Impact of power plant fly ash on heavy metal accumulation in the environment, crop root, shoot, endosperm and crop yield

Abstract

The disposal of fly ash from coal-fired power stations poses significant environmental challenges, particularly near thermal power plants like the Kolaghat Thermal Power Station in West Bengal, India. Therefore, a study was conducted in 2022 – 2023 at the Department of Zoology, PanskuraBanamali College, West Bengal to study the impact of fly ash contamination on soil, water, and crops within a 5km radius of the plant. Heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, and Mn were analysedthrough AAS in soil, water, shoot, root, and rice endosperm.The bioabsorption coefficient, bioconcentration factor, and translocation factor for heavy metalbioaccumulation were examined. The impact of different concentrations of fly ash on crop yield was determined by measuring the mean shoot length, mean seed stalk length, mean number of seeds per stalk, and mean dry weight of endosperm per stalk.The study revealed the highest heavy metal concentrations in soil, with Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb being the most abundant. Plants exhibited hyper-accumulation of Cu, Zn, and Mn, while Pb and Fe showed moderate translocation. Rice grown with fly ash showed optimal growth at 1% concentration, similar to 5%, but higher concentrations reduced yield. Future research should focus on plant metal absorption, phytoremediation, and bioremediation for effective mitigation of fly ash contamination, emphasizing thorough investigations.