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Title: Predicted fate and transport of mercury emitted from utility boilers in the local atmosphere

Conference ·
OSTI ID:422805
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
  3. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

In 1990 it was estimated that utility boilers accounted for approximately 21% of anthropogenic mercury emitted to the atmosphere in the US. To characterize the utility industry a series of model plants were developed. Using a modified version of the COMPDEP air model, the fate of the mercury emissions from the model plant developed to represent large coal-burning boilers was predicted. Estimated annual air concentrations at a hypothetical site 2.5 Km downwind from the model plant were 0.001 ng/m{sup 3} and the estimated annual mercury deposition rate was less than 10 ug/m{sup 2}/yr. Of the mercury emitted from this model plant, less than 5% percent is predicted to deposit within 50 Km of the emission source. The mercury remaining in the atmosphere is thought to become part of a regional and eventually global mass of atmospheric mercury.

OSTI ID:
422805
Report Number(s):
CONF-960805-; TRN: 97:002375
Resource Relation:
Conference: 31. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Washington, DC (United States), 9-14 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 31. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference. Volume 3: Policy impacts on energy, renewable energy resources, energy systems, environmental impact; Chetty, P.R.K.; Jackson, W.D.; Dicks, E.B. [eds.]; PB: 684 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English