engleski

Environmental damage caused by coal combustion residue disposal: a critical review of risk assessment methodologies

Coal is responsible for production of nearly 40% of the world's electricity. However, coal combustion produces a number of by-products that have been continuously disposed of in the environment for decades. It is estimated that 1 billion tons of CCRs are generated annually, but only 50-60% are recycled. The rest is disposed of either in ash ponds or landfills. Leaching is the most common mechanism for the transport of pollutants from such landfills into the environment and is controlled by various internal and external factors. As a result, cases of coal ash pollution of air, soil, water and wildlife have been recorded worldwide, but are often ignored. And although new regulations requiring proper lining and leachate collection should ensure the environmental safety of such landfills, at least in some countries, no attention is paid to the ubiquitous old abandoned landfills that still leak and pollute the environment. This article reviews the environmental damage caused by coal combustion products and various coal ash risk assessment methodologies to promote a future comprehensive and appropriate approach to protecting the environment from the effects of such landfills.

CCR ; coal ash ; pollution ; toxicity ; mobility ; heavy metals

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