Coal ash basin

A coal ash basin or landfill, as the name implies, is an excavated basin for the disposal of coal ash to prevent its release into the atmosphere. Although the use of basins decreases the amount of airborne pollutants, basins pose serious health risks for the surrounding environment. Chemicals contained within samples of coal that do not burn are magnified in concentration within the coal ash. In general, coal ash basins are not lined landfills, and therefore chemicals in the ash can leach into the groundwater, lakes, rivers, and other freshwater sources, accumulating in the biomass of the system. Because of biomagnification, the concentration of these chemicals in animals will increase up a food chain (similarly to mercury in tuna). This can be very dangerous to humans that consume plant or animal life that has been affected by the coal basin. Some substances that can be commonly found in coal ash are arsenic, selenium, cadmium, nickel, lead, and mercury. Many of these, especially heavy metals can have negative effects on humans when ingested. There are some initiatives, such as the one made by Duke Energy in 2015 to excavate existing coal basins to reduce the environmental effects of coal-burning power facilities on the surrounding environment.