15 Environment (pollution, health protection, safety)

97104214 Quantitative evaluation of risk factors involved in the operation of shafts in coal mines and of the efficiency of prophylactic measures Zababurin, V. M. and Frolov, A. V. Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Sev. Kauk. Reg., Tekh. Nauki, 1995, (l-2), 90-93. (In Russian) Presents an assessment method for the safety of coal mining operations.

97104215 Removal of CO2 from multicomponent gas streams using dry-FGD wastes Taulbee, D. N. Fuel, 1997, 76, (8) 781-786. The utilization of wastes from dry desulfurization of flue gas for CO2 removal from natural gas is reported. The CO* absorption capacity was evaluated at atmospheric temperature for FGD wastes from four utility boilers, a coal-fired demonstration plant and four pilot-plant runs. These samples were examined as both hydrated solids and aqueous slurries. The effect of hydration, absorption of CH4 and H$S, dissolution of metals in the slurry waters and mineralogical changes in the exposed wastes were examined.

97104216 Results from sampling full-scale coal combustion systems for air toxic emissions Weaner, J. D. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf: Coal Util. Fuel Syst., 1995, 20, l-10. Following the Clean Air Act, ABB has been actively developing a knowledge base on the Title III hazardous air pollutants. In addition to design experience and database acquired in Europe, ABB has conducted source sampling and analysis at cam. installations for hazardous air pollutants to determine the emission rates and removal performance of various types of equipment. Several different plants hosted these activities, allowing for variation in fuel type and composition, boiler configuration, and air pollution control equipment. Investigation results are discussed.

97104217 Risk-based investigation of inorganic constituents in fly ash Claycomb, D. P. et al. Contam. Soils, 1996, 1, 523-532. This unique risk-based project collected data during the two phases of investigations. It not only provided an assessment of subsurface geology and hydrogeological conditions but also augmented the performance of a risk assessment. Geological and hydro-geological assessment of site conditions indicated that four soil profiles were present, and that neither perched nor groundwater were present above the bedrock/unconsolidated material interface. Levels of Be and Mn in soil were well within the range of the naturally-occurring levels reported for these constituents. To further determine the potential impact of these constituents of concern to human health, a site-specific risk assessment was conducted to estimate potential risks associated with site development. Construction workers and children aged 6 to 15 yr old were considered the most sensitive to constituents in the site soil and adjacent creek sediments and surface water. Following the proposed construction activities, the fly ash material will be covered by at least one foot of native or imported clean soils. Furthermore, direct contact by the resident population would be limited further by a proposed 50 to 100 ft undeveloped buffer zone along the edge of the fill material, landscaped vegetative cover, paved roads and driveways, and construction of houses. The overall assessment of the concentrations of arsenic, beryllium, and manganese in the soil, surface water, and sediment at the site indicated that there was no unacceptable risk posed to construction workers or children. An assessment of the impact of groundwater quality at the site was also made and it appeared unlikely that the constituents of concern had significantly impacted the quality of groundwater beneath the site, and that minimal risk was posed to future residents.

97104216 The role of IGCC in COn abatement Pruachek, R. et al. Energy Convers. Manage., 1997, 38. (Suppl., Proceed- ings of the Third International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Removal, 1996), SlS3-SI58. In general, IGCC technology provides the highest efficiencies, thus reducing the CO2 output. Moreover, the intermediate stage of synthesis gas makes it possible to remove most of the carbon compounds before combustion with acceptable additional auxiliary power demand. The separated COz stream is of highest purity and therefore suited for disposal e.g. in the deep sea or for reuse in chemical syntheses. Accordingly, methanol synthesis based on power plant COT has been investigated. The results of a pre-basic design for a coal-fired 300 MW-class IGCC power plant with methanol production using an external Hz source are presented. Based on a Siemens Model V94.3A gas turbine-generator, the standard IGCC has been equipped with plant components including CO shift reactors, CO* scrubber, methanol synthesis reactors and distillation unit. Investment costs amount to approximately 25%.

97104219 The role of polycyclic aromatlc hydrocarbons in complex-mixture carcinogenic potential (cytochrome P 450, manufactured gas plant residue, coal tar, benzopyrene) Steinberg, M. A. Diss. Abstr. Int., B, 1997, 58, (1) 167.

