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Chemical Characterization of Synthetic Soil from Composting Coal Combustion and Pharmaceutical By‐Products
Author(s) -
Guest Christopher A.,
Johnston Cliff T.,
King James J.,
Alleman James E.,
Tishmack Jody K.,
Norton L. Darrell
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2001.301246x
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , nutrient , chemistry , population , soil water , organic matter , leaching (pedology) , sewage sludge , combustion , municipal solid waste , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , waste management , sewage , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , soil science , demography , sociology , engineering
Land application of coal combustion by‐products (CCBs) mixed with solid organic wastes (SOWs), such as municipal sewage sludge, has become increasingly popular as a means of productively using what were once considered waste products. Although bulk chemical and physical properties of several of these CCB–SOW materials have been reported, detailed information about their synthesis and mineralogy of the CCB–SOW materials has not been reported. In this paper, chemical and mineralogical properties of a soil‐like material obtained from composting a mixture of CCBs with a pharmaceutical fermentation by‐product (FB) were investigated at the laboratory and field scale. All starting materials and products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and elemental analyses. The results showed that the FB was strongly bound to the CCBs and could not be removed by washing. Within 2 wk of the start of a composting study, there was a rapid drop in pH from 12 to 8, an increase in temperature to 70°C, and a reduction in the dissolved oxygen content, attributed to the rapid establishment of a highly active microbial population. Composting produced a soil‐like material with high levels of plant nutrients, a high nutrient retention capacity, and metal contents similar to median levels of those metals reported for soils. The levels of boron and soluble salts are such that sensitive plants may initially show toxicity symptoms. However, with adequate rainfall, leaching should rapidly remove most of the B and soluble salts. With care, the material produced is safe for use as a synthetic topsoil.