Evaluation of Heavy Metals Eluted from Fused Slag Caused by General Garbage

For human safety, we investigated how metals (aluminum, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese and tin) are leaked from fused slags by contact with acid rain and basic concrete effluent. We obtained 13 fused slags prepared from general garbage. Elution tests (6 hours interval in the room temperature) by using diluted nitric acid (instead of acid rain), water, and diluted potassium hydroxide (instead of basic concrete effluent) were performed. As a result, it has been understood that the elution rates are greatly different according to both the kinds of metal and slag. The influence of aluminum was especially large. The elution concentrations of aluminum from the slags were ppm-level in alkaline. On the other metals, the elution concentrations were lower than that of aluminum. The elution pattern also differed from aluminum, and it seemed to influence the character of the metals (dissolubility in alkaline and ability to be an oxyanion).