Distribution of heavy metals in water, soil and vegetables adjacent to ash heaps from lignite‐fired power plants

This study investigated the environmental impact of the operation of lignite‐fired power plants in Yunnan Province. Soil, water, vegetable plant, and bottom ash samples were collected from around three lignite‐fired power plants in the area and the contamination levels of Cr, Cu, U, Mn, Cd, Ba, Pb, Sb, Co, and Ni in the samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). These results showed the pollutants contents in the soils taken from around the three plants were similar. Ba, Mn, and Sb had the highest concentrations of 15492, 2417, and 281 mg/kg respectively, and rapidly migrated from ash to soil. The contents of the metals in four common vegetable plants grown in the area (pine, smilax, Artemisia apiacea, duchesnea) were also measured and found to be substantially less than those in the soils and ashes. The heavy metal concentrations in the plants and water were below the standard level. The running of the power plant thus only had negative impacts on the ambient soils, especially Ba and Mn pollution.