ANALYSIS OF CROPS GROWN ON COAL-ASH TREATED SOILS

Coal ash is a major component of solid residue resulting by coal-fired thermal power plants. Trace elements like Mn , Cu , Zn , As , Se , Mo and Pb in fly ash and pond ash samples collected from ten coal-fired thermal power plants in India, and crops (rice, wheat, maize grain and straw and onion bulbs) grown on coal ash treated soils at Angul, Bakreswar and Farakka sites of India have been analysed at Institute of Physics by Particle Induced X-ray Emission and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence techniques. Our analysis shows that the concentrations of trace elements of grains are higher than in straws. Increasing trends in the uptake of micro-nutrients by the crops due to application of coal ash, were recorded, but within permissible limits.