97104220 Some results of the airborne high energy resolution

E amma-spectrometry application for the research of the USSR uropean territory radioactive contamination in 1966 caused by

the Chernobyl accident Drovnikov, V. V. et a2. .I. Environ. Radioactivity, 1997, 37, (2). 223-234. Presents the main results of the investigation of the European part of the (former) USSR radiation contamination in summer 1986 after the Chernobyl accident using MEPhI airborne high energy resolution gamma- spectrometry system.

97104221 Stack gas pollutant detection using laser Raman spectroscopy Kumar, P. C. and Wehrmeyer, J. A. A&. Spectrosc., 1997, 51. (6). 849- 855. The use of laser Raman spectroscopy to detect stack gas pollutants was studied. With spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, one unit is capable of measuring all gas species simultaneously and, when applied to a continuous emission monitoring (CEM) system, could both simplify it and improve reliability. Minimum detectabilities with the use of this weak light scattering process were determined for the three primary pollutants from coal-based power plants: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitric oxide. A frequency-doubled, pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used to excite the test gas held in a sample cell. A charge-coupled device connected to a spectrometer was used as the detection system, providing complete spectral information. A set of experiments was carried out for different concentrations of the three test gas species. System modifications to improve minimum detectabilities are discussed.

97104222 ‘A status report on clean coal technology demon- stration program’ Miller, C. L. et al. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Coal Util, Fuel Syst., 1993, 18, 51- 62. Included in the clean coal technology programme are advanced power generation systems, environmental control systems, coal processing for clean fuels, and industrial applications. Technologies for reduction of SO2 and NO, emissions are highlighted.

97104223 Supercritlcal fluid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from native soil and fly ash with pure and modified carbon dioxide and dimethylether Wenclawiak, B. W. et al. Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem., 1997, 357, (8), 1128- 1132. Extractions of lower mg/kg range PAH and alkyl-PAH were taken from soil and fly ash. Yields were measured for toluene Soxhlet, supercritical carbon dioxide, toluene modified carbon dioxide, and toluene modified dimethy- lether (DME) extractions. The results are presented.

97104224 Sustainable development, climate change, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) Turkenburg, W. C. Energy Convers. Manage., 1997, 38, (Suppl., Proceed- ings of the Third International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Removal, 1996), S3-S 12. The characteristics and requirements of a sustainable energy system are reviewed. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially COa is emphasised. Due to our energy consumption, it is necessary to reduce the annual CO1 consumption from 6 GtC at present to less than 3 GtC in the year 2100, and the cumulative CO1 emissions between the years 1990 and 2100 to 550-750 GtC. One option is energy efficiency improvement by 50- 90%. In addition, strong efforts are needed to develop a sustainable energy supply system with low or no COz emissions. The use of renewable energy sources offers a huge potential but major technological break-throughs are required to allow a massive and affordable application of these sources in a reliable and acceptable manner. The same is true for nuclear energy. The impact of a fuel switch from coal to oil and natural gas will depend on the recoverable amount of fossil fuels. Therefore, due attention should be given to carbon dioxide removal (CDR), particularly as it is the only option that may allow continuing large scale use of fossil fuels. This could attain reductions to 300 GtC or more between the years 1990 and 2100. Studies in the Netherlands suggest it would be socially accepted. One of the main barriers is its high cost. It may increase the electricity production costs with 30-lOO%, although there is room for reduction. Lower cost CDR options are available outside the power sector. Consequently, CDR may be applied at a cost ranging from US$S-10 to 250 per ton carbon avoided, depending on the option and circumstances involved. Further attention is also required for the environmental and safety aspects of CO? disposal.

