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Copyright (c) 2026 Rune Joachim Clausen, Jakob Kløve Keiding
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Municipal solid waste incineration generates fly ash, which is increasingly viewed as a potential secondary raw material. We present multi-element analyses of fly ash from the ARGO plant at Roskilde, Denmark. Samples were collected with a sampling cylinder from eight sequential outlets for 15 days, yielding 120 samples. These were then composited by outlet, sieved at 2 mm and all size fractions (n = 16) analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry. This is the first data set to report elemental compositions across individual precipitation stages while distinguishing particle sizes. The data show that existing fly ash sub-streams possess greater individual recycling potential than bulk fly ash. Notably, coarse fractions and bag-filter ash are enriched in Zn and other volatile elements (Na, K, Cl and S), including metals exceeding regulatory thresholds for hazardous waste classification (e.g. Pb, Cd, Sb and Cu). Their co-occurrence with Zn highlights the multi-commodity recovery potential of fly ash and suggests that improved control of formation and precipitation processes could enable more selective and efficient recycling strategies. There are grounds for further statistical analysis of the data and mineralogical studies of the sample material archived at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.
How to Cite
Share
Copyright (c) 2026 Rune Joachim Clausen, Jakob Kløve Keiding
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Data Availability Statement
All data are available in four supplementary files: Supplementary File S1 The GEUS data set (Excel); Supplementary File S2 The Actlabs data set (Excel); Supplementary File S3 Estimates (Word); Supplementary file S4 Oven line configuration (Word).
Supplementary Files
Funding
This study was funded by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and Nordic Innovation.Downloads
An annual collection of articles submitted to GEUS Bulletin and published throughout 2026. Published online only. This issue is open for submissions until the end of 2026.
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