Every year in the United States, over 130 million tons of coal ash waste is generated from coal combustion. The disposal of this waste can present an ecological risk if toxic metals in the ash, such as arsenic, selenium, and mercury, are mobilized and transformed into bioavailable species. Our work explores how environmental conditions, such as differing redox potentials and microbial activity, influence the biogeochemical transformations and leaching of coal ash contaminants during coal ash disposal.
Associated Project:
IRT2: Methods for monitoring and diagnosis of environmental pollution