Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management
The combustion of hard coal and lignite in power and combined heat and power plants generates significant amounts of coal fly ash (CFA), a waste material with variable properties. CFA naturally contains radionuclides, specifically naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), which pose potenti...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3010 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849433714490081280 |
|---|---|
| author | Krzysztof Isajenko Barbara Piotrowska Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski Magdalena Reizer Katarzyna Maciejewska Małgorzata Kwestarz |
| author_facet | Krzysztof Isajenko Barbara Piotrowska Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski Magdalena Reizer Katarzyna Maciejewska Małgorzata Kwestarz |
| author_sort | Krzysztof Isajenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The combustion of hard coal and lignite in power and combined heat and power plants generates significant amounts of coal fly ash (CFA), a waste material with variable properties. CFA naturally contains radionuclides, specifically naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), which pose potential radiological risks to the environment and human health during their storage and utilization, including their incorporation into building materials. Although global research on the radionuclide content in CFA is available, there is a clear gap in detailed and current data specific to Central and Eastern Europe and notably, a lack of a systematic analysis investigating the influence of installed power plant capacity on the concentration profile of these radionuclides in the generated ash. This study aimed to fill this gap and provide crucial data for the Polish energy and environmental context. The objective was to evaluate the concentrations of selected radionuclides (<sup>232</sup>Th, <sup>226</sup>Ra, and <sup>40</sup>K) in coal fly ash samples collected between 2020 and 2023 from 19 Polish power and combined heat and power plants with varying capacities (categorized into four groups: S1–S4) and to assess the associated radiological risk. Radionuclide concentrations were determined using gamma spectrometry, and differences between groups were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods, including PERMANOVA. The results demonstrated that plant capacity has a statistically significant influence on the concentration profiles of thorium and potassium but not radium. Calculated radiological hazard assessment factors (Ra<sub>eq</sub>, H<sub>ex</sub>, H<sub>in</sub>, IAED) revealed that although most samples fall near regulatory limits (e.g., 370 Bq kg<sup>−1</sup> for Ra<sub>eq</sub>), some exceed these limits, particularly in groups S1 (plants with a capacity less than 300 MW) and S4 (plants with a capacity higher than 300 MW). It was also found that the frequency of exceeding the annual effective dose limits (IAEDs) showed an increasing trend with the increasing installed capacity of the facility. These findings underscore the importance of plant capacity as a key factor to consider in the radiological risk assessment associated with coal fly ash. This study’s outcomes are crucial for informing environmental risk management strategies, guiding safe waste processing practices, and shaping environmental policies within the energy sector in Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b58655c5ac6649e2bc35dd405fa31f42 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-b58655c5ac6649e2bc35dd405fa31f422025-08-20T03:26:56ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011812301010.3390/en18123010Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste ManagementKrzysztof Isajenko0Barbara Piotrowska1Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski2Magdalena Reizer3Katarzyna Maciejewska4Małgorzata Kwestarz5Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, 7 Konwaliowa Street, 03-194 Warsaw, PolandCentral Laboratory for Radiological Protection, 7 Konwaliowa Street, 03-194 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20 Street, 00-653 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20 Street, 00-653 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20 Street, 00-653 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20 Street, 00-653 Warsaw, PolandThe combustion of hard coal and lignite in power and combined heat and power plants generates significant amounts of coal fly ash (CFA), a waste material with variable properties. CFA naturally contains radionuclides, specifically naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), which pose potential radiological risks to the environment and human health during their storage and utilization, including their incorporation into building materials. Although global research on the radionuclide content in CFA is available, there is a clear gap in detailed and current data specific to Central and Eastern Europe and notably, a lack of a systematic analysis investigating the influence of installed power plant capacity on the concentration profile of these radionuclides in the generated ash. This study aimed to fill this gap and provide crucial data for the Polish energy and environmental context. The objective was to evaluate the concentrations of selected radionuclides (<sup>232</sup>Th, <sup>226</sup>Ra, and <sup>40</sup>K) in coal fly ash samples collected between 2020 and 2023 from 19 Polish power and combined heat and power plants with varying capacities (categorized into four groups: S1–S4) and to assess the associated radiological risk. Radionuclide concentrations were determined using gamma spectrometry, and differences between groups were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods, including PERMANOVA. The results demonstrated that plant capacity has a statistically significant influence on the concentration profiles of thorium and potassium but not radium. Calculated radiological hazard assessment factors (Ra<sub>eq</sub>, H<sub>ex</sub>, H<sub>in</sub>, IAED) revealed that although most samples fall near regulatory limits (e.g., 370 Bq kg<sup>−1</sup> for Ra<sub>eq</sub>), some exceed these limits, particularly in groups S1 (plants with a capacity less than 300 MW) and S4 (plants with a capacity higher than 300 MW). It was also found that the frequency of exceeding the annual effective dose limits (IAEDs) showed an increasing trend with the increasing installed capacity of the facility. These findings underscore the importance of plant capacity as a key factor to consider in the radiological risk assessment associated with coal fly ash. This study’s outcomes are crucial for informing environmental risk management strategies, guiding safe waste processing practices, and shaping environmental policies within the energy sector in Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3010environmental risk assessmentcoal fly ashgamma spectrometryradionuclidespotassiumradium |
| spellingShingle | Krzysztof Isajenko Barbara Piotrowska Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski Magdalena Reizer Katarzyna Maciejewska Małgorzata Kwestarz Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management Energies environmental risk assessment coal fly ash gamma spectrometry radionuclides potassium radium |
| title | Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management |
| title_full | Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management |
| title_fullStr | Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management |
| title_short | Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management |
| title_sort | radiological assessment of coal fly ash from polish power and cogeneration plants implications for energy waste management |
| topic | environmental risk assessment coal fly ash gamma spectrometry radionuclides potassium radium |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3010 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT krzysztofisajenko radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement AT barbarapiotrowska radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement AT mirosławszyłakszydłowski radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement AT magdalenareizer radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement AT katarzynamaciejewska radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement AT małgorzatakwestarz radiologicalassessmentofcoalflyashfrompolishpowerandcogenerationplantsimplicationsforenergywastemanagement |