Our laboratory in the field of waste management and resource management focuses on inorganic analytics. We primarily engage in the characterization of materials resulting from anthropogenic processes within waste management. Our mission is to provide reliable analytical results and develop new methods for this purpose.

Our three areas of activity:

- Execution of our own research projects
- Contract analytics with research relevance for universities as well as private enterprises
- Education for students

Overview of our service portfolio:

•  Sampling and sample preparation

•  Analytical-instrumental equipment

Device list

Inventory of laboratory equipment (pdf), opens a file in a new window

Poster

(Micro)plastic determination (pdf), opens a file in a new window

Determination of the climate relevance of refuse-derived fuels (pdf), opens a file in a new window

Characterization of waste incineration residues and construction waste (pdf), opens a file in a new window

Analysis of heterogeneous (waste) mixtures (pdf), opens a file in a new window

Determination of the climate relevance of substitute fuels:
Adapted balance method (aBM)

Refuse derived fuels usually contain plastic waste (fossil-based) but also biogenic waste components (paper, wood, etc.). The fossil (climate-relevant) CO2, which is produced during incineration in industrial or waste incineration plants, can be determined in a simple and cost-effective way using our method (adapted balance method) based on elemental analysis. The method has been validated, opens an external URL in a new window and has already been applied to a number of substitute fuels.

 

Determination of the plastic content in environmental samples:
Elemental Analysis Overdetermined Equation Method (EA-OEM)

Our in-house developed methodology - Elemental Analysis Overdetermined Equation Method (EA-OEM) - enables us to carry out (micro)plastic analyses and determine the mass-related proportion of plastics. A broad particle size spectrum (5mm to 10 µm) can be covered. So far, we have experience with microplastic determination in industrial wastewater, opens an external URL in a new window, sewage treatment plant effluent, compost and have participated in a round robin test.

 

Publicationen /References

• Kladnik, V., Dworak, S., & Schwarzböck, T. (2024). Composition of public waste - a case study from Austria. Waste Management, 178, 210–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.031
• Fricko, N., Wanek, W., & Fellner, J. (2022). Applying the 15N labelling technique to material derived from a landfill simulation experiment to understand nitrogen cycle processes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Biodegradation, 33(6), 557–573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-022-10000-7

• Huber, F., Blasenbauer, D., Aschenbrenner, P., & Fellner, J. (2020). Complete determination of the material composition of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash. Waste Management, 102, 677–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2019.11.036

• Spacek, S., Mallow, O., Schwarzböck, T. et al. Eine neue Methode für die Bestimmung des Mikroplastik-Massenanteils in Umweltproben. Österr Wasser- und Abfallw 72, 403–409 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-020-00697-2

• Huber, F., Blasenbauer, D., Aschenbrenner, P., & Fellner, J. (2019). Chemical composition and leachability of differently sized material fractions of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash. Waste Management, 95, 593–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2019.06.047
• Schwarzböck, T., Rechberger, H., Aschenbrenner, P., Spacek, S., Szidat, S., & Fellner, J. (2018). Klimarelevanz von Ersatzbrennstoffen – Anwendung und Vergleich verschiedener Bestimmungsmethoden. Österreichische Wasser- Und Abfallwirtschaft, 70(3–4), 179–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-018-0466-8

• Schwarzböck, T., Aschenbrenner, P., Rechberger, H., Brandstätter, C., & Fellner, J. (2016). Effects of sample preparation on the accuracy of biomass content determination for refuse-derived fuels. Fuel Processing Technology, 153, 101–110. doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2016.07.001

• Trinkel, V., Mallow, O., Aschenbrenner, P., Rechberger, H., & Fellner, J. (2016). Characterization of Blast Furnace Sludge with Respect to Heavy Metal Distribution. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 55(19), 5590–5597. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b00617
• Kleemann, F., Lederer, J., Aschenbrenner, P., Rechberger, H., & Fellner, J. (2014). A method for determining buildings’ material composition prior to demolition. Building Research & Information, 44(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2014.979029
• Skutan, S., & Aschenbrenner, P. (2012). Analysis of total copper, cadmium and lead in refuse-derived fuels (RDF): study on analytical errors using synthetic samples. Waste Management & Research the Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 30(12), 1281–1289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x12462276
• Aschenbrenner, P., Fellner, J., & Rechberger, H. (2009). Bestimmung des biogenen Kohlenstoffgehaltes von Ersatzbrennstoffen mittels eines CHNSO-Elementaranalysators. In K. J. Thomé-Kozmiensky & M. Beckmann (Eds.), Erneuerbare Energien (pp. 3–14). TK Verlag Karl Thomé-Kozminsky. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/60010