Title: Evaluating the concentrations of partitioned heavy metals in fly ash from a medium-sized (32 MW) municipal district heating plant with respect to the new Finnish limit values

Authors: Risto Poykio, Hannu Nurmesniemi, Riitta Liisa Keiski

Addresses: City of Kemi, The Town Planning and Building Committee, The Environmental Research Division, Valtakatu 26, FI-94100, Kemi, Finland. ' Stora Enso Oyj, Veitsiluoto Mill, FI-94800 Kemi, Finland. ' Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Oulu, Mass and Heat Transfer Process Laboratory, P.O. Box 4300, FI-90014, Finland

Abstract: The total heavy metal concentrations in the fly ash were clearly lower than the Finnish limit values for forestry fertilisers, and for material used as an earth construction agent, which came into force in March 2007 and in June 2006, respectively. The relatively low heavy metal concentrations, the alkaline pH (12.5) and the elevated Ca concentration (139.5 g kg⁻¹; d.w.) indicate that the fly ash originating from the medium-sized (32 MW) municipal district heating plant of Kemin Energia Oy at Kemi, Northern Finland, is a potential agent for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility.

Keywords: extraction; fly ash; wood; peat; fertiliser; construction; earthwork; heavy metals; municipal district heating; Finland; soil remediation; soil fertility; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2008.021864

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2008 Vol.2 No.6, pp.610 - 624

Published online: 06 Dec 2008 *

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