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Concrete is one of the most common building materials in the world and in accordance with the world's shift to a circular economy, there is a need of an increase in concrete reuse and recycling. One of the environmental concerns linked to concrete recycling is the leaching and spread of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). In the present study the Cr(VI) leaching from crushed concrete waste and the effects of soil organic matter (SOM) on chromium (Cr) speciation has been investigated in realistic reuse scenarios by the means of batch shale tests and layered column tests. The effects of concrete properties (pH, grain size and age) on Cr(VI) leaching was also studied. Cr leaching from concrete alone is mainly in the form of Cr(VI), with the pH of the leachate being >10. The smaller the grainsize of the concrete, the higher the Cr(VI) concentration is in the leachate. There was no correlation between the age of the concrete and concrete leaching. When exposed to SOM the Total-Cr concentration in the leachate was reduced. The reduction increased with higher TOC level, with a 99% reduction at very high TOC (25%). The results indicate that Cr(VI) leaching from recycled concrete waste can be mitigated by exposing it to SOM in the desired recycling scenario.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114708 | DOI Listing |
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
September 2025
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
The significant global energy consumption strongly emphasizes the crucial role of net-zero or green structures in ensuring a sustainable future. Considering this aspect, incorporating thermal insulation materials into building components is a well-accepted method that helps to enhance thermal comfort in buildings. Furthermore, integrating architectural components made from solid refuse materials retrieved from the environment can have significant environmental benefits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
September 2025
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Concrete production significantly contributes to CO emissions and depletion of natural resources, leading to substantial environmental concerns. The integration of polymers into concrete has emerged as a promising innovative solution aimed at overcoming inherent limitations of traditional concrete, including brittleness, susceptibility to tracking, environmental degradation, and substantial ecological impacts. This systematic review thoroughly investigates the properties, sustainability implications, and practical challenges associated with polymer-based concrete (PBC), particularly focusing on polymer concrete composites (PCC) and polymer-modified concrete (PMC) detailing their composition, mechanical behavior, and durability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWaste Manag
September 2025
Engineering Research Center of Clean and Low-carbon Technology for Intelligent Transportation, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address:
Resource recycling of construction waste can be an effective substitute for the production of building materials, significantly reduce environmental pollution and ecological damage while lowering carbon emissions. However, existing studies lack a comprehensive and accurate comparison of different recycling processes, making it difficult to fully and accurately determine the associated carbon reduction potential. In this paper, process life cycle assessment (LCA) and hybrid LCA models are used to calculate carbon emissions from resource recycling of construction waste.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Prog
September 2025
Department of Construction and Building Engineering, High Institute of Engineering, October 6 City, Egypt.
The solid waste generated by the waste sanitary ware (WSW) sector is of considerable magnitude on a global scale. Recycling ceramic waste is an essential practice that ensures its proper disposal. Therefore, the objective of this research endeavor was to investigate the effects of replacing sand with WSW on different characteristics of foamed concrete (FC), such as its thermal properties, transportability, freshness, and mechanical strengths.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWaste Manag
August 2025
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Electronic address:
Large volumes of concrete wastes are produced during building demolition that potentially can be reused as a secondary material. Reuse of crushed cementitious construction wastes as a fill material can result in leaching of reactive cement phases. The short-term dissolution kinetics of crushed concrete waste (CCW) from a UK nuclear site were studied in leaching tests using deionised water, acidic and alkaline leachants.
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