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Assessment of hazardous property HP 14 using ecotoxicological tests: a case study of weathered coal fly ash

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Abstract

The classification of wastes regarding hazardous property HP 14 (ecotoxicity) is essential for proper waste management. In the EU, HP 14 has been estimated based on waste chemical composition rather than using biotests, and guidelines for experimental assessment are still lacking. This study aims at evaluating the potential ecotoxicological impacts of weathered coal fly ash (CFA) from a landfill, as a case study to assess the current EU methodology used to classify wastes regarding HP 14. A large amount of CFA is still landfilled, but its valorisation would be of interest. The analysis was based on the chemical composition of CFA (in ClassifyMyWaste software), and on a battery of five biotests applied to eluates, with Lepidium sativum, Aliivibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Lemna minor and Daphnia magna. Through chemical analysis, most of the simulations with data from the literature indicated “Possible Hazard”, including the sample of this work. Biotests revealed low impairment for most endpoints. D. magna was the most sensitive organism, but the inhibitory effect was significantly reduced after pH adjustment of the eluate. The test with A. fischeri does not seem to be adequate to assess CFA due to the high variability observed in results. The methodology involving a simple battery of bioassays was proven to be enlightening, providing relevant results for HP 14 assessment. The chosen battery of biotests (excluding the A. fischeri test) may be a good starting point to represent the aquatic environment in this context. In short, it seems that weathered CFA can be considered non-hazardous, and therefore the material under analysis could be valorised in practical applications without significant ecotoxic effect on the environment.

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Funding

B.S. Bandarra is a recipient of an individual research grant by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with the reference SFRH/BD/147920/2019. L.A. Gomes acknowledges Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Brasília—IFB, Campus Ceilândia, for authorizing his PhD studies. Thanks are due for the financial support to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2019) by FCT/MEC through national funds and FEDER, within PT2020 and Compete 2020. J.L. Pereira is funded by national funds (OE) through FCT (art. 23 in DL 57/2016, changed by Law 57/2017). This work was developed under the project “Dry2Value - Estudo e desenvolvimento de um sistema de secagem para valorização de lamas”. Project consortium with HRV e BioSmart—Soluções Ambientais, POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033662, funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II – Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790, Coimbra, Portugal

    Beatriz S. Bandarra, Luciano A. Gomes, Rui C. Martins & Margarida J. Quina

  2. IFB - Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Brasília – IFB, Campus Ceilandia, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil

    Luciano A. Gomes

  3. Department of Biology, CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Joana L. Pereira & Fernando J.M. Gonçalves

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  1. Beatriz S. Bandarra
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  2. Luciano A. Gomes
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  3. Joana L. Pereira
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  4. Fernando J.M. Gonçalves
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  5. Rui C. Martins
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  6. Margarida J. Quina
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Correspondence to Margarida J. Quina.

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Bandarra, B.S., Gomes, L.A., Pereira, J.L. et al. Assessment of hazardous property HP 14 using ecotoxicological tests: a case study of weathered coal fly ash. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 20972–20983 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08515-8

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