Aerosol sampling and characterization in the developing US oil-shale industry

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5749604

Hargis, K M; Tillery, M I; Gonzales, M; Garcia, L L

Aerosol sampling and characterization studies of workplace air were conducted at four demonstration-scale oil shale facilities located in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. These facilities consisted of an underground mining/aboveground retorting facility, two modified in situ retorting facilities with associated underground mining, and a true in situ retorting facility. Emphasis was placed on study of the retorting phase of operation at these facilities. Aerosol samples were collected on filter media by high volume air samplers, low volume portable sampling pumps with or without cyclone pre-separators, and cascade impactors. Samples were analyzed to determine total and respirable dust concentrations, particle size distributions, free silica content, total benzene or cyclohexane extractables, and selected polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Total and respirable dust were observed to range from very low to very high concentrations, with significant free silica content. Measurable levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were also observed at each of the facilities.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5749604
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-81-3715; CONF-811167-1; ON: DE82006159
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
041000* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOL MONITORING
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ALKANES
AROMATICS
BENZENE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
COLORADO
CYCLOALKANES
CYCLOHEXANE
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DEMONSTRATION PLANTS
DISPERSIONS
DUSTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION
MINING
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
OIL SHALE MINING
OIL SHALE PROCESSING PLANTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
QUANTITY RATIO
RETORTING
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SAMPLING
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SIZE
SOLS
USA
UTAH