Preliminary assessment of the impact of radionuclides in western coal on health and environment

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:5204138

Styron, C. E.

Samples of coal, ash, stack effluents, airborne particulates, soil, and vegetation associated with a power plant using Western coal were prepared and analyzed by alpha pulse height spectroscopy. The data were then used in an effort to calculate the radionuclide balance for the power plant, to model radiation dose to the population adjacent to the power plant, and to estimate radiation doses for power plant workers. Details of sampling and analytical procedures are presented elsewhere. The greatest fraction of uranium-234 (87%), uranium-238 (87%), polonium-210 (87%), and lead-210 (82%) in feed coal remained with the ash after combustion. Electrostatic precipitators on the stack of Unit No. 2 of the Neal Station removed over 70% of the radionuclides entering the stack in association with fly ash, and thus the precipitators appear to be of value in controlling radionuclide emissions. Other particulate emission control devices, e.g., bag houses, should also be very effective in removing radionuclides that enter the stack in association with fly ash. Atmospheric diffusion modeling of stack effluents for uranium-234, uranium-238, lead-210, polonium-210, and radon-222 identified no radionuclides of dosimetric significance for inhalation or ingestion pathways. Occupational exposures of workers inside the Neal Station are also of no dosimetric significance. Furthermore, specific trends in distribution of radionuclides measured in the environment (airborne particulates, vegetation, and soil) relative to the power plant were not apparent. Use of Western coal in a modern power plant with effective emission controls has led to no significant environmental contamination by radionuclides.

• Research Organization: Mound Lab., Miamisburg, OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0053
• OSTI ID: 5204138
• Report Number(s): MLM-2497(OP); CONF-780109-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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010900 -- Coal
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20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AEROSOL WASTES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA SOURCES
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
ASHES
BIOMASS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL
COLLOIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
DOSES
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUE GAS
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HUMAN POPULATIONS
ION SOURCES
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NUCLEI
PARTICLE SOURCES
PERSONNEL
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
POPULATIONS
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESIDUES
SOILS
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THORIUM 230
THORIUM ISOTOPES
TRACE AMOUNTS
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES