State-of-the-art treatment processes for municipal solid waste incineration residues in Japan

Abstract

Solid residues from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) can be categorized as air pollution control residues (AR) and bottom ash (BA). Both categories pose a particular environmental threat on account of the risk of the release of dioxins and metals. In Japan, handling of MSWI residues is of major concern and the treatment of AR prior to landfilling is stipulated. Accepted treatment techniques are melting, cementitious S/S (stabilization and solidification), stabilization with a chemical agent and acid extraction. These methods are reviewed and evaluated in this paper with respect to: quality; quantity and utilization of end products; treatment costs; energy demand and process reliability. Thermal processes are superior regarding dioxin removal as well as material recovery and reuse, but treatment costs can be as high as 60 000 ¥ t^-1, i.e. one order of magnitude higher than for other processes. Cementitious S/S and chemical stabilization are characterized by the ease of operation, but the solid waste mass is increased by up to 40 and 10 wt.-%, respectively. Acid extraction is a proven and reliable technique and is inexpensive: nevertheless, it has the smallest share of the market.