Atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide as viewed from power plant and smelter plume studies

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5073808

Newman, L

An overview is presented of significant historical, recent, and new power plant and smelter plume studies which have been directed at understanding the atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide. It can be concluded that the average rate of oxidation of sulfur dioxide in plumes entering into and mixing with clean air is generally less than 1% per hour but with polluted urban air the rate can be at least twice as fast. In addition, a diurnal variation in the rate is sometimes observed that is near zero at night and approximately 3% during midday. Although there is a tendency to select the homogeneous over the heterogeneous mechanism as the dominant pathway for the oxidation, the basis for choice is not definitive and most likely both mechanisms are at times operative. Suggestions are advanced for new and important studies that can be performed with technologies just becoming available.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5073808
• Report Number(s): BNL-28347; CONF-801114-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COAL
DAILY VARIATIONS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GASES
KINETICS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
REACTION KINETICS
SMELTING
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE AIR
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
VARIATIONS