Heavy metals in coal carbonization wastewater and their complexation — Some observations

Effluents from low temperature carbonization, high temperature carbonization and producer gas plants in India have been found to contain heavy metals. The level of metals differ from plant to plant and is attributed to operational conditions of carbonization units and quality of coal used. Phenols and organic bases present in the effluent can form organometallic complexes with metal ions present. Such complexes are of environmental significance being toxic, mutagenic and teratogenic in nature. The present investigation showed that LTC wastewater forms complexes with Fe, Cu, and Co, however it does not form any complex with Mn and Zn.