Abstract
Increased concentrations of heavy metals in ash can adversely affect the microbiological and pedogenetic processes in soil. The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of ash from unburned coal generated in the Kostolac and Gacko coal basins on the quality of soil in the surrounding environment. The investigation included the surface soil layer that was sampled and tested during 2016 and 2017. A total of 30 samples of Kostolac soil and 9 samples of Gacko soil were analyzed for the content of 8 heavy metals: Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Hg, As, Cr and Ni. The analyses were carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) technique according to the EPA 6020A method and the following conclusions were made: Kostolac coal ash affects the quality of the surrounding soil in terms of Ni, Cu and Cr as evidenced by the moderately strong correlation of the Ni-Cu pair (k = 0.71), as well as the Cu-Cr pair (k = 0.73) and strong correlation of the Ni-Cr pair (k = 0.82), while the high recorded concentration of Pb, Hg, As and Zn is attributed to other sources of pollution, such as the traffic network and intensive farming activities, and in some cases, its impact is only local. All recorded concentrations of heavy metals are within the remediation values. The effect of ash on soil contamination in the surroundings of the Gacko coal basin is limited to Ni and Cd, with a strong correlation coefficient of this pair (k = 0.82). The recorded overrun of maximum allowed concentration of Cr is evidenced in only 2 samples, and in terms of this element the contamination of the Gacko soil can be considered to be local. It is concluded that prevailing winds play a part in soil pollution. Cluster analysis showed that Ni, Cr and Zn have very similar values in analyzed soil samples from both basins, while a cluster composed of only Hg, in the case of Gacko, indicates lower contamination with Hg compared to the other heavy metals.
Highlights
Coal is one of the most commonly used natural resources for electricity generation, which greatly contributes to environmental pollution, including the occurrence of acid rain and the greenhouse effect which causes temperatures to rise
This paper presents the results of chemical analyses made on soil samples collected in the vicinity vicinity of subject locations to establish the content of the following heavy metals: copper (Cu), lead of subject locations to establish the content of the following heavy metals: copper (Cu), lead (Pb), (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) (Cr) and nickel (Ni), and determine the cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) (Cr) and nickel (Ni), and determine the potential potential soil contamination caused by the presence of ash
Heavy metals are accumulated in the soil due to natural lithogenic and pedogenetic processes, be concluded that ash landfill could be responsible for higher concentration of Ni and Cd in the soil, and due to anthropogenic factors [37]
Summary
Coal is one of the most commonly used natural resources for electricity generation, which greatly contributes to environmental pollution, including the occurrence of acid rain and the greenhouse effect which causes temperatures to rise. Coal started forming over a few million years ago and as such it does not pose any environmental risk. Coal-related activities, which are likely to lead to adverse environmental impacts, are coal mining, coal preparation and cleaning, storage and combustion for electricity generation [1]. The combustion of coal in power plants. Minerals 2018, 8, 54 results in the emission of a wide range of pollutants, which once released into the air as transport medium reach the surrounding land where they are deposited and remain for years. One of the main problems associated with electricity generation from coal-combustion is the so-called “energy-waste” issue. Fly ash, bottom ash and unburned coal residues are considered as energy waste and they are very dispersed during and after deposition due to their fine granular size [2]
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