THE REMOVAL OF BORON FROM INCINERATOR QUENCH WATER:
HYDROUS METALLIC OXIDES VERSUS AN ION-SPECIFIC RESIN
Yun Hee Chang, Graduate Student
N. C. Burbank, Jr., Professor
School of Public Health
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
INTRODUCTION
Attention has been drawn to boron in the quench waters of incinerators burning municipal refuse [1,2] as weU and of fossU fuel power plants [2,3]. The projected energy
requirements of the world have clearly indicated that the demand for fossU fuels, particularly coal, will increase materially in the next twenty-five year period [4J. In a simUar
vein, future trends for incinerator growth for handling municipal refuse have been predicted [5] and clearly point the way toward larger central municipal regional incinerator
systems of increasing complexity striving toward increased energy recovery.
Problems have already occurred in the disposal of wastewater from the disposal of ash
from quenching of bottom ash, slurrying of fly ash from electrostatic precipitators and
water scrubbing from both fossU fuel-fired boUers and incinerators.   Metallic cations as
weU as nonmetals in the form of oxides have accumulated in the waste stream to produce
toxic reactions in all forms of plant life [2,3].   Boron had been proven to be toxic to
plants [1,3], and studies as to its removal by various methods have been presented [1,6].
The problem of removal of boron by an economic method has remained the premier objective of these studies.
SOURCE OF BORON
The characteristics of refuse vary considerably from community to community. Analyses of refuse have given a good picture of the distribution of various components; however, the major source of boron has not been pinpointed.
Analyses of the refuse in Honolulu, a tropical island, have been made over a period of
years and the percentages of boron in each fraction were determined.   The results are
shown in Table I.
SOURCES OF INCINERATOR WASTE (LIQUID)
Wastewater originates from an incinerator at several points, including the fly ash handling system, the electrostatic precipitators, the gas scrubbers and the residue quench system.   In the case of water-cooled incinerators, this flow may find its way to the ash
quench system or to the stack.   Ultimately, the wastewater from the incinerator must be
discharged.   It may be discharged to municipal sewers or to an ultimate receiving body,
either water or land.
The quantity of wastewater varies as widely as the characteristics of the wastewater,
depending on the design of the incinerator and the recirculation ratio.   The quantity of
water used may vary from 2000 gal per ton of solid waste burned with 90% used in
quenching, to 500-600 gal per ton per day with recirculation, both from a 300-ton/day
incinerator with only a variation in the ratio of recirculation [7].
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