Sequential extraction of inorganic mercury in dumped blast furnace sludge.

Blast furnace sludge (BFS) is an industrial waste with elevated mercury (Hg) contents due to the enrichment during the production process of pig iron. To investigate the potential pollution status of dumped BFS, 14 samples with total Hg contents ranging from 3.91 to 20.8 mg kg(-1) from five different locations in Europe were sequentially extracted. Extracts used included demineralized water (fraction 1, F1), 0.1 mol L(-1) CH3COOH + 0.01 mol L(-1) HCl (F2), 1 mol L(-1) KOH (F3), 7.9 mol L(-1) HNO3 (F4), and aqua regia (F5). The total recovery ranged from 72.3 to 114 %, indicating that the procedure was reliable when adapted to this industrial waste. Mercury mainly resided in the fraction of "elemental" Hg (48.5-98.8 %) rather being present as slightly soluble Hg species associated with sludge particles. Minor amounts were found as mercuric sulfide (F5; 0.725-37.3 %) and Hg in crystalline metal ores and silicates (F6; 2.21-15.1 %). The ecotoxically relevant fractions (F1 and F2) were not of significance (F1, <limit of quality; F2, 0.509-9.61 %, n = 5). Thus, BFS dumped for many years has a rather low environmental risk potential regarding Hg.