Screening of waste for use in clay-based bricks in the Arctic

Clay-based ceramics, such as bricks, are heterogeneous materials, which can incorporate raw materials ofwide ranging compositions, without impairing their technical properties (Dondi et al., 1997a,b). Due to thisability, bricks have become a popular material in waste management research worldwide and several studies have demonstrated that clay-based bricks and tiles can successfully accommodate waste types,such as incineration ashes, mine tailings and dredged harbour sediments (Zhang et al., 2011; Roy et al.,2007; Mezencevova et al., 2012). In the vulnerable Arctic environment, the impact of especially hazardouswastes can have severe consequences (Lemly, 1994) and the reduction and safe handling of these wastetypes are therefore an important issue in the Arctic nations. In comparison to other parts of the world, the Arctic region imports most of its construction materials and does not have a strong tradition for masonry structures. In Greenland, for example, bricks are neither currently produced locally nor frequently appliedfor construction purposes. Recent studies have, however, established that deposits of marine glaciogeneclay, which are found throughout the former glaciated areas of the northern hemisphere, are suitable forbrick production (Belmonte et al., 2014, a; Belmonte et al., 2014, b). This provides an excellent opportunity to test whether bricks produced locally in the Arctic could also help to solve issues regarding waste handling and disposal. In this study, two types of hazardous waste, municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ashes and minetailings from Greenland, were investigated in order to determine their potential suitability for incorporationin the production of clay-based bricks. Furthermore, the MSWI fly ash was subjected to two remediation techniques (electrodialytic treatment and washing) with the purpose of studying the effects of these treatments on the leaching behaviour.