Evaluation of Cocomposted Coal Fly Ash on Dynamics of Microbial Populations and Heavy Metal Uptake

Vicia faba, in a pot experiment with sandy and clayey soils under greenhouse conditions, was checked for growth response to different amendments with coal alkaline fly ash or cocomposted fly ash mixed with lignocellulosic residues. Soil microbial populations, pH and electrical conductivity as well as heavy metal uptake by plants were monitored. At rates of five and ten percent (on a dry matter basis) in both soils, neither fly ash alone nor cocomposted fly ash exerted any negative effect. Plant biomass production was not influenced in either clayey or sandy soil. Alkaline fly ash did not promote microbial growth when applied alone to the soils. However, cocomposted fly ash generally increased bacterial and actinomycetes counts in both soils. Fungi were not affected by ash. Due to the increase of soil pH by alkaline fly ash or cocomposted fly ash, plant uptake of heavy metals was depressed in the sandy soil. Heavy metal mobility did not cause change in the clayey soil where a high buffering capacity mitigated the effects of fly ash amendments.     

Some effects of fly ash (from coal burning) on bush bean plants grown in solution culture

Abstract

Bush bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. C. V. Improved Tendergreen) were grown for 14 days in 3700‐ml solution cultures with varying application rates of fly ash from a coal burning plant in California. Plants were also grown in a solution culture experiment in the presence of tiie chelating agent DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) and also in solutions acidified with HCl. The latter treatments were to determine if metals in the fly ash could be made more available to plants. The higher levels of fly ash (5 to 10 g/3700 ml) resulted in increased Ca, B, Si, Sr, and Ba in leaves, stems, and roots. No plants, however, appeared to have an excess of trace metals. In another experiment DTPA and HCl amendments failed to increase greatly the availability of trace metals from the fly ash in solution culture except for Zn. In this experiment the fly ash was the sole source of Ca and plants were deficient in Ca because insufficient fly ash was added. The fly ash resulted in increased Zn, Ca, Fe, Mn, B, Al, Si, Ti, Mo, Li, Sr, Ba in leaves, stems, and roots and increased V, Co, and Ni in roots. There was 3 to 4 μg/g Sn and 0.6 μg/g Be in the roots of plants grown with fly ash. In another experiment, fly ash supplied all the Ca necessary for plant growth without decreased yields resulting from any trace metal.     

Solubility and Fractionation of Different Metals in Fly Ash of Powder River Basin Coal

Coal is one of the major sources of fuel for electricity production and will continue to be used for many more decades. Thus, it is important to study the effects of disposal of coal burning byproducts including fly ash into the environment. In this study, the solubility of cations and anions from the fly ash in water is discussed. Also, the fractionation of different metals from fly ash in water is studied to understand which fraction of the metals would likely be mobilized. The results from these studies suggested that the metals in the fly ash are bound mostly to carbonate, organic, and residual fractions. Also, when water solubility data are modeled with a geochemical model (Visual MINTEQ), the saturation index predictions suggested that brucite (Mg(OH)₂) and calcite (CaCO₃) could potentially precipitate and mineralize the atmospheric CO₂. Such mineralization process could potentially reduce the leaching of toxic metals from fly ash. Results from this study will be helpful in understanding the fate of different metals from fly ash land disposal environments.     

Co-disposal of Heavy Metals Containing Waste Water and Medical Waste Incinerator Fly Ash by Hydrothermal Process with Addition of Sodium Carbonate: A Case Study on Cu(II) Removal

Fly ash generated from medical waste incinerator and wastewater produced from electroplating plants contains various hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals and chlorinated organic compounds. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the feasibility of removing heavy metals from wastewater using medical waste incinerator fly ash as the treatment reagent with addition of small amount of sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) in a hydrothermal process. Copper (Cu) was used as the model heavy metal contaminant in the process. The results revealed that medical waste incinerator fly ash could effectively stabilize Cu(II) ion from wastewater, the crystal phase and simple substance formed during the treatment played a significant role in the fixation of heavy metals in wastewater and fly ash. The heavy metal leachability of treated ash was also measured after removal process. The co-disposal of Cu-containing wastewater and heavy metals-bearing medical waste incinerator fly ash by hydrothermal treatment with addition of a small amount of Na₂SO₃ was found promising as an effective way of removing Cu from wastewater. The reutilization feasibility of fly ash and the formation mechanism of copper-containing substances were also discussed in this paper.     

