Guidelines for Landfill Disposal of Sulphur Waste and Remediation of Sulphur Containing Soils (September 2011)

Description

Procedures for remediation of sulphur contaminated solid wastes are required to prevent localized soil and groundwater degradation. Careless disposal of these wastes can result in severe soil acidification and contamination of groundwater with acid-leached geoconstituents such as plant nutrients and metals. Sulphur contaminated wastes originate primarily from the sour gas sweetening industry and occasionally from accidental spills of sulphur during transport to market. Sour gas sweetening with iron sponge or ironite slurry produces a waste product containing pyrite (FeS2), troilite (FeS), and elemental sulphur (S). A similar process, based on sweetening sour gas with an inorganic zinc compound, generates zinc sulphide. The modified Claus sulphur recovery process is used extensively in Alberta to recover sulphur from sour gas. the process involves oxidizing one third of incoming H2S to SO2 and then reacting these two gases over a catalyst to form elemental sulphur. The spent catalyst from this process contains sulphates, sulphides, and elemental sulphur. In addition, sulphur recovery plants produce wastes as a result of spills and operations associated with sulphur storage and handling; wastes from this type of activity include sulphur contaminated soil and filter cakes. This guideline will assist waste generators, landfill operators, and other people handling sulphur contaminated solid wastes to deal with these materials in an environmentally acceptable manner. Sulphur use, rather than burial, and soil contamination prevention and control need to be given priority, both in the use of this guide and prevention of future contamination.

Keywords

sulphur, sulfur

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