Solidification and stabilization of the incinerated wastewater sludge from textile industry

This paper describes the investigation of solidification and stabilization (S/S) process for the safe disposal of incinerated wastewater sludge produced from a textile industry in Penang, Malaysia. Physical and chemical properties of the samples were first characterized. Various ratios of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a binder were used to immobilize the metals. The leachability of metals in these cement-based waste materials was studied by standard toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and the mechanical strength was tested by a compressive strength test. TCLP results showed the ability of OPC to immobilize various metals such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Al, Ti, and K within the limits set by USEPA and Malaysia Environment Quality Act, 1974. However, the strength of the solidified matrixes was generally lower than the control specimens, ranging from 1-23 Mpa, which was well above the specified limit of 414 kPa for such matrices for their disposal in landfills.