Large-Scale Use of Pond Ash for Reclamation of Waste/Alkaline Land for Agriculture
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 17, Issue 3
Abstract
In India, thermal power plants presently produce of coal ash per annum, which is projected to exceed per annum by 2030. This huge quantity of coal ash not only has tremendous environmental concerns but also occupies large areas of land for its dumping, requiring urgent and appropriate measures for its safe disposal and gainful utilization on sustainable basis. In addition, reclamation of a vast area of wasteland for agriculture and forestry is another challenge for the country’s fast-growing population. The Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research has carried out a detailed study on the bulk utilization of coal ash in agriculture and forestry sectors under different agroclimatic conditions and soil types for last two decades. The demonstration studies for the popularization purpose were carried out in the waste/alkaline lands of farmers’ fields and the results of such investigations are reported in this paper. The productivity of various crops grown in the ash-amended treatments substantially showed increased yield (20–45%) over control, with noticeable increase in the nutrient content of crop produce, early maturity of the crops grown, and improvement in the nutrient status/biological activity of the soil.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Adriano, D. C. (2002). Trace elements in terrestrial environments: Biogeochemistry, bioavailability and risks of metals, 2nd Ed., Springer, New York, 867.
Adriano, D. C., Page, A. L., Elseewi, A. A., Chang, A., and Straughan, I. A. (1980). “Utilization and disposal of fly ash and other coal residues in terrestrial ecosystem: A review.” J. Environ. Qual., 9(3), 333–344.
Campbell, D. J., Fox, W. E., Aitken, R. L., and Bell, L. C. (1983). “Physical characterization of sands amended with fly ash.” Aust. J. Soil Res., 21(2), 147–154.
Central Fuel Research Institute (CFRI). (2000). “Bulk scale utilization of fly ash from Chandrapur and Bhusawal TPPs in agriculture and for reclamation of degraded land.”, CFRI, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India.
Central Fuel Research Institute (CFRI). (2003). “Demonstration trails in farmers fields for the popularisation of bulk use of fly ash from Anapara, Obra, Harduaganj TPPs of UPRVUNL, Lucknow in agriculture and reclamation of degarded/waste land, 2002.”, CFRI, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India.
Chand, S. K. (2009). “Role of Coal in Indian Energy Basket.” PDPU-CFSR Conference on Clean Coal Technology, TERI, New Delhi (India).
Chang, A. C., Lund, L. J., Page, A. L., and Warneke, J. E. (1977). “Physical properties of fly ash-amended soils.” J. Environ. Qual., 6(3), 267–270.
Dasgupta, Y. (2012). “India’s coal crisis is a disaster-in-waiting.” The government must answer some tough queries, BusinessWorld, 〈http://www.businessworld.in/en/storypage/-/bw/story-content/398142.398141/page/0〉 (Apr. 05, 2013).
El-Mogazi, D., Lisk, D. J., and Weinstein, L. H. (1988). “A review of physical, chemical, and biological properties of fly ash and effects on agricultural ecosystems.” Sci. Total Environ., 74, 1–37.
Fail, J. L., Jr., and Wochok, Z. S. (1977). “Soybean growth on fly ash amended strip mine spoils.” J. Plant Soil, 48, 473–484.
Fulekar, M. H., and Dave, J. N. (1986). “Disposal of fly ash—An environmental problem.” Int. J. Environ. Stud., 26, 191–215.
Furr, A. K., Kelly, W. C., Bache, C. A., Gutenmann, W. H., and Lisk, D. J. (1977). Environ. Sci. Technol., 11, 1104–1120.
Ghodrati, M., Sims, J. T., and Vasilas, B. L. (1995). “Evaluation of fly ash as a soil amendment for the Atlantic coastal plain: I—Soil hydraulic properties and elemental leaching.” Water Air Soil Pollut., 81(3–4), 349–361.
Goyal, D., Kaur, K., Garg, R., Vijayan, V., and Nanda, S. K. (2002). “Industrial fly ash as a soil amendment agent for raising forestry plantations.” Fundamental of advanced materials for energy conversion, P. R. Taylor, ed., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 251–260.
Gratima, E., Mwrinyihija, M., and Killham, K. (2005). “Assessment of pulverized fly ash (PFA) as an ameliorant of lead contaminated soils.” Am. J. Environ. Sci., 1(3), 230–238.
Gupta, D. K., Rai, U. N., Rudra, D., and Tripathi, I. M. (2002). “Impacts offly-ash on soil and plant responses.” J. Plant Res., 115, 401–409.
Hill, H. S., and Lamp, L. A. (1980). Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb., 31(20), 377–384.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). (1996). Handbook of agriculture, ICAR, New Delhi, India.
Jabro, J. D. (1992). “Estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils from particle size distribution and BD data.” Am. Soc. Agric. Eng., 35, 557–560.
Jackson, M. L. (1967). Soil chemical analysis, Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi, India.
Kabata-Pendias, A., and Pendias, H. (1984). Trace elements in soils and plants, CRC, Boca Raton, FL, 315.
Kumar, D., and Singh, B. (2003). “The use of fly ash in sodic soil reclamation.” Land Degrad. Dev., 14(3), 285–299.
Leekie, J. O., Benjamin, M. M., Hayes Kaufman, A., and Atman, S. (1980). Adsorption/co-precipitation of trace elements from water with iron oxy-hydroxides, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA.
Lin, C. S., and Ho, P. S. (2003). “China’s resources and land-use change: Insights from the 1996 land survey.” Land Use Policy, 20(2), 87–107.
