Effect of Power Plant Ash and Slag Disposal on the Environment and Population Health in Ukraine

BACKGROUND. Ash and slag disposal areas of Ukrainian thermal power plants accumulate large amounts of waste annually. OBJECTIVES. The aim of the present study was to analyze the composition of ash and slag wastes generated during combustion of coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants and the potential affects of disposal areas on the environment. METHODS. A literature search was conducted using the Google search engine to access online academic publications indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science), ScienceDirect, ResearchGate and Springer Link from 2011 in English and Ukrainian. RESULTS. After analyzing the 25 academic articles included in the present review, the results indicated that hazardous constituents (oxides of silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium and magnesium) of ash can migrate from the ash dump surface by air and water to contaminate the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface water in areas located within a few kilometers from the waste site. CONCLUSIONS. By-products of the fuel and energy complex of Ukraine are potentially dangerous sources of environmental pollution. They create risks to the health of the population living in the surrounding territories. Further studies should focus on the features of pollutant transfer from ash dumps, and development of appropriate mathematical models of the pollutant migration to assess pollution levels in soil, groundwater and air. COMPETING INTERESTS. The authors declare no competing financial interests.