Analysis of Water Leachable Organic Components in Incineration Residues

Abstract
The composition of water leachable organics in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) residues is not well known. Therefore the utilisation of ashes is restricted due to the concern about their long-term environmental impact. Previous studies have focused on some highly toxic organic compounds present only in trace amounts. It is also important to know the composition of the bulk organic matter since dissolved organic carbon can alter the leachability of metals. In order to characterise water leachable organic matter in incineration residues a fractionation procedure using polymeric adsorbents was successfully developed and applied. The technique uses XAD-8 and XAD-4 resins in tandem and has been implemented on bottom ash samples from two incineration plants in Sweden in order to characterise the bulk organic matter.