Soybean growth on fly ashamended strip mine spoils

Fly Ash Pollutants, Treatment and Recycling

“…Indeed, FA has been used for correction of sulphur and boron deficiency in acid soils (Chang et al 1977). FA applied on acidic strip mine spoils at different places increased the yield of many crops, thanks to increased availability of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and preventing toxic effects of Al 3+ and Mn 2+ and other metallic ions by neutralising the soil acidity (Fail and Wochok 1977). On the contrary, fertility strongly decreases at very low pH levels as dissolution and bioavailability of some metals that are toxic to plants (as for example Mn) increases.…”

Opportunities and challenges in the use of coal fly ash for soil improvements – A review

“…Addition of CFA up to 8% (w/w) to either calcareous or acidic soils resulted in higher yield of several agronomic crops (Page et al, 1979), mainly due to increased plant nutrients availability. Coal fly ash applied on acidic mine spoil strips at various field locations increased the yield of many crops which was attributed to increased soil availability of Ca and Mg and prevention of Al, Mn and other metallic ions toxicity by neutralizing the soil acidity (Fail and Wochok, 1977). Clearly the use of CFA for reclamation of metalliferous abandoned mining sites or sites affected by acid mine drainage can help neutralize the acidity and mitigate associated problem of metal toxicity and at the same time can supply key soil nutrients for land cover establishment.…”

Growth response of two grasses and a legume on coal fly ash amended strip mine spoils

“…The use of coal, however, presents a formidable array of environmental problems which are expensive to cope with, both economically and ecologically. Coal strip mining operations, particularly, lead to severe environmental impacts, including loss of topsoil, soil compaction, lower water holding capacity, and increases in soil acidity (Berg and Vogel, 1973;Fail and Wochok, 1977;Bussler et al, 1984). Under U.S. Public Law 95-87, The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977, these ecological impacts now require correction to premining conditions.…”