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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180657
Title: BENEFICIAL USE OF COAL COMBUSTION PRODUCTS (CCP'S) IN AGRONOMIC AND HORTICULTURAL APPLICATIONS

Author
item DICK, W - OHIO AG RES & DEV CTR
item Norton, Lloyd
item CHEN, L - OHIO AG RES & DEV CTR
item BIGHAM, J - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item SLATER, B - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item BOK-LEE, Y - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item RAMSIER, C - AG SPECTRUM, INC.
item BARDHAN, S - OHIO AG RES & DEV CTR
item CHEN, Y - HEBREW UNIVERSITY
item NELSON, S - SORBENT CORPORATION

Submitted to: Coal Ash Association Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2005
Publication Date: 6/10/2005
Citation: Dick, W., Norton, L.D., Chen, L., Bigham, J., Slater, B., Bok-Lee, Y., Ramsier, C., Bardhan, S., Chen, Y., Nelson, S. 2005. Beneficial use of coal combustion products (ccp's) in agronomic and horticultural applications. In: World of Coal Ash Congress, April 11-15, 2005, Lexington, KY. American Coal Ash Association, Aurora, CO. 2005 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Coal combustion products CCP’s are produced in a quantity over 125 million tons per year of which only 34% with little used in agriculture. These materials include fly ash bottom ash, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) materials and a growing tonnage of FGD gypsum. Gypsum can be used in agriculture as a fertilizer, soil amendment or soil conditioner. FGD gypsum is an increasing available, clean, low cost material that can be beneficially used in agriculture, especially as a source of S for plant production since the atmospheric deposition of S is steadily declining. In various field studies we found that applications of gypsum has improved yield for corn and alfalfa compared to Ag-lime and increased water soluble Ca and S at depth. The addition of gypsum also decreased exchangeable Al and increased pH, although it is not a liming material, by neutralizing the effect of Al. Gypsum also has been found to condition the soil by reducing sealing/crusting, improving seedling emergence, reducing runoff and erosion, reducing subsoil swelling and improving air/water exchange. Recent work has shown it is also effective in decreasing clay dispersion brought about by hydrated Na and Mg ions on soil clays. Bio-solid mixtures with CCP’s also have found to be beneficial in improving growth and quality of horticultural plants. The significance of these finding is that what once was considered a waste material can have beneficial positive uses in production agricultural. The impact of this is that the large scale problem of how to dispose of these materials which are a necessary result of our energy production can be solved while improving agricultural production.