The determination of heavy metal contamination at the coal ash waste sites

VI ABSTRACT Lignite's are utilized predominantly in the power plants in Turkey. Coal is known to concentrate many elements such as B, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mo, S, V, etc. entrained in its structure during the coalification process. When burnt, further enrichment of these elements occurs in the ash. Distribution of the elements within the ash structure is different. The amounts of fly ash produced are about 15 million tons in Turkey. In this study, heavy metal pollution probability resulted from power stations named Soma, Yatağan, Kemerköy and Yeniköy, which are located at Ege Region was investigated. After the determination of physical and chemical characterizations of the samples, the toxicity potential of the fly ashes and the toxic element components in the coal combustion gases were researched by using TCLP, ASTM, CEN methods. The toxic elements that the gas phase - which came out with the burning of coal- contain were found in the bomb under the laboratory conditions. The existing of the Ct6* which is known that it took form in high temperature and alkali conditions in the power plant ashes and the oxidation of the Cr3+ in the liquid environment, were examined.