Environmental
impact of fly ash contaminated soil of the surrounding area of Kolaghat thermal
power station in West Bengal, India
Bose Supriya Kumar, Mandal Sapna, Kar Sanjay, Chakraborty Somsubhra and Ghosh Sabyasachi
Res. J. Chem. Environ.; Vol. 29(7); 64-72;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/297rjce064072; (2025)
Abstract
Fly ash is a byproduct of coal combustion in thermal power plants posing significant
environmental concerns owing to its possible to pollute soil, air, and water. The
second largest coal-based thermal power station in West Bengal (India) is Kolaghat
Thermal Power Station (KTPS) which generates large quantities of fly ash, often
deposited in the surrounding environment over a long period. This study investigates
the physicochemical and microbial properties of soils contaminated by fly ash of
KTPS near the power station to assess its impact on soil quality and agricultural
sustainability.
The current study indicated that the levels of heavy metals (HMs) like Pb, Cr, As,
and Fe in fly ash-contaminated soils (FCS) were notably greater than those in the
control soil. Physiochemical characteristics like pH, bulk density (BD), electrical
conductivity (EC), total organic matter (TOM), water holding capacity (WHC), and
NPK content differed concerning control soil affecting the nearby agricultural land.
Colony-forming units were used as a common indicator of microbial biomass. Microbial
activity was changed with the alteration of different physicochemical properties
of the soil. It was found that bacterial activity was higher in all of the collected
FCS samples. So, the findings provide valuable insights into the long-term consequences
of fly ash deposition and suggest strategies to mitigate environmental damage and
to promote sustainable agricultural practices.
