Application of PIXE trace-element analysis to the study of rapid conversion of SO/sub 2/(g) to sulfate in a fog bank

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6108284

Arthur, R J; Mangelson, N F; Hill, M W; Eatough, D J; Eatough, N L; Richter, B E; Hansen, L D; Cooper, J A

The conversion of gaseous sulfur dioxide to sulfate has been studied in the plume of an oil-fired power plant located on the Pacific Ocean coast. The plant's unique location makes it a nearly ideal sampling location for determining plume chemistry with a minimum of interference. The plant is often shrouded in the morning by a fog bank. Breezes from the ocean mix the plume of the power plant with large quantities of unpolluted ocean air. Sulfur dioxide generated by the plant is rapidly oxidized when the fog bank is present to produce secondary sulfate. The rate of conversion was estimated by sampling the plume inland both on days when the fog bank was present and when the fog bank was absent. Trace-element concentrations in particulates collected on Nuclepore filters were determined by Proton-Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) analysis, while concentrations of soluble ions were determined from acid extracts of quartz-fiber filters using ion chromatography. Chemical mass-balance source apportionment techniques were used to assign the sources of particulate sulfate. 3 refs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA); Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA); NEA, Inc., Beaverton, OR (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-80EV10405; AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6108284
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-12849-S; CONF-850610-53; ON: DE86007788
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUIDS
FOG
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GASES
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PIXE ANALYSIS
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SAMPLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STACK DISPOSAL
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRACE AMOUNTS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS