Recycled construction and demolition waste as remineralizers: a sustainable use in the regeneration of degraded soils

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) constitutes a major global environmental liability, and its recycling is essential for improving the sustainability of the construction industry. In this study, recycled CDW samples were collected from four Brazilian cities and chemically characterized to evaluate their potential as soil remineralizers for agricultural use. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) revealed a chemical composition compatible with potential agricultural applications, including elements relevant to plant nutrition. However, substantial differences in elemental composition were observed among samples from the four cities, with distinct multi-elemental patterns associated with each region. Considerable variability was also observed among samples collected from the same city, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of recycled CDW and the importance of considering compositional variability when assessing its suitability for agricultural use.