Open Access

The reliable characterization of subsurface contamination of spatially extended contaminated sites is a challenging task, especially with an unknown history of land use. Conventional technologies often fail due to temporal and financial constraints and thus hinder the redevelopment of abandoned areas in particular. Here we compare two site screening techniques that can be applied quickly at relatively low cost, namely Direct Push (DP)-based groundwater sampling and tree core sampling. The effectiveness of both methods is compared for a rural megasite contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Unexpected pollution hot spots could be identified using both of these methods, while tree coring even enabled the delineation of the contaminant plume flowing into an adjacent wetland inaccessible for DP units. Both methods showed a good agreement in revealing the spatial pattern of the contamination. The correlation between groundwater concentrations and equivalent concentrations in wood was linear and highly significant for trichloroethene. Correlation was less obvious for its metabolite cis-dichloroethene, but still significant. As outcome of our study we recommend tree coring and for initial screening in combination with a DP sampling to retrieve quantitative data on groundwater pollutants in order to assess the contamination situation of a non- or only partly investigated site. The subsequent placement of monitoring wells for long-term monitoring of contamination levels is recommended. A combination of methods would achieve more relevant information at comparable or possibly even lower efforts in comparison to a conventional site investigation.

Bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) consists of elemental metals in considerable amounts. The exergy of bottom ash was calculated to be some 100 kJ/mol, mainly as a result of the presence of elemental Fe and Al. From this it can be shown that the recovery of elemental metals Cu, Al and Fe is beneficial. The fine fraction <4 mm additionally contains chemically bound metals (oxides, carbonates, silicates). Separation prospects with techniques as in ore processing (flotation, density separation, bioleaching, hydrothermal solution) are discussed. Although the concentration of Cu compounds in bottom ash is in the range of today’s exploited ores the economic viability of the recovery of metal compounds is uncertain. For sufficient enrichment different concerted treatment steps are required.

The fine fraction of bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration is characterized of both a high pollution and relevant resource potential. Methods for studying the environmental behaviour of solid residues are leaching tests. Various leaching test are adopted all over Europe with liquid to solid ratio of 2 or 10 l/kg. In Germany three different leaching Tests are valid with the commencement of the draft of the ordinance of reuse of mineral waste as alternative building ordinance. Comparing two batch tests, only the concentration for chloride is comparable. To evaluate the metal resource potential in the sand fraction wet chemical Methods have been applied. Methodical problems were caused mainly by the material heterogeneity and especially for precious metals due to their low concentration around 1 mg/kg. Other Methods have been available, but hardly applicable.

Die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) mit ihrem Fachbereich 4.3 Schadstofftransfer und Umwelttechnologien hat für das Verbundvorhaben „ATR - Aufschluss, Trennung und Rückgewinnung von ressourcenrelevanten Metallen aus Rückständen thermischer Prozesse mit innovativen Verfahren“ die Gesamtkoordination übernommen. Bei insgesamt neun Projektpartnern fiel folgerichtig ein nicht unwesentlicher Aufwand für Verwaltungsaufgaben an. Insbesondere die Verzögerungen bei dem Bau der großtechnischen Anlagen im Teilprojekt B (ausführlich erläutert im Bericht für das Gesamtvorhaben) resultierten in einer Vielzahl von Folgeaufgaben. Wissenschaftlich verfahrenstechnisches Ziel des Teilprojektes A bei der BAM war die Rückgewinnung von Metallen und metallischer Verbindungen aus speziellen, bereits teilaufbereiteten Fraktionen von Aschen aus der Hausmüllverbrennung (HMVA). Ausgangsmaterial sollten Fraktionen sein, die im Rahmen des Projektes vom Projektpartner TARTECH eco industries AG bereitgestellt werden sollten. Eigens und im Rahmen des Projektes entwickelte Hochgeschwindigkeits-Rotations- Beschleuniger sollten die mineralischen Oberflächenverkrustungen abschlagen, die einzelnen Bestandteile trennen und so eine effizientere Sortierung mit Anschlussverfahren ermöglichen. Die Verfahren, die bei der BAM dafür zum Einsatz kamen, waren im Wesentlichen Flotation und Dichtesortierung mittels eines Zentrifugalsortierers. Der Fokus der Untersuchungen lag dabei auf der Rückgewinnung bzw. Anreicherung von Kupfer und Kupferverbindungen.

Direct and indirect effects (DIERec) of the recovery of secondary resources are in the range of 500 million tons per year in Germany; energy savings are 1.4 million TJ. These savings are between 10 and 20% of the total. The effects of materials recovery exceed those of energy recovery by far except for secondary plastic material, where DIERec from energy recovery is higher by factor of 2.7. Untapped potential for the recovery of secondary resources exists in the fine fraction of bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration, mainly Cu and precious metals, and in urban mining.