Remediation of polluted soils by utilizing hydrothermally treated calcareous fly ashes

This paper investigates a treated fly ash to act as a synthetic zeolite to remediate soils polluted with heavy metals and metalloids (As, Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd and Mn). Four types of such ‘zeolites’ were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of a calcareous fly ash derived from Greek lignite-fired power plants: two with excess of sodium hydroxide in a solid/liquid ratio of 50 g·L−1, and two with excess of fly ash in a solid/liquid ratio of 100g·L−1. Soil samples were obtained from a former mining site at Lavrion, Greece. Mobilization and transfer of metals to the retention agents was effected by using HCl aq 1M, with satisfactory results with respect to As, Pb, Cu, Mn and Cd. The great variety of metal complexes in soil was found to be of major importance for the effectiveness of the overall process. The final products were solidified either on their own, or by using additives such as lime and cement.