Natural radioactive elements and heavy metals in coal, fly ash and bottom ash from a thermal power plant

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Environmental Science and Engineering; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/10934529309375995· OSTI ID:5497438

Font, J; Casas, M; Forteza, R; Cerda, V; Garcias, F ^[1]

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1. Univ. of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

The composition of coal used as fuel at a thermal power plant and those of the fly and bottom ashes it produces were determined. Radioactive elements were analysed for by alpha and gamma spectrometry, while sulphur, carbon and nitrogen were determined by burning. Heavy metals were quantified by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICPAES). The low sulphur content of the coal (0.68%) gives rise to fly ash containing only 0.21% of this element. The radiochemical analyses performed by alpha spectrometry revealed that most of the uranium remains in the solid residue resulting from disaggregation of the sample with Na[sub 2]CO[sub 3] in the separation process. Also, the gamma spectrometric results show that the elements from the 4n and 4n + 2 series and [sup 40]K concentrate in fly ash, the mean particle size of which is the smallest of all the residues assayed. 8 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 5497438
• Journal Information: Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Environmental Science and Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Environmental Science and Engineering; (United States) Vol. 28:9; ISSN 0360-1226; ISSN JESEDU
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010600 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
014000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200202* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas & Particulate Emissions
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
400700 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AEROSOL WASTES
ALKA
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ASHES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DATA
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATERIALS
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM 40
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
POWER PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESIDUES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THORIUM 232
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM 238
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES