Assessment of soil and water contamination around an ash-disposal site: A case study from the Seyitomer coal-fired power plant in western Turkey

Seyitomer power plant comprises 4.8% of Turkey's total energy production. T he fly ash produced has been deposited in the area, since the 1960s, by a d ry disposal technique. In 1997, wet disposal was improperly exercised in th e area causing ash flow over agricultural fields. This study is concerned w ith the chemical analysis of ash, soil and water samples collected in the a rea following ash-removal studies after the ash flow in 1997. The results r eveal that Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, Fe, Co, and Cr contents of soil and water are governed by basement lithology in the area, whereas Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu contents are determined by fly ash from rom disposal sites. Although litho genic Cr and Co contents are exceedingly high, comparison with the regulato ry standards for drinking water, irrigation water and agricultural soils re veals no pollution pertinent to solid waste production in waters, whereas t here is moderate pollution by Pb and Cu in soils.