Physical-chemical treatment and fluorescent tubes

Inorganic waste such as acids, alkalis and solutions that contain heavy metals are rendered chemically harmless in the physical-chemical treatment plant. Neutralisation, oxidation, reduction and precipitation take place in batch processes selected according to the waste being treated. Insoluble heavy metal precipitates produced in the reactions are dried in a filter press before final disposal, while the filtrate water is treated in Ekokem´s own on-site water treatment plant to be used as process water.

Ekokem’s treatment process means that almost all fluorescent tubes can be recovered in Finland: The degree of reutilisation of fluorescent tubes is approximately 96 %, and the plant has sufficient capacity to process around 5 million fluorescent tubes annually. Used fluorescent tubes are crushed in a chemical solution that binds the mercury contained in the tubes. The metallic mercury is transformed into less hazardous mercury sulphide, which is the form in which mercury is mainly found in bedrock. Only the mercury sulphide is disposed of in Ekokem’s own special landfill. Metal and glass are scrubbed, screened and utilized as secondary raw material for use by the fibreglass and metal industries.

For further information

Physical-chemical treatment (pdf-file, 55 KB)
Fluorescent tubes (pdf-file, 79 KB)