12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow - Earth Science India

National Conference on Science of Climate Change and Earth’s Sustainability: Issues and Challenges ‘A Scientist-People Partnership’
12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow
during the disposal from the plant is of great concern for potential contamination of soil,
surface water and ground water. The unmanaged fly ash disposal may result in
significant problems for ecology and environment. The leaching of fly ash during
disposal is of concern for possible contamination, especially for aquatic environment
when ash is in direct contact with water. In the present study, laboratory leaching tests
have been conducted to determine the potential mobility of elements like Fe, Cu, Cr, Pb,
Ni and Cd from fly ash samples. Batch leaching experiments have been carried out to
determine the leaching characteristics of trace elements from coal fly ash obtained from
Rajghat Power House located in Delhi. The shake test was performed as per the
American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) method using an agitation device
designed to rotate about a central axis at the rate of 100 rpm with an L/S ratio of 20:1,
using 12.5 gm dried fly ash in 250ml of extraction solutions over varying periods of
leaching. The leachates obtained analyzed for selected trace elements. The results for
leachates indicate that there is no regular pattern of leaching of trace elements.
Among the trace metal originally present in fly ash, Pb and Cd occur, at very
minor concentrations in the leachates obtained over the different intervals. The other
elements such as Fe, Ni, Cu and Cr which were detectable in the leachates show their
presence. The agitation time influenced the pH and the concentration of different
elements leached into the solution, since different phases are dissolved at different rate.
GOMTI RIVER: FIGHTING FOR ITS EXISTENCE
Sarika Shukla 1* and Sugandha Shanker 2
1 I.T.P.G. College, Lucknow.
2 Lucknow University, Lucknow
*email: shuklasarika11@yahoo.co.in
There is no dearth of statistics and data claiming the alarming rate at which
earth’s water resources are being depleted, polluted and rendered unpotable. As rivers
shrink, man has not become any wiser which is proven by the fact that pollution rates
have sky rocketed in the past decades. By the year 2025, 2/3 of the world’s population
will be facing water shortage. According to UN surveyed reports, India is expected to
face critical levels of water stress by 2025 and there will be serious water shortages. The
dynamics of fresh water depletion not only holds true for the world and our own
country but also for our state of Uttar Pradesh where Lucknow city itself is an example
of how a township is subjected to such hydrological stress. Disappearing and drying up
of water bodies has resulted in the lack of availability of surface water. This scenario
has made us dependent on the ground water which is not being replenished as
infiltration of rain water into the ground has decreased due to concrete landscape.
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