Tons Of Coal Ash Research Articles

Influence of Aggressive Environment in Macro and Microstructural Properties of Bottom Ash Geopolymer Concrete

India generates 759.02 million metric tons of coal ash annually. Part of that quantity is successfully utilized, and the remaining portion of the ash is discarded into a landfill. There also is a need to address pollution. Cement industries are responsible for 7% of global warming. Cement has been replaced entirely by thermal power plant waste, and bottom ash is used as a binder to overcome those issues. A few researchers have carried out strength characterization, but an extensive study needs to be carried out under different environmental exposures. Therefore, the present study investigated macro and micro properties of bottom ash geopolymer concrete (BAGPC) subjected to aggressive ecological exposure conditions such as acid, salt, and sulfate attack. Sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) of eight molarities were used as activators for the bottom ash geopolymer concrete (BAGPC) binder. Further bonding between steel and conventional concrete BAGPC mixes was investigated. The durability of conventional concrete (CC) was taken as the control mix to compare the durability of the optimized mix (B4) of bottom ash geopolymer. The test samples were cured for 28 days under ambient temperature and tested for the effect of MgSO4, NaCl, and HCl. The strength loss and weight loss of the BAGPC B4 mix after 7, 28, 56, 90, and 180 days under aggressive conditions showed better performance than CC. It has been observed that geopolymer concrete has good bonding in nature, and the bond strength results indicate excellent bonding between steel and concrete. Microstructure studies revealed that the BAGPC B4 mix had a strong microstructure and not as much of a porous structure. It is concluded that BAGPC has potential value in the construction industry based on all aspects of the experiment.

A study on speciation and enrichment of rare earth elements (REE) by sequential extraction from a potential coal fly ash resource and its role in REE extractability

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a potential secondary Rare Earth Element (REE) source that needs an efficient enrichment and extraction process. Annually, coal-fired power plants generate nearly 1 billion tonnes of coal ash. India alone produced 270.82 million tonnes of CFA in 2021–22. The average global concentration of REE in coal ash is 403.5 mg/kg. The present authors have already studied some promising CFAs from Indian thermal power stations and one such CFA is used in the present study for the sequential extraction (SE), speciation, and enrichment of REEs. Organic acids are used for SE to determine different fractions of REEs and it is found that REEs are mostly associated with amorphous Mn-oxide and organic and sulfide fractions. About 84% of REEs are in the glassy phase that SE cannot dissolve. The main components of CFA and SE residues are quartz, mullite, and glassy phase (52.0–59.2%). The XRF analysis showed that CFA is ‘Class F' (ASTM C618–19). The ESEM – EDS and backscatter imaging revealed monazite-(La) mineral as the REE carrier in CFA. Furthermore, enrichment studies using acid and alkali media have been performed. Alkali treatment with NaOH and KOH increased total REE by 1.61 and 1.32 times, respectively. Acidic treatment with HCl and oxalic acid increased total REE by 1.27 and 1.09 times, respectively. Therefore, NaOH followed by HCl treatment could be a cost-effective and sustainable REE enrichment and extraction method from CFA.

Coal ash and depression in children aged 6-14 years old

BACKGROUND AND AIM: When coal is burned for energy, coal ash, a hazardous waste product, is generated. Throughout the world, over 1 billion tons of coal ash is produced yearly. In the United States, over 78 million tons of coal ash was produced in 2019. Fly ash, the main component of coal ash contains neurotoxic metal(loid)s that may affect children’s neurodevelopment and mental health. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between fly ash and depressive problems in children aged 6-14 years old. METHODS: Children and their parents/guardians were recruited from 2015-2020. Tobit regression and Poisson regression were used to assess the association between coal fly ash and depressive problems. To determine fly ash presence, Scanning Electron Microscopy was conducted on polycarbonate filters containing PM10 from the homes of the study participants. Depressive problems in children were measured using the Depressive Problems DSM and withdrawn/depressed syndromic problem scales of the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: In covariate-adjusted Tobit regression models, children with fly ash on the filter had higher scores on the DSM Depressive Problems (3.14 points; 95% CI=0.40, 5.89) and the syndromic withdrawn depression (2.63 points; 95% CI = -0.20, 5.46) scales compared with children who did not have fly ash on the filter. Poisson regression supported these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Coal ash is one of the largest waste streams in the U.S., but it is not classified as a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed the impact of coal ash on children’s mental health. This study highlights the need for further research into the effects of coal ash exposure on children’s mental health, and improved regulations on release and storage of coal ash. KEYWORDS: coal ash; fly ash; children’s mental health; depression; children’s environmental health