Remediation of Fly Ash Dumpsites Through Bioenergy Crop Plantation and Generation: A Review

Utilization of fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion in thermal power plants, is a sustainable use of waste for power generation. Discarding fly ash as waste in landfills/ash ponds may not only be regarded as a loss of valuable land and essential nutrients, but also pose a significant health hazard due to fine air-borne particles and leaching of heavy metals. The presence of essential macro- and micronutrients and its porosity make fly ash an excellent soil amendment for plant growth as an organic nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) supplementation. As harmful heavy metals make fly ash unsafe for agronomy, bioenergy crop plantation and energy generation from different thermochemical conversions of the biomass would be an ideal method for coal fly ash utilization through which carbon-neutral fuel can be generated from fossil fuel, thus reducing climate change impact. This review summarizes the development of bioenergy plantation and silviculture at fly ash dumpsites with an integrated phyto-bio-rhizo-mycoremediation approach and assesses utilization of the valuable biomass for thermal energy, electricity, and biofuel generation with inclusion of a SWOT analysis (a strategic technique typically used to help identify the strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat). Bioenergy crop production through integrated phytomanagement can generate billions of dollars of wealth from waste and provides a sustainable solution for fly ash management, with environmental, economic, and social benefits.     

Effect of Flue Gas Treatment on the Solubility and Fractionation of Different Metals in Fly Ash of Powder River Basin Coal

Studies were conducted to examine the effect of flue gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) on solubility and availability of different metals in fly ash of Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, Wyoming, USA. Initial fly ash (control) was alkaline and contains large amounts of water-soluble and exchangeable metals. Reaction of flue gas CO₂ with alkaline fly ash resulted in the formation of carbonates which minimized the solubility of metals. Results for metal fractionation studies also supported this fact. The present study also suggested that most of the water-soluble and exchangeable metals present in the control (untreated) fly ash samples decreased in the flue gas-treated samples. This may be due to the transfer of the above two forms to more resistant forms like carbonate bound (CBD), oxide bound (OXD), and residual (RS). Geochemical modeling (Visual MINTEQ) of water solubility data suggested that the saturation index (SI) values of dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂) and calcite (CaCO₃) were oversaturated, which has potential to mineralize atmospheric CO₂ and thereby reduce leaching of toxic metals from fly ash. Results from this study also showed that the reaction of flue gas CO₂ with alkaline fly ash not only control the solubility of toxic metals but also form carbonate minerals which have the potential to fix CO₂.     

Coal Fly Ash and Phospho‐gypsum Mixture as an Amendment to Improve Rice Paddy Soil Fertility

Abstract

Rice is a plant that requires high levels of silica (Si). As a silicate (SiO₂) source to rice, coal fly ash (hereafter, fly ash), which has an alkaline pH and high available silicate and boron (B) contents, was mixed with phosphor‐gypsum (hereafter, gypsum, 50%, wt wt^?1), a by‐product from the production of phosphate fertilizer, to improve the fly ash limitation. Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of the mixture on soil properties and rice (Oryza sativa) productivity in silt loam (SiL) and loamy sand (LS) soils to which 0 (FG 0), 20 (FG 20), 40 (FG 40), and 60 (FG 60) Mg ha^?1 were added. The mixture increased the amount of available silicate and exchangeable calcium (Ca) contents in the soils and the uptake of silicate by rice plant. The mixture did not result in accumulation of heavy metals in soil and an excessive uptake of heavy metals by the rice grain. The available boron content in soil increased with the mixture application levels up to 1.42 mg kg^?1 following the application of 60 Mg ha^?1 but did not show toxicity. The mixture increased significantly rice yield and showed the highest yields following the addition of 30–40 Mg ha^?1 in two soils. It is concluded that the fly ash and gypsum mixture could be a good source of inorganic soil amendments to restore the soil nutrient balance in rice paddy soil.     

