Radiometrical and physico-chemical characterisation of contaminated glass waste from a glass dump in Sweden

• Around former glass factories in south eastern Sweden, there are dozens of dumps whose radioactivity and physico-chemical properties were not investigated previously. Thus, radiometric and physico-chemical characteristics of waste at Madesjö glass dump were studied to evaluate pre-recycling storage requirements and potential radiological and environmental risks. The material was sieved, hand-sorted, leached and scanned with X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). External dose rates and activity concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials from 238U, 232Th series and 40K were also measured coupled with a radiological risk assessment. Results showed that the waste was 95% glass and dominated by fine fractions (<11.3 mm) at 43.6%. The fine fraction had pH 7.8, 2.6% moisture content, 123 mg kg−1 Total Dissolved Solids, 37.2 mg kg−1 Dissolved Organic Carbon and 10.5 mg kg−1 fluorides. Compared with Swedish EPA guidelines, the elements As, Cd, Pb and Zn were in hazardous concentrations while Pb leached more than the limits for inert and non-hazardous wastes. With 40K activity concentration up to 3000 Bq kg−1, enhanced external dose rates of 40K were established (0.20 μSv h−1) although no radiological risk was found since both External Hazard Index (Hex) and Gamma Index (Iγ) were <1. The glass dump needs remediation and storage of the waste materials under a safe hazardous waste class ‘Bank Account’ storage cell as a secondary resource for potential future recycling. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Dose rates

Fine fraction

Glass waste

NORM

Physico-chemical characterisation

Risk assessment

Environmental Protection Agency

Fluorine compounds

Glass

Hazardous materials

Hazards

Leaching

Organic carbon

Radioactive materials

Recycling

Storage (materials)

Dose rate

Glass wastes

Physico-chemicals

Pollution

arsenic

cadmium

dissolved organic matter

fluoride

lead

potassium 40

radioactive material

thorium 232

uranium 238

zinc

zinc ion

concentration (composition)

dose-response relationship

environmental risk

fractionation

hazardous waste

industrial emission

physicochemical property

radiometric survey

waste disposal

Article

environmental radioactivity

glass industry

moisture

particle size

pH

physicochemical model

radiation dose

radioactive waste

radioactivity

radiometry

Sweden

X ray fluorescence

Glass waste

Environmental technology

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