Metallic Elements In Bottom Ash & Their Contamination In Surface & Subsurface Water - A Case Study

In the global Energy scenario, coal contributes the greatest fraction. Increased quantity of coal utilisation leads to the generation of huge quantity of non-combustible waste contain­ing compounds of several alumino-silicates and trace elements As these wastes are dis­posed in the environment the toxic elements gets a fair chance to disturb the ecosystem An estimation of the concentrations of different trace elements in the waste- the bottom ash fraction and the fly ash fraction - helps in assessment of the intensity of environmental pollution contributed individually by these two fraction Since, there is no end-user of bottom ash, it is left uncared under the activities of different surface processes, where a fair chance of contamination always exists The preferred sites of contamination are the ground water through percolation of the trace elements with rainwater and surface water where seepage from the ash pond occurs In both the cases, quantity of contamination depends on the solubility of the com pounds of particular trace elements

The present investigation deals with the characterisation of different trace elements present in the bottom ash generated in Kolaghat Thermal Power Station (KTPS).