生物质电厂飞灰用作肥料的可行性评价

为了研究炉排燃烧生物质电厂飞灰在农林方面的应用价值和可能产生的环境影响,根据欧盟相关标准分析了2种飞灰(A、B)的基础特性(水分、灰分、总有机碳含量、p H值和电导率),并利用电感耦合等离子体光谱仪、质谱仪分析了飞灰中营养元素和有害元素的含量;参考中国固体废物浸出毒性浸出方法标准研究了营养元素和有害元素的浸出特性。结果表明,2种飞灰p H值均大于12,呈较强的碱性;并且二者不仅含有较高浓度的有机碳(A:18.39%;B:7.79%),还富含K、Ca、Mg、P等营养元素,其他主要有害元素的含量低于欧盟一些国家生物质灰农、林用和中国粉煤灰农用标准所规定上限值,这使得它们可以作为土壤改良剂或者辅料应用的农林方面。此外,除A飞灰中Cr的浸出率为1.274%外,其他有害元素的浸出率远小于1%,因而当它们应用在农林土壤时不至于造成污染。     

Heavy metal uptake by wheat seedlings grown in fly ash-amended soils

A bioassay technique was used to investigate heavy metals uptake by wheat seedlings grown in fly ash-amended soils. No negative effect of fly ash on the growth of wheat seedlings was found. The addition of the fly ash generally decreased the heavy metal concentration in the wheat seedlings. The total accumulation largely depended on the soil characteristics. The variation in the soil pH induced by the fly ash treatment could be considered the most important parameter that influenced heavy metals uptake. In the soil with a higher increase of pH (2 units) total accumulation of heavy metals decreased with increasing fly ash addition. In the other soils where the pH variation was lower (0.4 units), total accumulation of some heavy metals increased. These obtained data provide useful information which is required before the agronomic use of fly ash can be recommended in Italian soils.     

Studies on the Phase Mineralogy and Leaching Characteristics of Coal Fly Ash

The phase mineralogy and leaching characteristics of some Indian coal fly ashes were studied to assess their safe disposal in abandoned coal mines. Since, fly ash contains a number of toxic trace elements, the leaching of fly ash was tested using strong acid/alkali solutions and distilled water under different conditions (solid-liquid ratio, leaching time, pH) in the temperature range of 30-100 °C. It was found that the concentration of various metals in leachates depends on their chemical nature, association with mineral phases of ash and follows the almost similar concentration profile to that of iron, especially in acidic medium. The distribution of toxic trace elements in fly ash and their leachability were found to depend on the amount of unburnt carbon and iron in fly ash. In alkaline medium, leaching of iron and toxic trace elements (except As) from fly ash was very negligible. Hence, alkali treatment of coal fly ash is desirable for its safe use in refilling of coal mines.     

Potential of Eisenia foetida for Sustainable and Efficient Vermicomposting of Fly Ash