Exposure to coal ash and depression in children aged 6–14 years old

BackgroundWhen coal is burned for energy, coal ash, a hazardous waste product, is generated. Throughout the world, over 1 billion tons of coal ash is produced yearly. In the United States, over 78 million tons of coal ash was produced in 2019. Fly ash, the main component of coal ash contains neurotoxic metal (loid)s that may affect children's neurodevelopment and mental health. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between fly ash and depressive problems in children aged 6–14 years old. MethodsChildren and their parents/guardians were recruited from 2015 to 2020. Tobit regression and logistic regression were used to assess the association between coal fly ash and depressive problems. To determine fly ash presence, Scanning Electron Microscopy was conducted on polycarbonate filters containing PM10 from the homes of the study participants. Depressive problems in children were measured using the Depressive Problems DSM and withdrawn/depressed syndromic problem scales of the Child Behavior Checklist. ResultsIn covariate-adjusted Tobit regression models, children with fly ash on the filter had higher scores on the DSM Depressive Problems (3.13 points; 95% CI = 0.39, 5.88) compared with children who did not have fly ash on the filter. Logistic regression supported these findings. ConclusionCoal ash is one of the largest waste streams in the U.S, but it is not classified as a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed the impact of coal ash on children's mental health. This study highlights the need for further research into the effects of coal ash exposure on children's mental health, and improved regulations on release and storage of coal ash.

A follow up analysis of soil properties four years after the Dan River coal ash spill

In 2014, a storm water pipe located under a coal ash impoundment along the Dan River in North Carolina failed, releasing approximately 39,000 tons of coal ash into the river. To assess the impact of this spill on soil properties, a CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience) course was taught in 2015 and 2018. In 2015, significant differences were found in the abiotic and biotic properties of impacted soils. This study, resampling the same locations, found significant differences remain in the concentrations of phosphorous, calcium, total exchange capacity, and certain nitrogen species. Impacted sites have significantly lower microbial abundance, significantly different phylogenetic make-ups; similar, but non-significant, decreases in dehydrogenase activity; and significantly different levels of bacterial resistance to low concentrations of chromium. Given the ongoing risk of coal ash spills into North Carolina waterways, including those most recently caused by hurricanes Florence and Michael, these findings could have important implications for the potential impact of such spills upon soil microbes within similar riparian ecosystems.

Правовые основы формирования системы эффективного обращения с побочными продуктами сжигания угля

Nowadays the increased attention in the Russian Federation has been paid to the coal ash handling issue. This is due to a number of reasons: the tightening of environmental regulation with the transition to the principles of the best available technologies, the greening of coal-fired power industry, the depletion of ash dumps of coal-fired TPPs, etc. Today, the average age of coal-fired TPPs is approximately 45-50 years, which significantly affects the technical and environmental performance of the TPP ash removal system. Conventional technical solutions using hydraulic ash removal systems for transporting coal ash slurry at TPPs are technically outdated, uneconomical and environmentally ineffective. Currently, about 1.5 billion tons of coal ash have been accumulated at the ash dumps, and these figures are growing every year. In this regard, the main problem of coal-fired TPPs is the elimination of the accumulated environmental damage, which can be solved only by implementing large-scale projects for the integrated processing of coal ash to obtain products in demand. The article provides an overview and analysis of the main regulatory documents in the field of coal ash handling, including the features of regulatory technical acts, problems that reveal the gaps in the existing regulatory framework and the impossibility of its practical application; proposals for the development of the missing and correct normative and technology-based documents needed to form the technological basis for manufacturing the products from coal ash. The article presents the experience of the Russian company Ecomett-Luch LLC in the integrated processing of coal ash from Primorskaya State District Power Plant regarding the processing of coal ash products of the current output, as well as the wastes disposed off, obtaining various products demanded both in Russia and abroad. The article contains a diagram showing the dynamics of the investment process of developing waste-free production at coal-fired TPPs based on many years of the authors’ experience in the field of coal ash handling.

