Aided-Phytoremediation of Steel Slag !

Aided-Phytoremediation of Steel Slag!

"Waste is a misplaced resource"- rightly said. Because, in today's world, there is really no such thing as waste. One man's waste is another man's resource. The same applies to the steel slag. Once considered as a harmful waste product, steel slag is now being looked into as a useful byproduct. Its applications in various industries, particularly in constructions industry, has turned it into a valuable resource. But, its physico-chemical composition makes it unfit for immediate use. Comprised of mostly metal oxides, steel slags produce highly alkaline leachate (pH close to 12.5). Moreover, these metal oxides react with atmospheric humidity and water and undergo volumetric expansion, leading to structural debilities in the construction sector. Therefore, it is stored by the steel industries for months together, to let it stabilize through natural processes. This leads to land, water and air pollution. 

      Before aided-phytoremediation



After aided-phytoremediation


Ecologically sustainable management of steel slag is a major concern in almost all steel industries. With its highly alkaline pH, it is almost impossible to grow plants on this steel slag as the pH is highly unfavorable for nutrient uptake by plants. This sets up a challenge for by research, which has been dealt with in a natural, economic and traditional manner. Aided-phytoremediation was used for the reclamation of steel slag affected site in Angul district of Odisha. 

A greenbelt was developed at that pH with 22 species selected through Miyawaki principle. The following news paper article throws some light on the feat that we could achieve:
Cheers !













 

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