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(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...

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Chapter 3<br />

sent to a deposit. In some cases <strong>the</strong> filter cakes are dissolved to be pumped to <strong>the</strong> waste water<br />

treatment unit and <strong>the</strong> sludge <strong>the</strong>refrom is distilled at <strong>the</strong> plant, temporarily stored or sent to a<br />

deposit [ 3, Euro <strong>Chlor</strong> 2011 ].<br />

Reported mercury concentrations in brine filtration sludges are summarised in Table 3.29.<br />

Table 3.29: Mercury concentrations in brine filtration sludges <strong>of</strong> chlor-<strong>alkali</strong> plants in EU-27<br />

and EFTA countries in 2008/2009<br />

Mercury concentrations in brine filtration sludges in g/t waste ( 1 ) ( 2 )<br />

Value<br />

reported ( 3 10th 25th<br />

Min.<br />

)<br />

percentile percentile Median<br />

75th 90th<br />

Max.<br />

percentile percentile<br />

Min. ( 4 ) 1.0 ND 10 68 200 ND 1000<br />

Max. ( 5 ) 3.0 ND 130 210 730 ND 18 000<br />

Average ( 6 ) 25 25 29 95 250 1600 2000<br />

( 1 ) 9 plants out <strong>of</strong> a total <strong>of</strong> 22 reported solids contents in <strong>the</strong> brine sludge which ranged from 35 wt-% to<br />

100 wt-%.<br />

( 2 ) In addition, 2 plants reported mercury concentrations in brine s<strong>of</strong>tening sludges <strong>of</strong> 0.031 and 136 g/t waste.<br />

( 3 ) Some plants reported ranges with minimum and maximum values, some reported average values and 1 plant<br />

reported both.<br />

( 4 ) 9 data from 9 plants. In addition 1 plant reported a value below <strong>the</strong> detection limit and 1 plant a value <strong>of</strong><br />

< 200 g/t waste.<br />

( 5 ) 10 data from 10 plants. In addition 1 plant reported a value <strong>of</strong> < 200 g/t waste.<br />

( 6 ) 12 data from 12 plants.<br />

NB: ND = not enough data.<br />

Source: [ 57, EIPPCB 2011 ]<br />

The quantity <strong>of</strong> mercury contained in sludges from brine filters is variable: A plant using<br />

vacuum salt reported a mercury amount <strong>of</strong> 1.8 kg in 21.3 tonnes <strong>of</strong> sludges produced from <strong>the</strong><br />

brine filters <strong>for</strong> 1997 and 1.8 kg in 18 tonnes <strong>of</strong> sludges <strong>for</strong> 1998 (chlorine production capacity<br />

is about 120000 tonnes). Ano<strong>the</strong>r plant, also using vacuum salt, reports figures <strong>of</strong> 12 tonnes <strong>of</strong><br />

sludges from brine filtration, but an amount <strong>of</strong> mercury <strong>of</strong> 60 kg a year (chlorine production<br />

capacity <strong>of</strong> 110000 tonnes).<br />

3.5.9.3 Solids from caustic filtration: (See Section 4.2.1.3)<br />

The sludge from caustic filtration consists <strong>of</strong> carbon pre-coat contaminated with significant<br />

amounts <strong>of</strong> mercury. It is dewatered and in some cases led to a mercury recovery retort (see<br />

Section 3.5.9.7). The residual solid waste is subsequently disposed <strong>of</strong>. In o<strong>the</strong>r cases, <strong>the</strong> sludge<br />

is disposed <strong>of</strong> without mercury recovery [ 3, Euro <strong>Chlor</strong> 2011 ].<br />

3.5.9.4 Solids from waste water treatment<br />

The different treatment techniques <strong>for</strong> mercury-contaminated waste water (see Section 4.1.3.1)<br />

result in different types <strong>of</strong> solid waste. Ion-exchange resins can usually be regenerated with<br />

hydrochloric acid. O<strong>the</strong>rwise <strong>the</strong> resins can be treated as solid waste, retorted or sent to<br />

underground storage. Precipitated mercury sulphide filtered from <strong>the</strong> waste water may be<br />

dissolved and fed back into <strong>the</strong> brine system, treated in <strong>the</strong> mercury distillation unit or disposed<br />

<strong>of</strong> as stabilised mercury sulphide. Activated carbon contaminated with mercury resulting from<br />

adsorptive treatment is usually treated by distillation [ 94, Euro <strong>Chlor</strong> 2009 ].<br />

WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS<br />

124 December 2011 TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1

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