Analysis of Air and Soil Quality around Thermal Power Plants and Coal Mines of Singrauli Region, India

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 18; p. 11560
• Main Authors: Romana, Harsimranjit Kaur, Singh, Ramesh P, Dubey, Chandra S, Shukla, Dericks P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14-09-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Accumulation; Air pollution; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - analysis; Carbon dioxide concentration; Climate change; Coal; Coal - analysis; Coal mines; Coal mining; Contaminants; Developing countries; Electric power generation; Electricity; Emissions; Environmental Monitoring; Heavy metals; Human populations; Humans; India; Industrial development; Industrial plant emissions; Industrial Revolution; LDCs; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Methane; Methane - analysis; Mines; Nitrogen dioxide; Nitrogen Dioxide - analysis; Outdoor air quality; Pollutants; Power Plants; Seasonal variations; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil pollution; Soil quality; Sulfur; Sulfur dioxide; Sulfur Dioxide - analysis; Thermal power; Thermal power plants; Thermoelectricity; Trace gases; India; time series forecast analysis; Singrauli region; Thermal Power Plants (TPPs); geo-accumulation index; coal mines; air and soil quality
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811560

Singrauli region is known as the energy capital of India, as it generates nearly 21 GW of electricity, supplied to various parts of the northern India. Many coal-based Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) using coal from several nearby coal mines, and numerous industries are set up in this region which has made it as one of the highly polluted regions of India. In the present study, detailed temporal analysis and forecast of carbon dioxide (CO
), nitrogen dioxide (NO
), sulfur dioxide (SO
), and methane (CH
) concentrations retrieved from satellite data have been carried out for the periods 2005-2020. Based on the classical multiplicative model and using linear regression, the maximum concentration of CO
, NO
, SO
, and CH
in the year 2025 is found to be 422.59 ppm, 29.28 ppm, 0.23 DU, and 1901.35 ppbv, respectively. Detailed analysis shows that carbon dioxide has a 95% correlation with all other trace gases. We have also carried out the geo-accumulation index for the presence of various contaminants in the soil of this region. The geo-accumulation index shows that soil in and around thermal power plants and coal mines is contaminated by heavy metals. The cumulative index shows that soil around Hindalco industries, Bina coal mines, Khadia coal mines, and coal-based TPPs (Anpara and Vindhayachal) are highly polluted and a threat to human population living in the region.