Ecological restoration of fly‐ash disposal areas: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Fly-ash (FA) is a by-product or residue that is produced during the combustion of coal for energy production in thermal power plants. The huge amount of FA generation is a global problem; and coal power generators still can find no safe and sustainable approach to FA disposal. FA dumps not only create air, water, and soil pollution but also pose a noxious impact on human health by introducing toxins in the food chain through biomagnification. A non-food vegetation cover can help to mitigate FA dump-related environmental health issues. However, alkaline pH, toxic metals, lack of soil microbes, and pozzolanic properties of FA limit plant growth. In this regard, ecological restoration of FA dumps through phytoremediation should be a holistic approach. This review focuses on the role of naturally occurring plants, tree plantation, and microbial inoculation in the ecological restoration of FA dumps and their role in the physicochemical changes of FA substrate. Application of organic material has been proved to help establish vegetation cover on FA dumps as they provide essential nutrients for plant and microbial growth. Morphological, physiological, and antioxidant responses of plants grown on FA dumps are also discussed in this study in detail. Overall, this review summarises the different comprehensive approaches of FA dump restoration and compiles ways to convert barren FA dumps into useful sites for deriving bioeconomy with phytoproducts. The outcomes of this study should be beneficial helping identify site-specific ecorestoration of FA dumps through an integrated approach.

Kinetics of mixed binder strength gain

“…Установлено, что применение золы гидроудаления с удельной м 2 /кг и 650-700 м 2 /кг негативно влияет на ранний набор прочности (в 1 и 3 сут). Установлено, что образцы, в которых применялась зола ьной поверхностью 220-250, 340-370, 650-700 м 2 /кг не достигают (2) Данные новообразования благоприятно влияют на качество вяжущего, так как они повышают прочность и уменьшают пористость. Образование гидросиликатов кальция благоприятно влияет на долговечность золоцементных изделий [24,25].…”

“…В настоящее время все чаще поднимается вопрос о переработке отходов тепловых электроцентралей (ТЭЦ). Хранение отходов ТЭЦ на золоотвалах негативно влияет на экологическую обстановку на близлежащих территориях [1,2]. Схема воздействия отходов ТЭЦ на окружающую среду представлена на рисунке 1.…”

Diversity and activity of soil biota at a post‐mining site highly contaminated with Zn and Cd are enhanced by metallicolous compared to non‐metallicolous Arabidopsis halleri ecotypes

“…Heavy metal pollution is a global concern, especially in industrialized regions, where metal concentrations in different biosphere components may exceed several times the concentrations considered as safe (Kuźniar et al, 2018; Luo et al, 2023; Yadav et al, 2021). In terrestrial ecosystems soil is a final sink for any contaminants, including metals (Klimek et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2022), and its decontamination is expensive and slow (Rajendran et al, 2021).…”

Phenotypic Responses of Some Functional Traits in Four Native Perennial Grass Species Grown on Fly Ash Dump and Native Soil

“…Grasses, a unique group of plants belonging to the family Poaceae, are found in any conceivable habitat where plants can grow and are ecologically versatile and adapt to stressed habitats ( Clayton, 1981 ; Clayton and Renvoize, 1986 ; Jeremy and Robert, 2021 ). The local native grasses have been widely used in ecological restoration of mine spoils ( Pang et al, 2003 ; Xia, 2004 ; Zhang et al, 2010 ; Yadav et al, 2021 ) and also for the development of rapid green cover on the dry ash mounds (Kumar and Babu, Paper communicated). The selection of native grass species is critical in the successful development of green cover rapidly to mitigate the local adverse environmental impacts of fly ash mounds.…”