Characterization and Disposal of Ashes from Biomedical Waste Incinerator

Incineration happens to be the most commonly practiced method of disposal of biomedical wastes (BMWs) in India. This method has some important advantages such as pathogen destruction and volume reduction. The ashes generated are sent to engineered hazardous wastes’ landfills. There are many issues of concern of ash disposal due to the potential for dislocation of pollution through the presence of heavy metals, inorganics and other refractory substances. The bottom ash samples characterized in this study were collected from a biomedical wastes’ incinerator having a capacity of 50 kg BMW/h. The particle size distribution, morphology, mineralogy and chemical composition were determined using analytical techniques like ICP-AES, XRD and SEM. The analysis by ICP-AES and SEM indicated the presence of heavy metals such as Fe, Pb, As, Cr in all the samples. The presence of chlorine was also detected which indicated the prevalence of burning of polyvinylchloride compounds in the incinerator. Bottom ash was enriched in Mg, Zn, Al, Ca and Ti. Powder-XRD data showed bottom ash to be an amorphous mass. Some rare earth elements were also detected. A set of alternate solutions for keeping ash out of hazardous waste landfills and sustainable management methods are also discussed.