Bottom Ash of the Largest Kuzbass Coal Power Plants: Secondary Use Possibility

Kemerovo district coal power plant, Tom-Usinskaya district coal power plant and Belovo district coal power plant are the largest coal power plants in Kuzbass and during the combustion of coal they generate annually about 1600 tons of coal ash which consists of fly ash and bottom ash. Almost all the generated ash is disposed into ash dumps except a small quantity of fly ash (3.5%) that is effectively utilized. Therefore, secondary use of the bottom ash can be a sustainable solution for reducing its by-products and overcoming the scarcity of raw materials required for construction work. Therefore, the main aim of this research was to determine the chemical composition and granulometric properties of bottom ash to find out the possibility of using it as raw material for the building materials production. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to determine basicity index, activity index, average grain density, bulk density, true density and grain size distribution. The experimental results reveal that the particle size of ash is predominantly sand-sized while containing some silt-sized and rubble-sized fractions as well. The studied bottom ash has a low basicity and activity index, respectively, does not have independent hydraulic activity. Thus, bottom ash of the largest Kuzbass coal power plants can be used as raw material for the building materials production.

Technological Solutions for Recycling Ash Slag from the Cao Ngan Coal Power Plant in Vietnam

Annually, coal-fired power plants in Vietnam discharge hundreds of thousand tons of coal ash. Most of this ash goes into the environment without treatment or any plan for the efficient reuse of this precious resource. There are many reasons for this, such as poor quality of the ash, no suitable and feasible ash treatment technology, a lack of awareness about environmental pollution and resource saving, and inappropriate sanctions and policies. This study analyzed and summarized information and data pertaining to the current status of the production, discharge, and utilization of coal ash from the Cao Ngan Power Plant (CNPP) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. In addition, the potential for applying advanced emission reduction technologies in order to recycle coal ash for cement production, as well as geographical, socio-economic, and market factors were assessed. This paper reveals the results of a preliminary assessment of carbon-mineralization technologies which seek to achieve the following three goals: (1) effectively disposing of coal ash to protect the environment and local community, (2) contributing to the nationally determined effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions which cause climate change, and (3) making value-added products and bringing economic benefits to a sustainable society.

Geotechnical Engineering Properties of Fly Ash and Bottom Ash: Use as Civil Engineering Construction Material

Norochcholai coal power plant is the largest coal power plant in Sri Lanka and during the combustion of coalit annually generates about 250,000 metric tons of coal ash which consists of fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA). Almost all the generated ash is disposed into ash dumps except a small quantity of FA (30%) that is effectively utilized. Therefore, use of coal ash for construction purposes will offer a sustainable solution for reducing its by-products and overcoming the scarcity of raw materials required for construction work. The main aim of this research was therefore to determine the geotechnical engineering properties of FA and BA to find out the feasibility of using them as light weight embankment or backfill material. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on FA, BA and FA-BA co-mixed samples to determine their particle size distribution, specific gravity, index properties, compaction characteristics, shear strength parameters and California bearing ratio (CBR). The experimental results reveal that the particle size of coal ash (FA and BA) is predominantly silt sized while containing some sand-sized fractions as well. This coal ash has a low maximum dry density (MDD) and a high optimum moisture content (OMC) compared to typical granular soils used in embankments. In addition, this ash has a higher friction angle and higher cohesion than most types of construction fills. Thus, both FA and BA can be used as light weight embankment or back fill material in civil engineering construction work.

Research Article: Assessing the impact of coal ash exposure on soil microbes in the Dan River

Abstract. In February of 2014, over 50,000 tons of coal ash was spilled from a retired power plant into the Dan River of North Carolina. Coal ash exposure can have either positive or negative effects on an ecosystem, largely depending on the concentration and species of the heavy metals it contains. The resulting alterations within an ecosystem can include both abiotic factors, such as the pH of contaminated soils or waterways, and biotic factors, including the viability and diversity of exposed organisms. Herein, we report that one year following the coal ash spill into the Dan River significant differences were observed in several abiotic factors of contaminated bank and channel soils, including pH and content of chromium, sulfur, and calcium. Furthermore, the density, diversity, and fitness of the microbes in soils exposed to coal ash were also altered when compared to reference samples. The implications of these variations are discussed.

