Description


Usable building material through immobilisation

Until recently, to prevent further soil contamination, the spotlight was mainly on the direct cause, the production company. In addition to the solutions developed therefrom for treatment 'on the spot', solutions for elimination of large diffuse contamination in the environment have now also been sought for years. To this end, the European Interreg IIIa programme is implementing two projects in the Kempen region, the results of which will be presented.

Mr Daneel Geysen first explained the Belgian-Dutch project BeNekempen. The project developed a cross-border approach for management and/or remediation of heavy metal pollution in the Kempen region. Over the past two years, the main facets of the contamination problem have been mapped out with a focus on water, agriculture, nature and the problem of zinc ashes.
Via studies and pilot projects, new remediation techniques and management scenarios were developed, which will be discussed in detail in the presentation. Mr Geysen explained the application of these techniques in this area and how this contributes in halting further environmental degradation, limiting health risks for residents in the Kempen region and removing obstacles to the social and economic development of the region. Addressing pollution caused by the presence of zinc ashes is very important here. In order to consolidate cooperation across the border, a strategy has been developed for further cross-border actions in this area.

In 2007, the 'from zinc ash to building material' project was also introduced in this context. The project tests a process in which a binding agent can be used to permanently immobilise zinc ashes into raw materials that can be used as building materials. To this end, the zinc ashes no longer need to be packed in glass or tar but can simply be chemically bound without any further leaching. Mr Youva Raj Tyagi of the company Megatrax and a specialist in the matter explains the project. He then elaborates on the nature of the immobilising substance, its wide applicability and reliability, and the process of processing zinc ash into building material.

To conclude, a short excursion at the site in Lommel, near the old border post where the presentations will take place. A zinc ash - road in the Belgian Kempen region has been set up as a pilot here. The road made of slag containing zinc ashes is periodically loosened and then re-levelled. During this treatment, the zinc ash is immobilised with megatrax. The result will be monitored in the coming years to see if the treatment indeed provides the desired results. The road is located in the area of the BeNeKempen project so we will see examples from both projects at this location.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION
This is at the border post on the Eindhoven-Hasse link road

Speaker(s)

Dr.Ir. Daneel Geysen,Policy Support Service of OVAM (Public Waste Agency for the Flemish Region) and Dr. Youva Raj Tyagi, Megatrax Benelux BV.

Location

Café 't Tolhuis, Luikersteenweg 625

Lommel

Organiser

Region South

Name and contact details for information

drs. ing. Cor van den Bosch, t: (0499) 33 00 44 (p) / 0032 473955987 (z).