Tang Quan, Wang Qiuyue, Chen Juzi, Xu Fang, Liu Jia, Miao Chunhui
School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China.
State Grid Anhui Electric Power Corporation Research Institute, Hefei, 230601, China.
Environ Geochem Health. 2025 Jul 14;47(8):316. doi: 10.1007/s10653-025-02594-7.
The application of ultra-low emission (ULE) technology in Chinese coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) had reduced the emissions of particulate matter but increased the kind of solid wastes, which raising public and scientific concerns over potential risks of hazardous trace elements (HTEs) in solid wastes. This study investigated the concentration, chemical speciation, and potential ecological risk of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb in bottom ash, fly ash, desulfurization gypsum, and wet sludge from a typical ULE-CFPPs. The results showed that the highest concentrations of As, Cr, Hg, and Pb were found in wet sludge, while Cd had the highest concentration in fly ash. As, Cd, and Hg in fly ash, as well as As, Cr, Hg, and Pb in wet sludge, exceeded soil risk screening values. While Cd, Cr, and Pb were predominantly in the residual fraction, As was mainly in the Fe-Mn oxidation state, indicating greater environmental mobility. The modified risk assessment code results show that As, Cr, and Pb in all solid wastes were classified as low-risk level, whereas Cd in fly ash and Hg in desulfurization gypsum were at moderate level, and these two HTEs in wet sludge even arrived very high-risk. The total risk assessment code revealed wet sludge posed very high risk, with fly ash and desulfurization gypsum categorized as moderate risk, and bottom ash exhibiting low risk. This study provides valuable insights into the ecological risk assessment of HTEs in solid wastes from ULE-CFPPs and contributes to the scientific disposal of solid wastes.
超低排放（ULE）技术在中国燃煤发电厂（CFPPs）中的应用减少了颗粒物排放，但增加了固体废物的种类，这引发了公众和科学界对固体废物中有害微量元素（HTEs）潜在风险的关注。本研究调查了典型的超低排放燃煤发电厂的底灰、飞灰、脱硫石膏和湿污泥中砷、镉、铬、汞和铅的浓度、化学形态及潜在生态风险。结果表明，湿污泥中砷、铬、汞和铅的浓度最高，而飞灰中镉的浓度最高。飞灰中的砷、镉和汞以及湿污泥中的砷、铬、汞和铅超过了土壤风险筛选值。虽然镉、铬和铅主要以残留态存在，但砷主要以铁锰氧化态存在，表明其环境迁移性更强。修正后的风险评估代码结果表明，所有固体废物中的砷、铬和铅被归类为低风险水平，而飞灰中的镉和脱硫石膏中的汞处于中等风险水平，湿污泥中的这两种有害微量元素甚至达到了高风险。总风险评估代码显示，湿污泥风险极高，飞灰和脱硫石膏为中等风险，底灰风险较低。本研究为超低排放燃煤发电厂固体废物中有害微量元素的生态风险评估提供了有价值的见解，并有助于固体废物的科学处置。
