Abstract
The present work aims to provide a comprehensive review of the experimental studies focusing on municipal solid waste incineration fly-ash (FA) treatments that are required before the application of advanced processes aimed at their final reuse or safe disposal. The investigated pre-treatments are divided into three categories: (1) water washing/chemical leaching; (2) electrodialysis; and (3) thermal separation. Analysed aspects include: (1) process efficiency; (2) effect on FA physical–chemical characteristics; and (3) process applicability as a function of secondary FA treatment steps which are generally required for final disposal or reuse of the remediated waste. Investigations related to these elements allows a determination of the efficacy and the operational convenience of a specific pre-treatment to achieve a proper FA remediation level. A comparison of studies in the literature provides a thorough source and a useful basis for correctly addressing future experimental activities and research efforts. The discussion of the results provides the basis for the development of a suitable methodology to optimize the environmentally sustainable reuse or safer disposal of treated FA.
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Acknowledgements
Dr. Ferraro would like to thank the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) which provided financial support for 12 months post-doctoral grant in the framework of the research project entitled “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza”—CUP E65D18000820006.
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Ferraro, A., Farina, I., Race, M. et al. Pre-treatments of MSWI fly-ashes: a comprehensive review to determine optimal conditions for their reuse and/or environmentally sustainable disposal. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 18, 453–471 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-019-09504-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-019-09504-1