Health effects of fine particles emitted from coal-fired power plants

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5292777

Manning, J A

Coal-fired power plants, through their emissions of considerable quantities of sulfur and nitrogen oxides gases, contribute to the large portion of secondary particles in the air. Fine particles are important from a health effects standpoint because of their potential toxicity and their capacity for penetration into all regions of the human respiratory system. Of primary importance for fine particles is a definite facility for entering the deep recesses of the lung where the probability of adverse effects is greater because of longer retention times. Some investigators have concluded that particulate emissions appear to play a larger role in health effects than do gaseous emissions. Some trace elements, most of which are in particulate form, are proven carcinogens based on experimental and epidemiological evidence. Also of importance is the concentration of the particle to which an individual is exposed. Unfortunately, these various relationships have not been quantified completely. Little data exist to determine the overall impact of TVA's coal-fired plants on the fine particle problem. Although TVA is either in compliance or in the process of complying with all applicable particulate, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide regulations but because remaining amounts of sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions are relatively large, the impact still could be judged to be significant. Fine particles and their precursor gases are not efficiently removed from stack gas effluents by conventional control systems. As a result of technology developments, high performance electrostatic precipitators and baghouses for controlling fine particles are being applied more effectively at large coal-burning installations.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5292777
• Report Number(s): TVA/ARP-I-80/29; ON: DE82903614
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL
EMISSION
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
LUNGS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RETENTION
SIZE
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS