Promoting sustainability in the mussel industry: mussel shell recycling to fight fluoride pollution

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 131; pp. 485 - 490
• Main Authors: Quintáns-Fondo, Ana, Ferreira-Coelho, Gustavo, Paradelo-Núñez, Remigio, Nóvoa-Muñoz, Juan Carlos, Arias-Estévez, Manuel, Fernández-Sanjurjo, María J., Álvarez-Rodríguez, Esperanza, Núñez-Delgado, Avelino
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 10.09.2016
• Subjects: byproducts; Desorption; Fluoride; Fluorides; forest soils; Forests; Granitic material; industry; liquids; Mussel shell; Mussels; pollution; Pollution abatement; Pyritic material; recycling; risk; shell (molluscs); Soil; Soils; Sorption; Sustainability; sustainable development; vineyard soils; Sorption; Soil; Granitic material; Pyritic material; Fluoride; Mussel shell
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.154

Taking into account a background situation where some industrial activities greatly influence fluoride pollution, while other industries generate by-products that could be effective as fluoride bio-sorbents, and bearing in mind sustainability and environmental concern, batch-type experiments were performed to study fluoride sorption/desorption on individual (un-amended) and mussel shell-amended soils and materials. Specifically, the research focused on a forest soil, a vineyard soil, pyritic material, granitic material, and ground mussel shell, as well as on both soils and the pyritic and granitic materials amended with mussel shell. The main findings of the research indicate that the shell amendment clearly increased fluoride sorption in the pyritic material (reaching more than 90%), showing no effect as regards fluoride desorption from this material. The amendment caused a slight increase in fluoride sorption on forest soil, as well as a slight decrease in fluoride desorption from it. The un-amended vineyard soil and the un-amended granitic material had lower fluoride-retention capacity than the forest soil and pyritic material, and it did not change after amending with mussel shell. The mussel shell by itself showed the lowest fluoride-retention potential among the tested materials. As a conclusion, and focusing on applicability, these results can be useful to program the correct use of mussel shell amendment on soils and even on degraded environments with the aim of increasing fluoride retention or removal, thus decreasing risk of environmental pollution due to excessive fluoride concentrations in solid and/or liquid media, also facilitating recycling, sustainability and cleaner production in the mussel shell industry. •We study F sorption/desorption on un-amended and mussel shell-amended materials.•The amendment clearly increased F sorption in the pyritic material, up to >90%.•The amendment caused a slight increase in F sorption on the forest soil.•The un-amended vineyard soil and granitic material did not change after amending.•The mussel shell by itself showed the lowest F-retention potential.