Assessment of hazardous radionuclide emission due to fly ash from fossil fuel combustion in industrial activities in India and its impact on public

Traditionally coal has been extensively used as a dominating fossil fuel in a wide range of industries due to its abundance. In India, industries like thermal power plants, cement industries, iron, and steel industries along with many captive power plants consume a huge quantity of coal each year to meet energy demand. Coal combustion releases blackish-grey colored fly ash waste is one of the most imperative sources of radionuclides like Radium (226Ra), Thorium (232Th), Potassium (40K) and Uranium (238U). The estimated industrial fly ash is -308.416 Million Tonnes (MT) in 2019, considered as an emerging environmental problem. This study represents the firstever radionuclide emission from Indian fly ash generated across various major industries. The results reveal that the estimated 226Ra, 232Th, 238U, and 40K radionuclides were estimated to be -27.473 TBq, -44.351 TBq, -41.089 TBq, and -111.091 TBq respectively. The potential radionuclide hotspot regions across the nation are identified, which could be used as an important tool to assess its impact on the chronic exposure of millions of residents living near these sources. Cleaner or green energy could be the best alternative to combat the unseen health disaster. More effective and safe utilization of fly ash can minimize the hazardous effect of radionuclides emission.

Automated summary

Coal combustion releases fly ash waste containing radionuclides, which is a growing environmental concern. A study conducted in India found that major industries are emitting significant amounts of radionuclides through fly ash, potentially impacting millions of residents living nearby. The use of cleaner or green energy is recommended as the best alternative to mitigate this unseen health disaster.