Ecotoxicity of Concretes with Granulated Slag from Gray Iron Pilot Production as Filler

Abstract

This paper focuses on research concerning the ecotoxicological properties of granulated slag from the pilot production of gray iron with red mud addition and concrete composites with the application of this slag. Red mud is a hazardous waste generated in the production of aluminium oxide. Negative ecotoxicological tests are, therefore, one of the basic prerequisites for the ability to use granulated slag from gray iron pilot production. Granulated slag and concrete composite samples with various ratios of granulated slag have been subject to ecotoxicity tests: determining root growth inhibition in the highly-cultivated plant Sinapis alba, and determining acute toxicity in Daphnia magna. The results of ecotoxicological testing of granulated slag from gray iron standard production and gray iron pilot production with the additive were, according to the standard (STN 83 8303), negative. Additionally, the results of ecotoxicological tests of concrete composites were negative, with the exception of a 50% substitution of fine aggregate with slag from gray iron pilot production.

The Utilization of Waste Water from a Concrete Plant in the Production of Cement Composites

“…A study on the ecotoxicity of concrete with the addition of granular slag as the filler also presents the possibility of the utilization of secondary materials. Ecotoxicological tests are also required to determine the properties so as to verify the practical usability of the mixture with a guarantee of its material non-toxicity for other sources [22]. The results of the studies described above confirm the idea of using secondary raw materials and sludge water in the production of concrete in order to save the natural resources and to reduce the cost of production of 1 m 3 of concrete, while maintaining the physical and mechanical properties of concrete.…”

Concrete Properties Comparison When Substituting a 25% Cement with Slag from Different Provenances

“…The resulting byproduct, ladle furnace slag, has been used as a sand and cement substitute in masonry mortars, showing improvements in workability and mechanical strength in the medium term [ 30 ]. However, the use of LFS as a substitute in civil construction is less suitable due to its high expansiveness, especially when used in roads as an aggregate substitute [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Testing of Eluates from Waterproof Building Materials for Potential Environmental Effects Due to the Behavior of Enchytraeus albidus

“…Although those species are very representative for the aquatic environments, the scenarios of construction products are often in the terrestrial environment, turning those species not always the ideal match for the necessary bioassays. Ecological risk assessment from construction materials can be examined by aquatic and terrestrial biomarkers [ 15 ], among others, the ecotoxicological tests using the Oligochaeta species of genus Enchytraeidae . Although ecotoxicological tests using these species have been developed and standardized only within the last two decades, it became an important indicator organism for the determination of impacts on soil ecosystem due to their sensitivity to a broad spectrum of xenobiotics, ease of maintenance in the laboratory [ 15 ], and widely representation worldwide [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”