Assessment of the use of organic composts derived from municipal solid waste for the adsorption of Pb, Zn and Cd

Abstract Waste management is a continuous global need. To minimize problems arising from municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal, composting has emerged as a simple alternative for the organic fraction of the waste. The composting process generates organic composts with a high metal retention capacity for potentially toxic elements (PTE). Thus, our objective was to examine how different composting methods (windrow composting, wire mesh composting bin, and passively aerated static pile composting) affect the final product, and how the characteristics of the generated composts influence their adsorption capacity for the lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) elements from mining waste. Therefore, the physical and chemical properties of Brazilian composts were investigated, as well as their adsorption capacities, through batch equilibrium tests with Pb, Zn and Cd in single-element solutions. All composts revealed promising adsorption characteristics, including a near-neutral pH (6.4–7.7); a negative ΔpH (−0.4 to −1.0); oxidizing conditions (Eh between +267.67 and + 347.00 mV); a considerable presence of organic matter (193.92–418.70 g kg −1 ); a substantial (albeit very varied) cation exchange capacity (29.00–75.00 cmol c kg −1 ); and significant porosity (pore volume between 0.01113 and 0.05400 cm 3  g −1 ). These results showed that the composts share similar intrinsic characteristics, indicating that the different composting methods influenced subtly the physical and chemical properties of the final products. Overall, the removal selectivity follows the order Pb > Cd > Zn, with the removal percentage ranging from 94.0 to 99.6% for Pb, 55.4–89.8% for Cd and 22.1–64.0% for Zn. Thus, the joint assessment of the characterization and adsorption results shows evidence that composts, a low-cost organic material produced from waste, may be promising as alternative reactive materials for remediation of soils contaminated by Pb, Zn and Cd.