methods and HPLC. Skin-related bioactivity was assessed using tyrosinase and elastase inhibition assays. The selected plants contained metals beneficial for skin health, such as zinc and calcium, while having a low content of toxic heavy metals. The extracts contained the bioactive phenolics such as quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin and apigenin. L. corniculatus was the most potent tyrosinase inhibitor, while K. arvensis showed the most pronounced elastase inhibitory activity. The employed solvents actively contributed to the observed bioactivity. The results indicate that the biowaste obtained from urban parks represents an ecologically acceptable alternative to conventional cultivation for the preparation of ecologically acceptable, high-value cosmetic products

Chemical Stabilization of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash without Any Commercial Chemicals: First Pilot-Plant Scaling Up

For the first time in Europe, results of chemical stabilization of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash, realized as a pilot plant, are reported. The stabilization technology is based on the use of only waste and byproduct materials (such as coal fly ash, flue gas desulfurization residues, and rice husk ash). In the frame of the COSMOS-RICE project, a pilot plant was built in Italy, with a capacity of more than 0.5 tons of MSWI fly ash/day. The stability of the material obtained was investigated by the evaluation of the pH dependency of the leaching of metals, 6 months after the treatment. The pH dependence of heavy metal solubility was described in terms of unified leaching curves, comparing first-time leaching data of MSWI fly ash from different geographical locations (Italy, Portugal, Denmark, and China), using a polynomial function. Results confirmed that COSMOS-RICE technology can be a promising path for obtaining a stabilized product with likely practical applications, avoiding costly and unsustainable landfilling

Evaluation of different quantification modes for a simple and reliable determination of Pb, Zn and Cd in soil suspensions by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

In view of the large number of soil analyses in environmental studies dealing with metal contamination, the use of simple, fast, sustainable and cost-effective methodologies is desired. In this sense, the role of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) has to be highlighted due to the possibility of direct analysis of solid suspensions without the need for a digestion process. Internal standardization is successfully used as a quantification approach in multielement TXRF analysis of liquid samples, including soil digests. However, its application for the analysis of soil suspensions is not always possible. In the present manuscript we found that although acceptable results were obtained for TXRF quantification by internal standardization when considering soil certified reference materials (recoveries: 80–120%), a systematic underestimation of the concentration values was found when using the same approach for real soil sample analysis (recoveries <70%). In view of these problems, we explored the possibilities of different quantification approaches, including external calibration, which can be used in combination with soil suspension preparation and TXRF analysis to obtain reliable results for metal determination in soils. Data obtained showed that the best strategy was the use of internal standardization with correction of the TXRF results using a calibration curve obtained in the analysis of a set of soil samples with a matrix similar to the unknown ones by using a reference technique (digestion and ICP-OES analysis). With this analytical approach quantitative results were obtained for all the studied metals with recovery values around 95%. As a study case, the proposed TXRF method has been applied for the specific determination of Pb, Zn and Cd concentrations in soils from an abandoned metal mining area but the developed methodology could be extended to other environmental studies dealing with the determination of other metals and soil types. Taking into account the selectivity and sensitivity limitations when determining high Z elements such as Cd using TXRF systems equipped with Mo X-ray tubes, we compare the analytical performance of TXRF systems with different sources (Mo and W) as well