Environmental impact of coal ash on tributary streams and nearshore water or Lake Erie. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6277419· OSTI ID:6277419

Wood, K. G.

The environmental impact of coal ash disposal at a landfill site in north-central Chautauqua County, New York was studied from June 1975 through July 1977. Water samples taken from wells, ponds, and streams at 67 sites were analyzed for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, arsenic, calcium, cadmium, chloride, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfate and zinc. Evidence suggests that ponds at the landfill were high in Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, and SO/sub 4/ compared to control pands. A stream adjacent to the site contained greater Mn (207 ug/1) and SO/sub 4/ (229 ppm) than control streams. Shallow alkaline test wells in the landfill had elevated As, Ca, and Se. Acid-neutral test wells had elevated As, Ca, Cr, Mg and Mn. Household wells in the vicinity of the landfill showed no evident contamination from the landfill. Average iron concentrations in the biota were tripled, and manganese concentrations doubled in biota affected by the coal ash dump. However, any effects of the disposal area on the distribution of the biota could not be separated from effects of varying environment factors such as water movements, substrate composition and food availability. No harmful effects could be demonstrated on the biota in the creek which flowed past the disposal area.

• Research Organization: State Univ. Coll., Fredonia, NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6277419
• Report Number(s): COO-2726-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ARSENIC
ASHES
CADMIUM
CALCIUM
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM
COAL
COPPER
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GREAT LAKES
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON
LAKE ERIE
LAKES
LEACHING
MAGNESIUM
MANAGEMENT
MANGANESE
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
POTASSIUM
RESIDUES
SAMPLING
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
ZINC