An Evaluation of the Environmental Safety and Geochemical Characteristics of Coal Combustion Products

In this study, the environmental safety and geochemical properties of Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) produced coal-fired power plants were investigated. Samples of CCPs were taken from all of the coal-fired power plants of Korea. Heavy metal concentration, Electrical Conductivity (EC), and pH measurements were conducted to evaluate the environmental stability and geochemical properties of the CCPs. X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed and enrichment factors and an index of geo-accumulation were calculated to evaluate the levels of contamination in the CCPs. The pH value of the CCPs ranged from 7.6 to 9.3, slightly alkaline, and the EC ranged between 110 and 4,940 μS/cm. CCPs from anthracite coal had a lower silica-alumina ratio and lower proportions of CaO and MgO, and greater proportions of K 2 O, than CCPs from bituminous coal. The EF value of Fe, Ti, and P in some CCP samples classified moderate enrichment category, all other elements in the samples were classified in the deficiency to minimal enrichment category. Also, the heavy metal concentrations in all CCP samples were lower than the environmental standards, indicating that the CCPs satisfied environmental regulations.