Vermicomposting of fly ash has been attempted, using red earthworm, Eisenia foetida. Fly ash, which was obtained from thermal power station, was mixed with cowdung in different proportions (20, 40, 60 and 80%). These mixtures were used as feed for earthworms, and after 30 days, vermicast recovery, worm zoomass and numbers of juveniles produced were recorded. A total of six runs each of 30 days were conducted during the whole study. Concentrations of heavy metals in different mixtures of fly ash–cowdung, before and after vermicomposting and in the earthworms used in the study were also estimated. Results show maximum output of vermicasts and maximum number of juveniles produced was in reactors with 40% fly ash while maximum weight gain by earthworm was in 20% fly ash vermireactors. Performance of vermireactors up to 60% fly ash was more or less similar but at 80% fly ash, there is a marked reduction in overall performance of the reactors. Chemical analysis of different samples of fly ash–cowdung mixtures prior to vermicomposting revealed high concentrations of zinc, chromium, lead, nickel and copper. Chemical analysis of vermicomposted samples showed 30–50% reduction in heavy metals up to 60% fly ash and 10–30% reduction in 80% fly ash. Metal analysis of earthworms revealed considerable bioaccumulation of heavy metals in their body. The Present study indicates the feasibility of E. foetida for mitigating the toxicity of metals and up to 60% fly ash–cowdung mixtures can be used for sustainable and efficient vermicomposting.     

徐州矿区充填复垦场地作物重金属含量研究

为了了解矿区充填复垦土壤重金属污染状况和复垦场地主要作物的重金属含量情况,通过场地采样试验与室内检测相结合的方法,对不同作物不同部位的砷、镉、铬、汞、铅、铜和锌等重金属含量进行了测定,并进行了相关的分析和研究。结果表明:作物在生育阶段不同部位对不同元素的敏感性不同;复垦场地红豆幼苗受重金属的污染较轻,而小麦和水稻则较严重;复垦场地应改变耕作制度,种植红豆或者利用红豆充当先锋作物。     

Technogenic Magnetic Particles in Alkaline Dusts from Power and Cement Plants

During this study, we investigated the mineralogical characterization of technogenic magnetic particles (TMPs) contained in alkaline industrial dust and fly ash emitted by coal burning power plants and cement plants. The reaction of tested dust samples varied between values of pH 8 and pH 12. Their magnetic properties were characterized by measurement of magnetic susceptibility (χ), frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility (χ_fd), and temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses included scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, microprobe analysis and X-ray diffraction. The TMPs in fly ash from hard coal combustion have the form of typical magnetic spherules with a smooth or corrugated surface as well as a skeletal morphology, composed of iron oxides (magnetite, maghemite, and magnesioferrite) that occurred in the form of incrustation on the surface of mullite, amorphous silica, or aluminosilicate particles. The TMPs observed in fly ash from lignite combustion have a similar morphological form but a different mineralogical composition. Instead of magnetite and magnesioferrite, maghemite and hematite with lower χ values were the prevailing magnetic minerals, which explains the much lower magnetic susceptibility of this kind of ash in comparison with the ash from hard coal combustion, and probably results from the lower temperature of lignite combustion. Morphology and mineralogical composition of TMPs in cement dust is more diverse. The magnetic fraction of cement dust occurs mostly in the form of angular and octahedral grains of a significantly finer granulation (<20 μm); however, spherules are also present. A very characteristic magnetic form for cement dust is calcium ferrite (CaFe₃O₅). The greatest impact on the magnetic susceptibility of cement dust results from iron-bearing additives (often waste materials from other branches of industry), which should be considered the most dangerous to the environment. Stoichiometric analysis of micro-particles confirmed the presence of heavy metals such as Pb, Mn, Cd, and Zn connected with TMPs, which are carriers of magnetic signals in atmospheric dust. Therefore, in some cases, their presence in topsoil when detected by magnetic measurement can be treated as an indicator of inorganic soil contamination.     

Geochemical behavior assessment and apportionment of heavy metal contaminants in the bottom sediments of lower reach of Changjiang River

