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Third-party-funded project

Title:
Experiments and modelling on the influence of root-induced acidifications on the mobilisation of heavy-metals in municipal waste incinerator ash

Project management at the University of Würzburg:

• Prof. Dr. Hartmut Gimmler ,Tel: 0931 888 6114/6113,Fax: 0931 888 6158,Mail: gimmler@botanik.uni-wuerzburg.de

Participating scientists:

• Dr. Markus Woitke ,Tel: 0931 888 6132/6113,Fax: 0931 888 6158,Mail: woitke@botanik.uni-wuerzburg.de
• Dr. Adi Heindl , FES Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum Sondermüll, Abteilung Deponieverhalten, Postfach 1469, D-91126 Schwabach,Tel: 09122 6313-32,Mail: Adi.Heindl@fes-schwabach.de
• Dr. Beate Gade , (bis einschließlich 2000), FES Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum Sondermüll, Abteilung Deponieverhalten, Postfach 1469, D-91126 Schwabach

Abstract:
The work is addressed to the already existing wide use of incinerator ashes as building substrates. Characteristics of the ashes are high contents of heavy metals, high alkalinity and poor nutrient contents. The originally high alkalinity of the substrate is responsible for the immobility of heavy metals and very low leaching by water running through. Nevertheless under natural conditions (rainfall, CO2-diffusion into the substrate and subsequently carbonisation) pH is declining. Although an increase in heavy metal mobilisation is expected by geochemical models over time, it is assumed that will be the case in centuries or millennia soonest. Are these periods of time still realistic, if colonization of slag substrates by plants happens (worst case study), because plants naturally cause acidification of their growing substrate? In this context, we research on spontaneous succession by plants on incinerator ash on a slag landfill (in between 12 years of vegetation succession), the mobilization of heavy metals by these plants (through uptake into the plants and the release of inorganic and organic acids in the substrate) and the process of ageing of incinerator ash under field conditions as well as in lab-experiments. Finally the results should accomplish existing geochemical models about the mobilization of heavy metals by its expansion to an important, possibly influential biotic component.

Key words:
    MVA-ash
    heavy metals
    mobilisation
    geochemical model
    buffer capacity

Projekt period: from 01.2000 to 12.2002

Funding institution:
Landeshaushalt sonstige Ministerien ( Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landesentwicklung und Umweltfragen (StMLU) und BayFORREST (Bayerisches Forschungsvorhaben Restmüll) ) ,Granting date: 25.11.1999

Publications:

• Gimmler, H., Degenhardt, B., und C. Track. (1999). Schädlich oder umweltverträglich: Müllheizkraft-Schlacke - Zankapfel zwischen Ökologie und Ökonomie. Biologie in unserer Zeit 29 (2), 79-89, (scientific article)
• Degenhardt, B. und H. Gimmler. (2000). Structural adaptations of corn roots (Zea mays) to environmental stress. Journal of Expermental Botany 51, 595-603, (scientific article)
• Degenhardt, B., Gimmler, H., Freundl, E. and W. Hartung. (2000). Effect of alkaline and saline substrates on ABA contents - distribution and transport in plants. Plant and Soil 225, 83-94, (scientific article)
• Woitke M, Degenhardt B, Gade B and Gimmler H. (2001). Content and internal distribution of heavy metals in roots of plants grown at alkaline pH on slag from municipal solid waste incineration. Journal of Applied Botany 75, 59-66, (scientific article)
• Gimmler, H., De Jesus, J., Greiser, A.. (2001). Heavy metal resistance of the extreme acidotolerant filamentous fungus Bispora sp.. Microbial Ecology 42, 87-98, (scientific article)
• Degenhardt B. (2000). Wachstum und physiologisches Verhalten von Zea mays bei multiplem Streß unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Wurzelsystems. (Sonstiges)
• Woitke M, Heindl A, Boots A, Gade B und Gimmler H. (2000). Biomassenentwicklung und Transferkoeffizienten der auf MVA-Schlacke wachsenden Pflanzen am Beispiel der Reststoffdeponie Hopferstadt - Beiträge zur wurzel-induzierten Ansäuerung von MVA-Schlacke. (Sonstiges)
• Woitke M, Heindl A, Boots A, Gimmler H. (2001). Untersuchungen zum biologisch bedingten Säureeintrag in MVA-Schlacken: Lysimeterexperimente und der Beitrag der Wurzelatmung und der Wurzelexsudation. (Sonstiges)

Links:
FES-contact
BayFORREST (support)
BayFORREST (projects)
BayFORREST
working group Gimmler