B+LabNet Environmental Sustainability Laboratory, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health Department, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Environ Mol Mutagen. 2021 Jan;62(1):66-77. doi: 10.1002/em.22407. Epub 2020 Sep 25.
Steel slags (SS) are the major waste produced by iron and steel industry. Slags may be reused as recycled materials, instead of natural aggregates (NA), to reduce the final disposal in a landfill and the exploitation of raw materials. However, the reuse of SS may generate a potential release of toxic compounds for the environment and humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and genotoxicity of SS, in comparison with NA, by using an integrated chemical-biological approach to enable their safe reuse in engineering applications. Leaching solutions from samples were obtained by using short-term leaching tests (CEN EN 12457-2, 2004) usually adopted for the evaluation of waste recovery and final disposal. Chemical analyses of leachates were performed according to the Italian legislation on waste recovery (Ministerial Decree 186/2006). The leaching solutions were assayed by using toxicity test on Daphnia magna. Moreover, mutagenicity/genotoxicity tests on Salmonella typhimurium, Allium cepa, and human leucocytes and fibroblasts were carried out. The releases of pollutants from all samples were within the limits of the Italian legislation for waste recovery. Despite the effects that SS and NA could have on different cells, in terms of toxicity and genotoxicity, globally, SS do not seem to be any more hazardous than NA. This ecotoxicological assessment, never studied before, is important for promoting further studies that may support the decision-making process regarding the use of such types of materials.
钢渣（SS）是钢铁工业产生的主要废物。为了减少最终在垃圾填埋场中的处置量和原材料的开采，可以将炉渣作为再生材料而不是天然骨料（NA）重复使用。然而，SS 的再利用可能会导致有毒化合物对环境和人类产生潜在的释放。本研究旨在通过采用综合化学-生物学方法，评估 SS 的毒性和遗传毒性，与 NA 进行比较，从而使 SS 能够安全地用于工程应用中的再利用。采用通常用于评估废物回收和最终处置的短期浸出试验（CEN EN 12457-2，2004 年）从样品中获得浸出液。根据意大利废物回收法规（第 186/2006 号部长令）对浸出液进行化学分析。采用大型溞毒性试验对浸出液进行了测定。此外，还对沙门氏菌伤寒型、洋葱和人白细胞和成纤维细胞进行了致突变性/遗传毒性试验。所有样品中污染物的释放均在意大利废物回收法规规定的范围内。尽管 SS 和 NA 对不同细胞的毒性和遗传毒性可能有影响，但总体而言，SS 似乎并不比 NA 更危险。这种以前从未研究过的生态毒理学评估对于促进进一步的研究非常重要，这些研究可能会支持有关使用此类材料的决策过程。
