Prewash treatment, a leaching test, and a particle-size fractionation test were conducted as preliminary investigations for the establishment of an assessment procedure for harmful elements leaching from cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass. The glass sample used in this study was recycled funnel glass that was initially fractured and then divided into two parts (<0.125 mm and 1-2 mm) by sieving. In a 5 min ultrasonic wash treatment, glass content elements were dissolved in wash solution. Si, As, and Sb showed a greater dissolution tendency than other glass content elements. A leaching test with a washed glass sample confirmed that the prewash treatment with alcohol wash solution was slightly more effective in the removal of fine particles, which were generated during the fracture of the glass sample, than the treatment with water. However, differences in elute behavior caused by glass surface alteration, which could be due to the difference in the employed wash solutions, were not observed. The fractionation test, in which glass-derived particles in the elute were fractionated by using filters of different pore sizes, confirmed that in acid solution, most Pb was included in particles having diameters smaller than 0.45 μm, whereas in neutral and alkali solutions, most Pb was included in particles having diameters of 0.45-10 μm. Results of zeta potential measurement showed that the glass particles in alkali solution were more dispersive than those in neutral solution. Therefore, the mobility evaluation of the particles was found to be important in the assessment of harmful elements leaching from CRT glass, particularly in an alkaline environment. Finally, based on the information obtained through this study, the methods of prewash treatment and leaching test can be considered the most appropriate at this time are suggested.
