Environmental Impact of Coal Utilization in India - A Geochemical Approach

The basic geochemical principle of coal formation indicates that coal deposits are sinks of a vatiety of toxic heavy metals. Burning of a large amount of high ash coal in a thermal power plant produces a considerable amount of solid waste in the form of ash. Coal ash has been found to have enriched concentration of many of the toxic metals as adsorbed species which on contact with rain water easily leach-out of the matrix only to disperse into various compartments of the ecosystem around the thermal plant. It is suggested that while recognising the deleterious environmental impact of use of a large amount ef high ash coal in thermal plants, precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the entry of the toxic metals into the ecosystem. The ash should be utilized for various developmental purposes.