Field and laboratory studies for the development of effluent standards for the steam electric power industry. Final report, July 1977-April 1978
The report gives results of an evaluation of carbon absorption, chemical precipitation, reverse osmosis, and vapor compression distillation (VCD) as removal technologies for priority pollutants from wastewater streams of utility power plants. All but VCD were bench-scale tested for the removal of low concentration (1-50 ppb) pollutants from cooling tower blowdown and ash pond effluents at three coal-fired plants. The removal of organic pollutants (by activated carbon and reverse osmosis) and inorganic pollutants (by chemical precipitation and reverse osmosis) were evaluated at these plants. An operational VCD unit handling a combined waste stream was tested for the removal of both organic and inorganic pollutants at a fourth coal-fired plant. Samples of plant make-up water, cooling tower blowdown, ash pond effluent, and effluent waters from the treatment technologies were analyzed for priority organic and inorganic pollutants. Only eight pollutants were measured in concentrations greater than 10 ppb; none of these were common to all the plants studied. Carbon absorption and reverse osmosis removed priority pollutants, but low concentrations prevented definitive conclusions on their removal effectiveness. Chemical precipitation, reverse osmosis, and VCD effectively reduced low concentration inorganic compounds, including arsenic, copper, and lead, all of which were present in significant concentrations in at least one wastewater stream.
- Research Organization:
- Radian Corp., Austin, TX (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5506936
- Report Number(s):
- PB-299097
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Treatment and reuse of coal conversion wastewaters
Chemical and toxicological studies of coal gasification wastewater circulated through a cooling tower
Related Subjects
200101* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
ABSORPTION
ACTIVATED CARBON
ADSORBENTS
CARBON
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DIFFUSION
DISTILLATION
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FIELD TESTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
INDUSTRY
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OSMOSIS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POLLUTION CONTROL
POWER PLANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STANDARDS
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
WATER QUALITY