Elemental composition of fly ash in thermal power plants and estimation of health hazard
摘要
This study compared the elemental composition of coal and its combustion byproduct, fly ash, from the Duyen Hai thermal power plant, Vietnam. Fly ash exhibited significantly higher concentrations of major (Si, Al, K) and trace (Sn, Mn, Sr) elements. Hazardous metal levels in fly ash met Vietnam and FAO soil limits but exceeded WHO standards, showing 1.4–5.6 times higher concentrations than in coal. Enrichment factors for Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn increased, while that of As decreased. The hazard index (HI) was below 1, indicating negligible non-carcinogenic risks. However, carcinogenic risks (CR) from Ni and Cr surpassed safe thresholds, highlighting the necessity of monitoring chemical forms and elemental correlations for worker safety at disposal sites.