Leaching Characteristics of Heavy Metal in Bottom Ash from Indian Thermal Power Plant

Abstract

The disposal of bottom ash in the thermal power plant is a challenging task. The objective of the present study was to investigate the leaching characteristics of the bottom ash disposed in ash pond of thermal power plants. The studies were conducted with bottom ashes from ash disposal system. A series of leaching test have been performed with different liquid to solid ratio (L/S). The (L/S) varies from 20:1 to 60:1. It is observed that the elements of Mn, Mg, Cr, Zn, Ni, and Cu are most abundant elements while Pb, Mo, Fe and Co are the least abundant elements. It is also observed that the leaching characteristics of the bottom ash are affected by the pH of extraction solution and liquid to solid (L/S) ratio.