Geochemistry of leachates from selected coal mining and combustion wastes. Project completion report, July 1977-September 1979

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6649435

Kopsick, D A; Angino, E E

During the mining of coal, large amounts of inorganic material (gob) are removed with the coal. After cleaning of the coal, this waste is deposited adjacent to the mined area. One of these gob piles, located in Barton County, Missouri, is evaluated as to chemical composition of the waste, leaching characteristics of the waste and mineralogy of secondary minerals deposited at the pile. This waste material is enriched in Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu, relative to the abundances of these elements in average shales. Leachate from this material shows elevated concentrations of Zn and Cd. After twenty-five years of weathering, this gob is still producing leachate with high concentrations of Cd, Mn, Cu, Zn and Fe. Two types of coal-combustion wastes, fly ash and bottom ash, from five coal-producing provinces of the United States are discussed in relation to Ca, Mg, Na, K, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb concentrations in the whole sample and in the leachate generated from these ashes. Fly ash from northeast-Missouri coal yields a leachate enriched in Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Cd, relative to other leachates, which is indicative of mineralization from nearby lead-zinc deposits. Leachates from two Wyoming fly ashes and bottom ashes exhibit low trace-metal concentrations and high Ca, Mg, Na and K concentrations. Intermediate between these two samples are the compositions of leachates generated from the ashes of eastern-Kentucky and southern-Illinois coals. An evaluation of geology, hydrogeology, soil chemistry, and groundwater chemistry at an ash-disposal site of a coal-fired power plant showed elevated concentrations of Ca, Mg and Na + K in the leachate of the coal ash relative to native groundwater. Only trace amounts of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn are present in the ash leachate and no degradation of the local groundwater quality is predicted for this site.

• Research Organization: Kansas Water Resources Research Inst., Manhattan (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6649435
• Report Number(s): NP-3901078; ON: DE83901078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOL WASTES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ASHES
CADMIUM
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COAL
COAL MINES
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COPPER
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FEDERAL REGION VII
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
IRON
LEACHATES
LEAD
MAGNESIUM
MANAGEMENT
MANGANESE
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERALOGY
MINES
MISSOURI
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM
POWER PLANTS
RESIDUES
SODIUM
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
SOLUTIONS
TAILINGS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
ZINC