Initial study on phytoextraction for recovery of metals from sorted and aged waste‐to‐energy bottom ash
Journal article, 2021

Sorted and aged bottom ash from Waste‐to‐Energy plants, i.e., MIBA (the Mineral fraction of Incinerator Bottom Ash) are potential source of metals that could be utilized to meet the increased demand from society. In this work, sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) were cultivated in conventional MIBA to evaluate the possibility for phytoextraction, mainly of Zn, during the period of one cultivation season in the Nordic climate. The results show that metal extraction from MIBA using rapeseed and sunflowers is workable but that neither of the used plants is optimal, mainly due to the inhibited root development and low water‐ and nutrient‐holding capacities of MIBA. The addition of fertilizer is also important for growth. There was a simultaneous accumulation of numerous metals in both plant types, and the highest metal content was generally found in the roots. Calculations indicated that the ash from rapeseed root incineration contained about 2% Zn, and the contents of Co, Cu, and Pb were comparable to those in workable ores. This initial study shows that cultivation in and phytoextraction on MIBA is possible, and that the potential for increased metal extraction is high.

Phytoextraction

Rapeseed

MIBA

WtE bottom ash

Zinc recovery

Sunflower

Author

Karin Karlfeldt Fedje

Renova

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Water Environment Technology

Viktoria Edvardsson

Renova

David Dalek

Renova

Soil Systems

25718789 (eISSN)

Vol. 5 3 53

Subject Categories

Agricultural Science

Bioenergy

Horticulture

DOI

10.3390/soilsystems5030053

More information

Latest update

9/16/2021