Preliminary Assessment of Flue Gas Desulfurization Waste on Elemental uptake by Sorghum Sudan Grass.

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waste results from the addition of limestone and/or dolomite to the coal either before (in the case of fluidized bed combustion) or after (in the case of flue gas desulfurization) combustion.  These wastes are typically very high in As, Se, and B.  A greenhouse study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using FGD as an soil amendment for successful plant production. The FGD was collected from a Coal Fired Power plant in Cope, South Carolina. The Ogeechee loamy sand soil (pH of 5.5) used in this study. The FGD was added at 0, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6 % by weight to 6 Kg soil in pots and blended thoroughly. The sorghum sudan grass was used as a test crop. All the pots were maintained at field capacity moisture content throughout the six week growth period. At the end of the six week growth period above ground plant parts were harvested, oven dried, weighed and analyzed for elemental composition. In this presentation, the effect of FGD amendment on various elemental concentration in plant tissue, soils as well as in leachate will be discussed.