Mass-balance estimation of heavy metals and selected anions at a landfill receiving MSWI bottom ash and mixed construction wastes

An estimation of the heavy metal and anion mass-balance was made for municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash deposited at a construction and industrial waste landfill. The mass-balance was found by comparing the content of metals and anions in the landfill leachate to the metal and anion content in the deposited bottom ash. The discharge of heavy metals ranged from 0.001% for Pb to 0.55% for Cr, which is approximately at the same level as in regular municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Landfilled organic material and silicates from construction waste might have contributed to the retention of metals. Chloride, and to a lesser extent sulphate, appeared to be readily released from the landfill. It was estimated that a mass corresponding to 80% of the Cl− and 18% of the SO42− in the bottom ash was discharged annually. Low retention, especially of chloride, may lead to a rapid decline in the discharge of this ion in the future when the landfilling of bottom ash is discontinued.