The formation of dimethyl sulfate in power plant plumes

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Air Pollution Control Association; (USA)

OSTI ID:5053233

Hansen, L D; Eatough, D J ^[1]; Cheney, J L ^[2]; Eatough, N L ^[3]

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1. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (US)
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (US)
3. California Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA (USA)

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study which was designed to determine if dimethyl sulfate is a primary emission of power plants or is instead formed in the plume after mixing with the ambient atmosphere. The authors previously reported the presence of dimethyl sulfate and monomethyl sulfuric acid in particulate matter collected from the flue lines and plumes of coal-fired power plants. The mole ratios of methylated sulfate in particles to total emitted sulfur were found to be one and two orders of magnitude higher in the plume than in the flue line of a coal- and an oil-fired plant, respectively. In addition, while only monomethyl sulfate was found in the particles collected at 150{sup 0}C in the flue line, the principal species found in the plume aerosol was dimethyl sulfate. Dimethyl sulfate has been found in particulate matter collected from the flue line of another coal-fired power plant where the sample was collected at 110{sup 0}C, however. These previously reported results can either be interpreted to indicate that primary emissions from power plants contain gas phase alkyl sulfate compounds which subsequently condense onto aerosols, or the data can be interpreted to show formation of dimethyl sulfate in the atmosphere. The data presented in this paper show the latter to be the case.

• OSTI ID: 5053233
• Report Number(s): CONF-870695--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Air Pollution Control Association; (USA) Journal Volume: 6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
014000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200202 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas & Particulate Emissions
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ALKYL RADICALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COLLOIDS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DISPERSIONS
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
MATERIALS
METHYL RADICALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
POLLUTION SOURCES
POWER PLANTS
RADICALS
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS