Mass Balance of Heavy Metals of Fly Ash in Soil and Crops

Abstract

In India, coal-based thermal power stations presently share approximately 7% of the total power demand and generate 184 million tons of ash per annum, and this amount is expected to surpass 44 million tons per year in 23. Due to its high content of plant nutrients and similar physicochemical characteristics, coal ash can potentially be utilized in agriculture, as well as wasteland and acidic soil reclamation. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ash on carrot cultivation under controlled conditions because the plant root is the part responsible for the uptake of nutrients from the soil and for the storage of food and nutrients. The current work is focused on carrot crop cultivation in fly ash–treated soil and elemental distribution patterns in soil, coal ash, and plant parts.