97104225 Technology assessment of alternative fuels by COz fixation use in passenger cars Matsumoto, S. et al. Energy Convers. Mgmt, 1997, 38, (Suppl., Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Removal, 1996) s455-S460. Possible CO2 mitigation was considered in the light of alternative fuel vehicles. Fuel economies of several alternative cars were compared, and integrated COa emissions from fuel mining to consumption in Japan were calculated. The alternative fuel vehicles included methanol, compressed natural gas, electric, hydrogen, hybrid (internal combustion engine and motor), and fuel cell vehicles. A combined approach discharged the least amount of CO2 when compared to individual alternative fuel vehicles studied in this paper. The combined approach used methanol and

Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 1997 355

76 Fuel science and technology (fundamental science, analysis, instrumentation)

electricity from a coal fired power plant. Methanol was produced from CO* collected from the flue gas of a coal fired power plant and hydrogen originated from a non-carbon natural energy source. The MeOH-powered vehicle emitted 28.5 kg COz per 100 km driven. The COz emission per 100 km driven was reduced to 16.7 kg by the combination of the methanol and electrical vehicles. If hydrogen can be produced in abundant quantities from renewable energy sources, CO2 recycling for methanol production will be one of the CO2 mitigation strategies in the transportation sector. The methanol vehicle also offers benefits with regard to available infrastructures.

97194226 Thia-arenes as pollution source tracers in urban air particulate McCarry, B. E. et al. Polycyclic Aromnt. Compd., 1996, 11, (l-4) 75-82. In an attempt to determine the ratios of the amounts of monomethyl and di- Me thia-arenes to the amounts of the parent thia-arenes, respirable air particulate samples were analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectro- metry (GUMS). Standard Reference Materials 1649, 1650, and 1597 as well as local coal tar and coke oven emissions were examined as source samples. These thia-arene profiles were used to distinguish diesel exhaust emissions from coke oven emissions in respirable air particulate collected in Hamilton, Ontario.

97104227 Toxic emissions from the combustion of pulverized coal Levendis, Y. A. et al. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Coal Util. Fuel Syst.. 1996, 21, 755-164. Under typical utility boiler conditions, the emissions from the combustion of pulverized bituminous coal are studied. SO>, NO,, CO and COz emissions were continuously monitored, and cumulative emissions of unburned polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also recorded. Experiments were conducted under well-controlled conditions in bench- scale laboratory facilities. The experiments and the findings are detailed.

97104228 Trace element concentrations and stable lead isotopes in soils as tracers of lead pollution in Graft-De Rijp, the Netherlands Walraven, N. et al. J. Geochemical Explor., 1997, 59, (l), 47-58. Situated 25 kilometres north of Amsterdam, Graft-De Rijp is a former whaling village. Since its foundation in 1612 a mixture of sludge, manure and town refuse was used to raise and fertilize the land. After 1860. gasworks, coal storehouses, printing works and tanneries were started in the industrial area. Surface soils in the ‘old’ town centre of De Rijp are highly contaminated with Pb and, to a lesser extent, with Zn, Cu and As. Stable Pb isotopes combined with statistical analysis of the chemical dataset provided a tool whereby the sources of contaminant Pb, and related heavy metals were identified. Three major sources of Pb contamination are: (1) remnants of the ‘old’ town (building materials such as Pb sheets, glazed roof tiles and paint), (2) coal ashes and (3) alkyl-leaded petrol.

97104229 Treatment of combustion waste gases Onizuka, M. et al. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 09 85,040 (97 85,040] (Cl. BOlDS3/50), 31 Mar 1997, App]. 951252,243, 29 Sep 1995, 9 pp. (In Japanese) This treatment entails feeding the combustion waste gases containing SO, and coal dust into an absorption column for desulfurization and dust removal with alkali agents. It is then passed through mist catcher and acceleration impact dust collector.

97I94239 Treatment of heavy metal-containing fly ash with phosphoric acid (salts) Hori, Y. and Yoshida, T. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 09,141,226 [97,141,226] (Cl. B09B3/00), 3 Jun 1997, Appl. 951298,251, 16 Nov 1995, 5 pp. (In Japanese) The process involves kneading the incinerator fly ashes containing heavy metals with HzO, Alz(S04),, and phosphoric acid-based heavy metal- immobilization agents. The Alz(S04)3 reacts with alkali components in the ash and prevents reaction of the immobilization agents with them. As a result, the heavy metal components in the ash can be immobilized as slightly soluble salts by smaller amount of the immobilization agents. The heavy metals in the landfilled treated ash are barely leached by acidic rain.