Heavy metal contamination of bottom sediments of the Changjiang River is widely reported, however, the potential source and methods of transportation of these heavy metals in the contaminated sediments is poorly defined. This paper examines the correlation between heavy metals and geochemical indices, including Fe₂O₃, Al₂O₃, total organic carbon (TOC) and black carbon (BC), as well as magnetic susceptibility (MS). Using these indices we investigate the contamination characteristics of heavy metals in the sediments by with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results from 83 sediment samples collected in the lower reach of Changjiang River (from Nanjing to Shanghai) show that the first principal component accounts for 52.23% of the total variance, corresponding to the heavy metals, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn, and conservative components of Fe₂O₃, Al₂O₃ and TOC. This result indicates that heavy metal distributions are controlled by the transportation and sedimentation of fine particles which is also confirmed by particle size analysis. The second principal component explains 24.81% of the variance and is dominated by Cd, Pb and MS, which, collectively, result chiefly from industrial and transportation activities and, for MS, fly ash production. The third principal component accounts for 7.91% of the variance and corresponds solely to Hg. Principal component analysis/multiple linear regression (PCA/MLR) was used to estimate the contribution of the three principal components to each heavy metal. PCA/MLR results suggest that more than 50% of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn were influenced by the particle size effect. Particle size effect and fly ash account for 37.1% and 27.7% of As. Cd and Pb were mainly explained by fly ash. 98.9% of Hg was related to PC3, which represented black carbon (BC). Our study indicates that the combination of geochemical and multivariable statistical methods clearly characterizes the geochemistry of heavy metals in sediment of the lower reaches of the Changjiang River and suggests that power plants are the main source of heavy metal pollution.     

粉煤灰对污染土壤中铜镉的稳定化

采用批衡量吸附和室内培养实验,考察了粉煤灰对Cu和Cd的吸附等温线及0.2%、0.5%、1%和2%用量的粉煤灰对土壤pH、有效态Cu和Cd、以及5种化学形态Cu和Cd分布的影响。结果表明:粉煤灰对Cu和Cd的吸附等温线均可以用Langmuir和Freundlich方程进行拟合,其对Cu的最大吸附量(9.90 mg/g)高于对Cd的最大吸附量(9.43 mg/g)。随着粉煤灰用量的增加,土壤pH显著增加,有效态Cu和Cd显著降低。同时,粉煤灰处理显著降低了离子交换态Cu和Cd含量,增加了铁锰氧化物结合态Cu和Cd含量,降低了Cu和Cd活性,使活性态Cu和Cd逐渐向潜在活性态和非活性态转化。其中培养60天后,2%处理的粉煤灰处理较对照pH提高了0.44个单位,离子交换态Cu和Cd分别降低了35.7%和35.9%。因此,粉煤灰能够有效吸附Cu和Cd,显著降低土壤有效态和离子交换态Cu和Cd的含量,在重金属稳定化修复应用中具有较好的应用前景。     

Boron availability to plants from coal combustion by-products

Agronomic use of coal combustion by-products is often associated with boron (B) excess in amended soils and subsequently in plants. A greenhouse study with corn (Zea mays L.) as test plant was conducted to determine safe application rates of five fly ashes and one flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FDG). All by-products increased soil and corn tissue B concentration, in some cases above toxicity levels which are 5 mg hot water soluble B (hwsB) kg^?1 soil and 100 mg B kg^?1 in corn tissue. Acceptable application rates varied from 4 to 100 Mg ha^? for different by-products. Leaching and weathering of a high B fly ash under ponding conditions decreased its B content and that of corn grown in fly ash amended soil, while leaching of the same fly ash under laboratory conditions increased fly ash B availability to corn in comparison to the fresh fly ash. Hot water soluble B in fly ash or FDG amended soil correlated very well with corn tissue B. Hot water soluble B in fly ash amended soil could be predicted based on soil pH and B solubility in ash at different pH values but not so in the case of FDG. Another greenhouse study was conducted to compare the influence of FDG and Ca(OH)₂ on B concentration in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves grown in soil amended with the high B fly ash. The Ca(OH)₂ significantly decreased tissue B content, while FDG did not affect B uptake from fly ash amended soil.     

