Chemical Speciation of Heavy Metals in Stainless Steel Plant Dust

The leaching tests and the sequential extraction procedure of heavy metals in the stainless steel plant dusts were studied. The results show that the total Cr and Cr (VI) content in argon oxygen decarburization converter dust (AODD), and the concentrations of Cd and Zn in electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) exceed the national standards. Lead is the most extractable element by the sequential extraction procedure with the extractable ratio of 82.8% and 94.9% in EAFD and AODD, respectively, while chromium presents mainly in the residual fraction (approximately 97.1% and 94.6% in the EAFD and AODD, separately). Moreover, the mobile heavy metals in the stainless steel plant dusts can be estimated as following: 31.8% of Cd in EAFD and 7.6% of Cd in AODD, 34.1% of Pb in EAFD and 34.1% of Pb in AODD, 0.4% of Zn in EAFD and 0.052% of Zn in AODD, and 0.08% of Cr in EAFD and 1.2% of Cr in AODD.