97104231 Treatment of incinerator flue gases Miyagawa, H. et al. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 09,108,541 [97,108,541] (Cl. BOlDS3/70), 28 Apr 1997, Appl. 95/268,374,17 Ott 1995, 9 pp. (In Japanese) One ton of incinerator flue gases were mixed with l-20 kg toxic substance removing agents containing (1) 100 parts powders of diatomaceous earth, zeolites, activated clay, acid clay, fired waste clay, Ca silicate, ground cellular ceramics, tar mist, and/or ground perlite, and (2) lo-50 parts powders of activated carbon, activated coke, brown coal furnace coke, and/ or silica gel, before bag filtering. The incinerating wastes may also be mixed with slaked lime. The agents remove organochlorine compounds and heavy metals, and prevent clogging of the filter.

356 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 1997

97104232 Treatment of phenolate decomposition tail gas at Jigang coke tar plant Zhang, H. Wuanjing Gongcheng, 1995, 13, (6), 57-58. (In Chinese) In the treatment of phenolate decomposition tail gas containing PhOH and HzS04, a 8-10% NaOH solution is used as an absorbent.

97104233 Trends in environmental pollution by PAH in Germany during the period 1985-1995 Jacob, J. et al. Polycyclic Aromat. Compd., 1996, 9, (l-4) 143-149. PAH in ambient air and in the marine environment of Germany were monitored using passive samplers. A significant decrease of the benzo[a]- pyrene content in these matrixes has been observed for the last decade in West Germany and also in East Germany during 1991-1994. The predominance of brown-coal combustion processes in East Germany is indicated by the PAH-profiles exhibiting high concentrations of low-boiling PAH. For the B[a]P content in mussels, annual periodicities have been found. They were minimal minima in summer and maximal in winter.

97104234 Use of a hydraulically hardenable, finely divided two-component binder for immobilization of pollutants in filter ash from incineration of municipal refuse Neuroth, M. et al. Ger. Offen. DE 19.641.308 (Cl. A62D3/00), 5 Jun 1997, DE Appl. 19,544,234, 28 Nov 1995, 8 pp. (In German) A cement and a latent hydraulic component make up the binder.

97104235 A utility perspective on the role of clean coal technologies in complying with the Clean Air Act amendments Steen, D. V. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Coal Util. Fuel Syst., 1994. 19, 293-303. Presents the compliance practices of the Ohio Edison System with the Clean Air Act amendments.

97104236 Utilization of Czech hard coal for clean coal technology Noskievic, P. and Roubicek, V. Proc. Int. Tech. Con& Coal Util. Fuel Syyst., 1995, 20, 769-779. Strict emission standards of the Clean Air Act could be met by firing bituminous coal in power plant boilers in the Czech Republic.

97104237 Waste treatment for immobilization of hazardous heavy metals and treated wastes Funahashi, T. et al. Jpn. Kokal Tokkyo Koho JP 09,155,317 (97,155,317] (Cl. B09B3/00), 17 Jun 1997, AppI. 95/317,918, 6 Dee 1995, 6 pp. (In Japanese) The process involves adding water glass and powdered Al silicate with specific surface area 100-450 m*/g to hazardous metal-containing wastes (e.g. incinerator ash, especially fly ash, slag, soil, sludge) and optionally water, and mixing.

97194238 White smoke emission from a semiconductor manufacturing plant Tsai, C.-J. et al. Environmental International, 1997, 23, (4), 489-496. Gaseous and particulate pollutant emissions are emitted by semiconductor manufacturing processes. A common problem faced by the industry is the emission of white smoke from stacks of wet scrubbers This study analysed the physical and chemical characteristics of the white smoke in one of the semiconductor plants in Taiwan. The results of this study are detailed in the paper and a wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) installed behind the wet scrubber was shown to be able to eliminate white smoke emission due to efficient removal of sub-micrometer particles.

16 FUEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Fundamental Science, Analysis, Instrumentation

97104239 residue

Adsorbents from mixtures of coal and a cracking

Pokonova, Y. V. Khim. Tverd. Topl., 1997, (2), 56-63. (In Russian) Petroleum-cracking residues in the starting mixtures, containing added S, technical furfural, and acidic heavy oil modified the coal for adsorbents. The resulting adsorbents were evaluated via chromatography and vapour sorption, and were applied for experimental Au recovery from cyanide ore- leaching feed solutions. The Au selectivity of optimized adsorbents was comparable to that of commercial anion-exchange resin.