A Comprehensive Review on the Properties of Coal Bottom Ash in Concrete as Sound Absorption Material

The government is currently implementing policies to increase the usage of coal as fuel for electricity generation. At the same time, the dependency on gas will be reduced. In addition, coal power plants in Malaysia produce large amounts of industrial waste such as bottom ash which is collected in impoundment ponds (ash pond). However, millions of tons of coal ash (bottom ash) waste are collected in ponds near power plant stations. Since bottom ash has been classified as hazardous material that threatens the health and safety of human life, an innovative and sustainable solution has been introduced to reuse or recycle industrial waste such as coal bottom ash in concrete mixtures to create a greener and more sustainable world. Bottom ash has the potential to be used as concrete material to replace fine aggregates, coarse aggregates or both. Hence, this paper provides an overview of previous research which used bottom ash as fine aggregate replacement in conventional concrete. The workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, and sound absorption of bottom ash in concrete are reviewed.

Investigation of coal bottom ash and fly ash in concrete as replacement for sand and cement

Malaysia produces about 8.5 million tons of coal ash as waste which comprises of bottom ash and fly ash. Reusing such waste which is otherwise sent to landfills is an environment-friendly option. Hence, the major aim of this research study was to investigate their use in concrete to replace sand with bottom ash waste and cement with fly ash. Concrete specimens were prepared incorporating 0, 20, 50, 75 and 100% of bottom ash replacing sand and 20% of coal fly ash by mass, as a substitute for Ordinary Portland cement. Fresh and hardened state properties of the experimental specimens were determined. Results revealed that concrete workability reduced when bottom ash content increased replacing sand. On the other hand, at the early age of 28d, no significant effect was observed in compressive, flexural and tensile strengths of all concrete samples. After curing at 91 and 180d ages, compressive strength of both the experimental and control concrete samples increased significantly but remained almost similar. However, flexural and splitting tensile strengths of the experimental mix containing 75% bottom ash and 20% fly ash exceeded much more than the control sample. Moreover, drying-shrinkage of experimental concrete mixtures containing 50%, 75% and 100% bottom ash and 20% fly ash was lower than the control mix. It is concluded that those experimental concrete mixes can be used in several structures (foundations, sub-bases, pavements, etc.) which will minimize the cost, energy and environmental problems to a great extent.

A Study on Leaching Property of Hazardous Substances in Coal Ash Through the Column Test (Percolation test)

The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of hazardous substances of coal ash and to evaluate the environmental contamination possibility in order to enable the recycling of coal ash generated in thermal power plants. Currently, the various requirements for the activation coal ash (bottom ash) thermal power plant recycling of emitters and are also required by law to be considered as the country’s environmental impact on the environment of large amounts of recycling coal ash. In South Korea’s national assembly in requesting an environmental impact if the potential for soil and groundwater that can occur when you recycle roadbed, cover soil of coal ash were performed in this study. Based on this study we intend to develop a plan to expand the use of recycled coal ash. There are 10 coal-fired thermal power plants in Korea. About 8.6 million tons of coal ash was generated from those power plants in 2012. Coal ash is composed of fly ash (82%) and bottom ash (18%). While most of the fly ash is recycled as ready-mix concrete admixtures and cement additives, bottom ash is left unused in landfill located within power plant. So, in this study we assessed the recyclability of the bottom ash generated by Samcheonpo and Hadong thermal power plant. The concentrations of hazardous substances contained in coal ash (bottom ash) were generally lower than criteria for contaminants in soil and standard for hazardous substances contained in designated waste. Result of column leaching test for potential environmental impact assessment indicated that increased leaching led to reduced ionic strength of coal ash. Heavy metals did not show any clear pattern of decreased concentration; however the level of heavy metals in coal ash was generally low. Ecological toxicity in the effluent from column was the level of wastewater disposal criteria (2TU) of Korea, which is judged to be not concerned level in environmental aspects.

