The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Irreversible immobilization of heavy metal
Author:	Ko, Hyoung-Seog
View Online:	njit-etd1992-084 (x, 56 pages ~ 1.2 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Armenante, Piero M. (Committee chair) Kafkewitz, David (Committee member) Shaw, Henry (Committee member)
Date:	1992-05
Keywords:	Hazardous wastes -- Incineration Immobilized microorganisms Heavy metals -- Environmental aspects Anaerobic bacteria
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Heavy metals are contaminants of both solid and liquid wastes. For example, the ash produced from the incineration of domestic or industrial wastes often contains substantial concentration of lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals that make it a hazardous waste. These heavy metals in wastes are hazardous because they are mobile. Immobilization of the metals is an effective method of rendering the metals harmless, provided that immobilization is irreversible. This study focused on the heavy metal immobilization potential associated with the activities of anaerobic bacteria known as the dissimilatory sulfate reducers (Postgate, 1984). The sulfate-reducing bacteria produce sulfide and form highly insoluble precipitates of the metals. Cupric sulfide, cadmium sulfide, mercuric sulfide and lead sulfide are examples of these insoluble salts. Our research will have an additional advantage because it means that the biological process of immobilization of the heavy metals can be made to continue underground for many years after the treated ash has been buried thus providing extra protecting against remobilization of the metals.