CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILIZATION OF WASTE DUSTS FROM SHREDDED AUTOMOBILES INDUSTRIES

Until recently, disposal to landfill has been the most convenient way to deal with the increasing amount of residues the shredding industries produce. But the shortage of such disposal sites and the risk that liquid drained from these waste dusts may pollute ground water have increased the environmental pressures to find more effective solutions. The present study is an alternative approach that suggests identifying waste dusts characteristics and selecting an appropriate binder for hazardous materials to reduce the amount of contaminants (mainly lead) that were leaking into the soil. Investigations on the characteristics of automobiles waste dusts show that these materials are composed mainly of cottons and sponge like substances, plastics, rubber, glasses and gravel, metals, and electric wires. Besides, the percentage in weight of organic (inflammable) materials is about 70% and the lead contamination, which has not a ionic but a particulate nature, is particularly remarkable in cottons and sponge like materials. Binding additives such as K-20 and sodium carbonate were not effective but the addition of 5 % of cement (in weight of the investigated sample) followed by a 3-minute stirring and a 4-hour storage could drastically reduce the run off of lead below the maximum authorized level. No addition of water was necessary in this method.