Characterization of heavy metal trace elements in the fly ash from a thermal power plant

The disposal of fly ash in the thermal power plant is a challenging task. With the increase in the demand of the coal as fuel in thermal power plants, combustion products, such as coal ash, become a serious environmental problem due to their leaching characteristics. The objective of the present study was to investigate the leaching characteristics of the fly ash disposed in ash pond of thermal power plants. A series of leaching tests have been performed with different liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio. The L/S ratio varies from 20:1 to 60:1. It is observed that the elements, such as Mn, Mg, Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Cu, are most abundant elements, while Mo and Co are the least abundant elements. It is also observed that the leaching characteristics of the fly ash are affected by the pH of extraction solution and liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio.