Abstract

In India coal-based thermal power plants havebeen a major source of power generation, where 75% of the totalpower obtained is from coal-based thermal power plants. Theseplants produce enormous quantity of fly ash. Many of theelements contained in ash are possessing health orenvironmental risks. In many applications, fly ash is exposed tonatural fluids, such as acid rain and groundwater. A portion offly ash produces by these plants is ultimately dumped in the ashdykes in the form of slurry. This slurry contain various metalions out of which the ions of concern are Hg, Cr, As, Ni, Cd, Cu,Pb, Zn, and B which may percolate down & pollute groundwater.<br>This study investigates the leachate potential of heavy metalfor fly ash of one of the Super Thermal Power Plant in India. Italso studies the impact of leaching of toxics from ash dumps towater bodies within an area falling in 10 Km radii of ash dumps.The results shows that 5-30% toxic elements (As, Cu, Pb, Mg, Al)are leached in test and around 10% of total Cd was solubilizedin the acidic pH range (3 to 5). This study also observed thatsome heavy metals, trace elements and fluoride in ground waterand surface water are present in such quantity which is notdesirable in drinking water for direct use as per WHOstandards. Thus the study concludes that fly ash has moderatepolluting effect on ground water in area which comes underradii of 4 Km where proper treatment of water is requiredbefore utilizing it as a drinking purpose.