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Coal power plants are producing huge amounts of coal ash that may be applied to a variety of secondary uses. Class F fly ash may act as an excellent scrubber and fixation reagent for highly acidic wastes, which might also contain several toxic trace elements. This paper evaluates the potential of using Class F fly ashes (<20% CaO), in combination with excessive fines from the limestone quarry industry as a fixation reagent. The analysis included leaching experiments (EN12457-2) and several analytical techniques (ICP, SEM, XRD, etc.), which were used in order to investigate the fixation procedure. The fine sludge is used as a partial substitute in concrete that can be used in civil engineering projects, as it an environmentally safe product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coal ash spill that occurred from an ash impoundment pond into the Dan River, North Carolina, provided a unique opportunity to study the significance and role of naturally occurring and incidental nanomaterials associated with contaminant distribution from a large-scale, acute aquatic contamination event. Besides traditional measurements of bulk watercolumn and sediment metal concentrations, the nanoparticle (NP) analyses are based on cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF) and advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. A drain pipe fed by coal ash impoundment seepage showed a high level of arsenic, with concentrations many times over the EPA limit. The majority of the arsenic was found sorbed to large aggregates dominated by incidental iron oxyhydroxide (ferrihydrite) NPs, while the remainder of the arsenic was truly dissolved. These ferrihydrites were probably formed in situ where Fe(II) was leached through subsurface flowpaths into an aerobic environment, and further act as a significant contributor to the elevated As concentrations in downstream sediments after the spill. In addition, we discovered and describe a photocatalytic nano-TiO2 phase (anatase) present in the coal ash impacted river water that was also carrying/transporting transition metals (Cu, Fe), which may also have environmental consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill in December 2008 deposited approximately 4.1 million m3 of fly ash and bottom ash into the Emory and Clinch River system (Harriman, Tennessee, U.S.A.). The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the ash on surface water and sediment quality over an eighteen month period after the spill, with a specific focus on mercury and methylmercury in sediments. Our results indicated that surface water quality was not impaired with respect to total mercury concentrations. However, in the sediments of the Emory River near the coal ash spill, total mercury concentrations were 3- to 4-times greater than sediments several miles upstream of the ash spill. Similarly, methylmercury content in the Emory and Clinch River sediments near the ash spill were slightly elevated (up to a factor of 3) at certain locations compared to upstream sediments. Up to 2% of the total mercury in sediments containing coal ash was present as methylmercury. Mercury isotope composition and sediment geochemical data suggested that elevated methylmercury concentrations occurred in regions where native sediments were mixed with coal ash (e.g., less than 28% as coal ash in the Emory River). This coal ash may have provided substrates (such as sulfate) that stimulated biomethylation of mercury. The production of methylmercury in these areas is a concern because this neurotoxic organomercury compound can be highly bioaccumulative. Future risk assessments of coal ash spills should consider not only the leaching potential of mercury from the wastes but also the potential for methylmercury production in receiving waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury stable isotope abundances were used to trace transport of Hg-impacted river sediment near a coal ash spill at Harriman, Tennessee, USA. δ202Hg values for Kingston coal ash released into the Emory River in 2008 are significantly negative (-1.78 ± 0.35‰), whereas sediments of the Clinch River, into which the Emory River flows, are contaminated by an additional Hg source (potentially from the Y-12 complex near Oak Ridge, Tennessee) with near-zero values (-0.23 ± 0.16‰). Nominally uncontaminated Emory River sediments (12 miles upstream from the Emory-Clinch confluence) have intermediate values (-1.17 ± 0.13‰) and contain lower Hg concentrations. Emory River mile 10 sediments, possibly impacted by an old paper mill has δ202Hg values of -0.47 ± 0.04‰. A mixing model, using δ202Hg values and Hg concentrations, yielded estimates of the relative contributions of coal ash, Clinch River, and Emory River sediments for a suite of 71 sediment samples taken over a 30 month time period from 13 locations. Emory River samples, with two exceptions, are unaffected by Clinch River sediment, despite occasional upstream flow from the Clinch River. As expected, Clinch River sediment below its confluence with the Emory River are affected by Kingston coal ash; however, the relative contribution of the coal ash varies among sampling sites [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic coal fly ash (FA) aerosol may represent a significant source of bioavailable iron in the open ocean. Few measurements have been made that compare the solubility of atmospheric iron from anthropogenic aerosols and other sources. We report here an investigation of iron dissolution for three FA samples in acidic aqueous solutions and compare the solubilities with that of Arizona test dust (AZTD), a reference material for mineral dust. The effects of pH, simulated cloud processing, and solar radiation on iron solubility have been explored. Similar to previously reported results on mineral dust, iron in aluminosilicate phases provides the predominant component of dissolved iron. Iron solubility of FA is substantially higher than of the crystalline minerals comprising AZTD. Simulated atmospheric processing elevates iron solubility due to significant changes in the morphology of aluminosilicate glass, a dominant material in FA particles. Iron is continuously released into the aqueous solution as FA particles break up into smaller fragments. These results suggest that the assessment of dissolved atmospheric iron deposition fluxes and their effect on the biogeochemistry at the ocean surface should be constrained by the source, environmental pH, iron speciation, and solar radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic scale chemical environments of boron in coal has been studied by solid state NMR spectroscopy including magic angle spinning (MAS), satellite transition magic angle spinning (STMAS), and cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS). The 11B NMR spectra can be briefly classified according to the degree of coalification. On the 11B NMR spectra of lignite, bituminous, and sub-bituminous coals (carbon content of 70-90mass%), three sites assigned to four-coordinate boron (4)B with small quadrupolar coupling constants (≤0.9 MHz) are observed. Two of the (4)B sites in downfield are considered organoboron complexes with aromatic ligands, while the other in the most upper field is considered inorganic tetragonal boron (BO4). By contrast on the 11B NMR spectra of blind coal (carbon content of 70-90mass%), the [4]B which substitutes tetrahedral silicon of lllite is observed as a representative species. It has been considered that the organoboron is decomposed and released from the parent phase with the advance of coal maturation, and then the released boron reacts with the inorganic phase to substitute an element of inorganic minerals. Otherwise boron contained originally in inorganic minerals might remain preserved even under the high temperature condition that is generated during coalification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings. First, the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75 mg/kg; Hg = 150 μg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (<10 μm) containing these toxics into the atmosphere that may pose a health risk to local communities. Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in the downstream Emory and - Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury formation in anaerobic river sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors discuss how ignoring emissions of mercury (Hg) from coal ash and desulfurized gypsum will lead to ineffective Hg control in coal-fired power plants in China. Topics include the environmental impact of Hg, increased coal consumption in thermal power plants due to rapid economic development, and the importance of Hg emission control measures at coal-fired power plants.