Logan, T. J., and Traina, S. J. (1993). “Trace metals in agricultural soils.” Metals in Ground Water, H. E. Allen, E. M. Perdue and D. S. Brown, eds., Lewis, Chelsea, MI, 309–347.
Lu, S., and Zhu, L. (2004). “Effect of fly ash on physical properties of ultisols from subtropical China.” Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 35(5–6), 703–717.
Manoharan, V., Loganathan, P., Tillman, R., and Parfitt, R. (2007). “Interactive effects of soil acidity and fluoride on soil solution aluminium chemistry and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) root growth.” Environ. Pollut., 145(3), 778–786.
Menon, M. P., Ghuman, G. S., James, J., Chandra, K., and Adriano, D. C. (1990). “Physico-chemical characterization of water extracts of different coal fly ashes and fly ash-amended composts.” Water Air Soil Pollut., 50(3–4), 343–353.
Molliner, A. M., and Street, J. J. (1982). “Effect of fly ash and lime on growth and composition of corn (Zea mays L.) on acid sandy soils.” Proc.—Soil Crop Sci. Soc. Fla., 41, 217–220.
Oldeman, L. R., and Vanengelen, V. W. P. (1993). “A world soils and terrain digital database (SOTER)—an improved assessment of land resources.” Geoderma, 60(1–4), 309–325.
Page, A. L., Elseewi, A. A., and Straughan, I. R. (1979). “Physical and chemical properties of fly ash from coal-fired power plants with reference to environmental impacts.” Residue Rev., 71, 83–120.
Piper, C. S. (1950). Soil and plant analysis, Univ. of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Prasad, R., and Pathak, P. S. (2009). “Crop response and nutrient ratio.” (Policy Paper No. 42), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi (India), 1–16.
Ram, L. C., Jha, S. K., Tripathi, R. C., Masto, R. E., and Selvi, V. A. (2008). “Remediation of fly ash landfills through plantation.” Remed. J., 18(4), 71–90.
Ram, L. C., and Masto, R. E. (2010). “An appraisal of the potential use of fly ash for reclaiming coal mine spoil.” J. Environ. Manag., 91(3), 603–617.
Ram, L. C., Srivastava, N. K., Jha, S. K., and Sinha, A. K. (2006a). “Eco-friendly reclamation of mine spoil for agro-forestry through fly ash and biological amendments.” Proc., 23rd Annual Int. Pittsburgh Coal Conf., International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, University of Pittsburgh, 1–25.
Ram, L. C., Srivastava, N. K., Tripathi, R. C., Jha, S. K., Sinha, A. K., and Singh, G. (2006b). “Management of mine spoil for crop productivity with lignite fly ash and biological amendments.” J. Environ. Manage., 79(2), 173–187.
Ramesh, V., and Chhonkar, P. K. (2001). “Growth and uptake of nutrients by rice and lettuce grown on an acid sulphate soil amended with fly ash and lime.” J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 49(1), 222–225.
Rubeinstein, R., Segal, S. A. (1993). “Risk assessment of metals in ground water.” Metals in Ground Water, H. E. Allen, E. M. Perdue, and D. S. Brown, eds., Lewis, Chelsea, MI, 209.
Sen, P. K., Saxena, A. K., Bhowmick, S. (1997). Ground water contamination around ash pond and ash disposal system, V. S. V. Raju, M. Dutta, V. Seshadri, V. K. Agarwal, and V. Kumar, eds., Narosa, New Delhi, India, 300–310.
Shainberg, I., Summer, M. E., Miller, W. P., Farina, M. P. W., Pavan, M. A., and Fey, M. V. (1989). “Use of gypsum on soils: A review.” Advances in Soil Science, Vol. 9, Springer, 1–111.
Sikka, R., and Kansal, B. D. (1994). “Characterization of thermal power plant fly ash for agronomic purposes and to identify pollution hazards.” Bioresour. Technol., 50(3), 269–273.
Sims, J. T., Vasilas, B. L., and Ghodrati, M. (1993). “Effect of coal fly ash and composted sewage sludge on emergence and easy growth of cover crops.” Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal., 24(5–6), 503–512.
Stevenson, F. J. (1982). Humus chemistry, John Wiley, New York.
Tandon, L. S. (1995). Methods of analysis of soils, plants, waters and fertilisers, Fertiliser Development and Consultation Organisation, New Delhi, India.
Truter, W. F., Rethman, N. F., Potgieter, C. E., and Kruger, R. A. (2005). The international scenarios on the use of fly ash in agriculture: A synopsis, Fly Ash Utilization Program (FAUP), TIFAC, Dept. of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India, 1.1–1.10.
Tripathi, R. C., Masto, R. E., and Ram, L. C. (2009). “Bulk use of pond ash for cultivation of wheat–maize–eggplant crops in sequence on a fallow land.” Resour., Conserv. Recycl., 54(2), 134–139.
Wong, J. W. C. (1995). “The production of artificial soil mix from coal fly ash and sewage sludge.” Environ. Technol., 16, 741–751.
Yunusa, I. A. M., Eamus, D., De Silva, D. L., Murray, B. R., Burchett, M. D., and Skilbeck, G. C. (2006). “Flyash: An exploitable resource for management of Australian agricultural soils.” Fuel, 85(16), 2337–2344.
Zevenbergen, C., Bradley, J. P., Reeuwijk, P. V., Shyam, A. K., Hjelmar, O., and Comans, R. N. J. (1999). “Clay formation and metal fixation during weathering of coal fly ash.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 33(19), 3405–3409.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 17 • Issue 3 • July 2013
Pages: 196 - 203
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 9, 2012
Accepted: Feb 6, 2013
Published online: Feb 9, 2013
Published in print: Jul 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.