Effect of excess lead,cadmium, copper,and zinc on water relations in sunflower

The effect of excess concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) on water relations in young sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants was studied in water culture under greenhouse conditions. The accumulation of the heavy metals was more intensive in the root than in the shoot. The rates of heavy metal accumulation in root were arranged in the following decreasing order: Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb. Their transport into the above‐ground parts followed the order: Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd. Transpiration and relative water content were significantly decreased by excess concentrations of the heavy metals. The number of stomata per unit leaf area was increased while the size of the stomata was decreased. The concentration of free proline significantly increased in the leaves of intact plants as well as in leaf discs incubated in the presence of heavy metals. The concentration of soluble proteins decreased as well, particularly when plants were exposed to high concentrations of the heavy metals. It was concluded that excess concentrations of the heavy metals significantly affected plant water status, causing water deficit and subsequent changes in the plants. The most intensive effect on the plants was exerted by Cd, less intensive by Cu and Zn and the least intensive by Pb.     

Physico-chemical characterization of water extracts of different coal fly ashes and fly ash-amended composts

The pH, conductivity and the concentration of 15 selected elements were measured in the water extracts of five coal fly ash samples collected from Savannah River Site (SRS) and one from South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE & G) power plant. This work was intended to study the differences in the physico-chemical properties of SRS fly ash samples relative to those of a reference sample (SCE & G) and to make fly ash-amended composts for agricultural use. Similar analyses were also performed in water extracts of a commercial organic manure, ‘Gotta Grow’, that was composted with one of the fly ash samples (SRS 484-D) in different proportions. Our results show that fly ash samples used in this study differ considerably in pH, conductivity, and elemental composition and that transition metals appear to bind more tightly on smaller particles than on larger ones. The elementally rich manure, ‘Gotta Grow’, is not suitable to study the effects of fly ash on the elemental release from fly ash-amended composts. Low grade or home-made organic composts are being investigated as possible choice for making ly ash-amended composts.     

污泥添加粉煤灰堆肥化对Cu、Zn、Pb形态的影响

污泥中重金属的危害是影响污泥土地利用的重要因素;污泥重金属危害不仅取决于总量,其形态分布更能反映重金属的迁移性以及生物有效性。实验以木屑为调节剂,粉煤灰作为钝化剂,研究污泥堆肥前后重金属Cu、Zn与Pb的形态分布变化。结果表明,堆肥对Cu有活化作用,而添加粉煤灰堆肥化能有效抑制这种活化,起到钝化作用,堆肥化使Pb向更稳定形态转化,添加粉煤灰堆肥化对Zn的钝化效果较好,当粉煤灰添加量为35%时,对Cu、Zn、Pb 3种重金属的易迁移态均具明显的钝化效果。     

基于废弃物的潞安煤矿废弃地改良土壤基质配比研究

为解决潞安矿区煤矸石山、塌陷地生态修复缺土少肥问题,本研究将粉煤灰、污泥与垃圾堆肥以5%、10%、20%体积比例正交混合配制改良土壤基质进行盆栽试验,观测不同配比土壤的理化性质、养分及重金属含量、高羊茅与紫叶小檗生长状况,并用主成分–聚类分析法筛选最优配比。结果表明:添加垃圾堆肥可以提高土壤有效养分与有机质含量,对土壤理化性质改良有明显效果;添加污泥仅提升土壤有效磷含量;添加粉煤灰在降低土壤容重、增大总孔隙度与非毛管孔隙度上效果明显,但对土壤p H、阳离子交换量(CEC)与碱解氮的改良具有显著负效应。各废弃物改良基质的碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、有机质等含量均较高,土壤重金属含量也处在安全范围,而土壤容重、非毛管孔隙、pH、电导率(EC)与CEC等指标性质较优的处理组为粉煤灰∶污泥∶垃圾堆肥∶土=5%∶20%∶20%∶55%、10%∶10%∶20%∶60%、20%∶5%∶20%∶55%3个处理。经过综合筛选,本研究基质最优混合配比为粉煤灰∶污泥∶垃圾堆肥∶土=5%∶20%∶20%∶55%,可作为当地矿区废弃地生态修复客土材料推荐方案。