Properties of concrete containing high volumes of coal bottom ash as fine aggregate

Coal fired thermal plants in India produce about 131 million tons of coal ash, which comprises about 25 million tons of coal bottom ash. Utilization of coal bottom ash has environmental advantages also which are of great importance in the present context of sustainability of natural resources. The replacement of river sand with industrial by-products such as coal bottom ash in concrete can prove both technically and economically beneficial to the construction industry. In this study, laboratory tests were conducted to assess the possibility of the use of coal bottom ash as a substitute material of river sand in concrete. River sand was substituted with coal bottom ash by mass in concrete at 0, 30, 50, 75 and 100% replacement level. The test results show that 28 d compressive strength and pulse velocity through concrete were not affected on the use of coal bottom ash in concrete. Water absorption and initial rate of absorption of water by capillary action increased on incorporation of coal bottom ash in concrete manufacturing. However, the secondary rate of absorption of water was constant for all concrete mixtures. Water absorption varied between 4.68 and 5.56% for all concrete mixtures at curing period of 28 d. With increasing age, bottom ash concrete mixtures showed significant reduction in permeable pore space and water absorption. Abrasion resistance was measured in terms of average depth of wear. Bottom ash concrete mixtures displayed marginally lesser resistance to abrasion than control concrete. All the concrete mixtures showed decrease in the average depth of wear with increasing age, in other words increase in resistance to abrasion.

Tribe at a Crossroads: The Navajo Nation Purchases a Coal Mine

Tribe at a Crossroads: The Navajo Nation Purchases a Coal Mine

Compressive Strength and Density of Cementless Unfired Lightweight Brick Utilizing Coal Ash from Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant

Millions tons of coal ash which constitute of fly ash and bottom ash were produced annually throughout the world. They were significant to be developed as masonry brick to substitute the existing widely used traditional material such as clay and sand brick which were produced from depleting and dwindling natural resources. In the present study, the coal ash from coal-fired thermal power plant was used as the main raw material for the fabrication of cementless unfired lightweight brick. The binder comprising of Hydrated Lime (HL)-activated Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS) system at binding ratio 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30 were used to stabilize the coal ash in the fabrication process of the brick. Foam was used to lightweight the brick. The compressive strength and ambient density were evaluated on the brick. The results indicated that the brick incorporating HL-GGBS system achieved higher strength of 20.84N/mm2 at 28 days compare to the HL system with strength of 13.98N/mm2 at 28 days. However, as the quantity of foam increase at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, the strength and density for the brick decreased.

Call for tighter coal ash disposal standards

More than 200 million tons of coal ash and scrubber sludge were deposited from coal plants into ponds or landfills between 2009 and 2011, according to a 21 December report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D. C. EIP issued the report to mark the fourth anniversary of the dike rupture at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant, which spilled an estimated 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry into the Tennessee River system on 22 December 2008. EIP called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue ash disposal standards.

Natural radionuclides from coal fired thermal power plants – estimation of atmospheric release and inhalation risk

