Speciation of Cr in Leachates of a MSWI Bottom Ash Landfill

Cr concentrations and speciation were determined in leachate from a municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash landfill both experimentally and by thermodynamic model calculations. Total dissolved Cr concentrations of 0.2 mmol L-1 were determined by GFAAS. Two orders of magnitude lower values were determined upon preconcentration by an in-situ solid-phase extraction technique based on the 8-HQ cation exchanger that is specific for Cr(III) but unspecific for Cr(VI). This suggests that chromate dominates the dissolved Cr concentrations in the leachates but was up to 5 orders of magnitude undersaturated with respect to the solubility of CaCrO4 or BaCrO4. Chromate adsorption by oxyhydroxides …