Influence of mixture ratio and pH to solidification/stabilization process of hospital solid waste incineration ash in Portland cement.

Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is an established utilization technology to treat hazardous wastes. This research explored the influence of pH (3-12) on the immobilization of heavy metals present in five mixtures of hospital solid waste incinerator ash and Portland cement, following two different processes of waste solidification/stabilization (cement hydration and granulation). In general, cement hydration process resulted in more stable products than granulation process. A high ash content in the mixture with Portland cement (60wt%) resulted in the highest immobilization of Pb(2+) and Cu(2+), while a low ash content in the mixture (10wt%) resulted in the lowest leachability of Zn(2+). When ash and Portland cement was mixed in equal proportions (50wt%) the highest encapsulation was observed for Ni(2+), Cd(2+) and Cr(3+). Neutral and weak alkaline pH values within the range pH=7-8 resulted in the lowest leachability of the monitored heavy metals.