Coal, bottom ash and fly ash samples were collected from three different coal-fired thermal power plants in India and subjected to gamma spectrometry analysis for natural radioactivity contents. The results of present study show that fly ash and bottom ash contains two to five times more natural radionuclides than feed coal. None of the fly-ash and bottom ash samples had radium equivalent activities and external hazard index values more than 370Bq kg -1 and unity respectively. However the absorbed dose rate at 1m above the ash pond was 79.19nGyh -1 (average of 3 plants) higher than the global average value of 55nGyh -1 . The corresponding annual external effective dose is estimated to be 0.68mSvy -1 , which is also more than that (0.46mSvy -1 ) in areas of natural background radiation. The 5th percentile, 95th percentile and mean values for total inhalation risk arising from radionuclides (Ra 226 ,T h 228 ,P b 210 and Nat-U) were found to be 3.83 × 10 −9 , 6.50 × 10 −8 and 2.08 × 10 −8 respectively. In India, the rapid increase in thermal generation capacity and at the same time a deterioration of the quality of coal with increased ash content resulted in huge quantity of fly ash and bottom ash of varying properties. The coal contains naturally occurring primordial radionuclide thus the use of coal as a heat source for electric power generation will result in the emission of a variety of natural radioactive elements into the environment. The trace elements in coal that are naturally radioactive are uranium (U), thorium (Th), and their decay products, including radium (Ra) and radon (Rn). Thus coal fired power plant is a major contributor towards the Technologically Enhanced Natural Radiation (TENR) as it results in generation of huge amounts of fly ash and bottom ash containing natural radionuclides. Indian coal used in power plants generally has high ash content and is of lower quality (Mathur et. al., 2003). Presently about 110 million tonnes of coal-ash is generated in India from more than 70 thermal power plants (Sarkar et. al., 2005). By the year 2012 this is predicted to increase to 170 million tonnes per annum (Rajamane, 2003). Thus, fly ash and bottom ash are significant sources of exposure to the naturally occurring radionuclides that affect especially the population in the vicinity of industrial areas. In India, the major portion of fly ash produced goes for disposal in ash ponds and landfills; and a small fraction of it is utilized in construction material (taking advantage of its cementitious or binding characteristic) or as soil amendment (mainly because of its high alkalinity). The openly dumped fly ash poses radiation hazard due to the leachability of radionuclides into the ground water stream ultimately contaminating the drinking waters. The disposal and even the utilization in construction work also leads to exposure to radiation doses to the personals in vicinity. Therefore it is necessary to characterize and quantify the natural radioactivity content in fly ash and bottom ash for subsequent evaluation of the associated environmental and biological risks. The feed coal used in power plants contains various elements, minerals and organic constituents. Upon burn up the elements tend to get enriched in the ashes. Radionuclides which are normally found in the coals get enriched into the ashes after burn up. The concentration of most radioactive elements in

Land Application of Compost and Other Wastes (By-products) in Florida: Regulations, Characteristics, Benefits, and Concerns

Compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and processed to further reduce pathogens as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and stabilized to the point that the compost is beneficial to plant growth. Organic materials used for composting in Florida are mainly yard wastes (trash) and food wastes. More than 5.7 million tons of composts could be produced from yard trash and food waste in the state. Animal manure and biosolids (treated sludge) can also be composted, but are not discussed in this article. “Other wastes” as discussed herein [food processing wastes, coal ash, wood ash, drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs), and phosphogypsum] are by-products of leading Florida industries and are available in large quantities for reuse. About 5 million tons of food processing waste [citrus (Citrus spp.) and vegetables alone], 1.85 million tons of coal ash (from 28 coal-burning power plants), 0.05 million tons of wood ash, 1000 million tons of phosphogypsum (from the state's phosphate fertilizer industry), and significant, but unknown, amounts of WTRs are available. Due to the growing interest in sustainable agriculture practices, this article is intended to discuss the current regulations and guidelines for composting and the use of composts and other wastes in Florida, the characteristics, benefits, and concerns of Florida compost and other wastes, and current research and needs of research and extension for incorporating compost and other waste materials in Florida's sustainable agriculture. Our literature search was largely limited to studies conducted in Florida.

Studies of lagoon ash from Sarawak to assess the impact on the environment

Coal utilization, mainly in thermal power plants, has increased significantly from 4.2 to 13 million tonnes within 2000 to 2005, which resulted in the production of approximately 2 million tonnes of coal ash in Malaysia. Of this only a small percentage is used as a cement ingredient, in concrete industry, as a fill material, etc. and with the rest of the amount being disposed in ash ponds or lagoons. If the lagoons are not properly designed with a landfill liner or if there is spillage from the ash pond, the toxic heavy metal present in coal ash can result in the contamination of the subsurface soil and the ground water. The concentration of heavy metals or trace elements in coal residues depends on the composition of a particular parent coal and the bulk utilization of lagoon ash for various purposes requires a complete characterization of the ash. Hence, this paper analyzes the coal ash for its trace element content and characterizes mainly physical, chemical, mineralogical, morphological and thermal properties of the lagoon ash from a local coal based thermal power plant from Sarawak, Malaysia. The results also indicated that, the concentration of some trace elements is quite high from the environmental perspective in this particular lagoon ash.