Marble wastes as amendments to stabilize heavy metals in Zn-Electroplating sludge

Powdered marble wastes (PMW) generated by Utique marble cutting industries (North of Tunisia) with abundant amounts were used in this study as low-cost materials to investigate the stabilization of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Fe) in sludge generated from a local Zn-Electroplating factory. Powdered marble wastes were evaluated by means of chemical fractions of heavy metals in sludge and concentrations of heavy metals in leachate from columns to determine their ability to stabilize heavy metals in contaminated sludge. Results indicated that chemical fractions of heavy metals in sludge were affected by application of the PMW mineral materials and pH, however, the effects varied with heavy metals. Application of the powdered marble wastes mineral materials reduced exchangeable metals in the sequence of Pb (60.5%)>Fe (40.5%)>Zn (30.1%). X-ray diffraction and hydro-geochemical transport code PHREEQC analysis were successfully carried out to get a better understanding of the mechanisms of reactive mineral phases involved in reduced exchangeable heavy metals in sludge after PMW material amendments. Therefore, metal immobilization using powdered marble wastes materials is an effective stabilization technique for industrial metallic hydroxide sludge.