Assessment of the environmental impact of power plant fly ash
The disposal of large amounts of coal fly ash is an environmental problem of increasing magnitude. The two principal reasons for environmental concern are the entry of heavy metals from fly ash into the soil and water supplies, and radiation from the naturally occuring radionuclides in fly ash. Currently, about 50 million tons per year of coal fly ash are being produced in the United States, and it is estimated that the increased consumption of coal will raise fly ash production to approximately 60 and 150 million tons per year by 1985 and 2000, respectively. Only about 17 percent of the fly ash produced annually is presently being used and this largely for construction purposes. The 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) deals with the management of solid and hazardous wastes, and encourages energy and resource recovery. Recent research has indicated that solid wastes from coal combustion, including fly ash, could be classified as hazardous under present EPA definitions. The seriousness of this possibility has been recognized and new rules for coal ash waste disposal are being considered. Ames Laboratory research on fly ash utilization as an alternative to disposal includes extraction of metals from the ash and discovery of uses for the process residues. Recovery of alumina and iron oxides by physical and chemical processing would permit large scale utilization of fly ash and help reduce dependency on imports. This paper deals with the environmental impact of coal combustion and fly ash disposal, the current status of relevant legislation and regulations, and ash utilization process development. A process being developed at the Ames Laboratory for metals recovery from fly ash is described.
- Research Organization:
- Ames Laboratory, USDOE and Department of Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5201833
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-801210-
- Journal Information:
- Alternative Energy Sources; (United States), Journal Name: Alternative Energy Sources; (United States) Vol. 9; ISSN ALESD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
AEROSOL WASTES
ASHES
CONTROL
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FLY ASH
LAND POLLUTION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
POLLUTION
PROCESS CONTROL
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
REGULATIONS
RESIDUES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION