Heavy metals in recovered fines from construction and demolition debris recycling facilities in Florida.
A major product recovered from the processing and recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) debris is screened soil, also referred to as fines. A proposed reuse option for C&D debris fines is fill material, typically in construction projects as a substitute for natural soil. Waste material that is reused in a manner similar to soil must first be characterized to examine potential risks to human health and the environment. In Florida, samples of C&D debris fines from 13 C&D debris recycling facilities were characterized for 11 total and leachable heavy metal concentrations. Total metal concentration results (mg/kg) were compared to existing data on background Florida soil concentrations and to Florida's risk-based soil cleanup target levels (SCTLs). All of the detected metals were found to be elevated with respect to background. The 95% upper confidence level of arsenic from 99 samples was 3.2 mg/kg; arsenic presented the greatest limitation to reuse when compared to the SCTLs. Lead was not found to pose a major problem, likely because of the relatively new building infrastructure in Florida, which results in less demolition debris and less material impacted by lead-based paint. The results of batch leaching tests conducted using simulated rainwater (mg/l) were compared directly to risk-based groundwater levels for Florida and were found not to pose a risk using existing risk assessment policies.
Townsend
Timothy
T
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 116450 Gainesville, FL 32611-6450, USA. ttown@ufl.edu
Tolaymat
Thabet
T
Leo
Kevin
K
Jambeck
Jenna
J
D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005431:Florida; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D011634:Public Health; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001151:Arsenic