Ferrous Industrial Wastes—Valuable Resources for Water and Wastewater Decontamination

Abstract

Ferrous waste by-products from the metallurgical industry have a high potential for valorization in the context of the circular economy, and can be converted to value-added products used in environmental remediation. This research reviews the latest data available in the literature with a focus on: (i) sources from which these types of iron-based wastes originate; (ii) the types of ferrous compounds that result from different industries; (iii) the different methods (with respect to the circular economy) used to convert them into products applied in water and wastewater decontamination; (iv) the harmful effects ferrous wastes can have on the environment and human health; and (v) the future perspectives for these types of waste.

Environmental-friendly view on steel industry dust and sludge as secondary raw materials-analysis and evaluation of the characteristic properties

“…Of course, there are energy, material, environmental and economic costs to be taken into account by these processes, as well. But as steel industry wastes have a severe impact on the environment and human health (Matei et al, 2022) and steel industry involves a huge number of operations creating big volume of air emissions, liquid effluents, and solid wastes, it is worth to consider these industrial waste products as renewable resources.…”

Use of wastewater alum-coagulation sludge as a phosphorus fertiliser – a mini review

“…Even if these constraints are addressed through chemical means, the global P production from Al sludges remains a small fraction of the annual mined P (20 million tonnes) (Cordell and White 2014 ). The amount of iron sludge produced by iron salts does not significantly alter this percentage, as iron salts are less commonly used in coagulation compared to Al salts (Matei et al 2022 ). Nevertheless, the sludge produced can still be a cost-effective P source for agricultural lands near treatment plants, simultaneously aiding in resolving the waste disposal challenge faced by the treatment plants.…”

Focusing on Eco-Friendly Adsorption Method: Removal of Endocrine-Disrupting Cu2+ Ions by Iron Shavings

“…Evaluation of some wastes originating from industrial sectors in this process is important in terms of both recovery and heavy metal removal. In particular, iron shavings (FeS) with high iron contents are produced in the iron and steel industry and in areas in which iron is used intensively [14]. The structural state of FeS facilitates its use as an adsorbent.…”