Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-24-2025
Abstract
Introduction
We rely on coastal resources for food, water, and energy. However, over 75% of U.S. coastlines are eroding. Concurrently, the U.S. recycles less glass than other developed countries, landfilling hundreds of millions of tons every year. Recycled glass sand has many potential benefits over natural sand for combatting land loss; for example, it can be produced with controlled particle size to better resist erosion, making it an excellent—and underutilized—material for environmental restoration.
Objectives
This research compares the physical and chemical properties of recycled glass sand to natural sands (beach and dredge) from the U.S. Gulf Coast to assess environmental safety.
Methods
Particle size distribution, angularity, particle and bulk density, compaction, and permeability were evaluated using standard methods. Elemental composition and leaching were analyzed using x-ray fluorescence and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), respectively.
Results
Recycled glass sand is not “sharp,” although it is less well-rounded than natural sand. Porosity, compaction, and water permeability depend on particle size, and glass sand can be size-separated to match or complement natural sand. Recycled glass sand is mostly silica. Additional elements used in glass processing are present at acceptable levels, and no leaching of harmful elements is detectable by TCLP. Thermally decomposable residues (e.g. label and adhesive) reliably comprised less than 1% of the material.
Conclusions
The characteristics of recycled glass sand make it a good resource for environmental restoration.
Recommended Citation
Ahmad, Shehbaz, Julie P. Vanegas, Nicholas Borne, Natalia Butler, Toby Mendels, Leah A. Michaeloff, Diego Molina et al. "Physical and chemical characterization of recycled glass sand for environmental restoration." Restoration Ecology (2025): e70095.https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70095
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Restoration Ecology
DOI
10.1111/rec.70095
Included in
Chemistry Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Physics Commons, Sustainability Commons
Comments
© 2025 The Author(s). Restoration Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Ecological Restoration.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.