Chemical and biological characterization of leachates from coal solid wastes

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6677650

Griffin, R A; Schuller, R M; Suloway, J J; Shimp, N F; Childers, W F; Shiley, R H

Eleven coal solid wastes were characterized chemically and mineralogically. The wastes comprised three Lurgi gasification ashes, mineral residues from the SRC-I and H-Coal liquefaction processes, two chars, two coal-cleaning residues, and a fly ash and water-quenched bottom ash (slag) from a coal-fired power plant. Leachates that were generated from the solid wastes at four pH levels and under two different gas atmospheres were analyzed for more than 40 chemical constituents. These leachates were also used in soil attenuation studies and in acute 96-hour static bioassays using fathead minnow fry. Sixty constituents were determined in the solid wastes. A range of 2 to 13 in the aqueous extracts generated in the laboratory from the individual wastes exceeded minimum standards of water quality recommended by the federal government. The most significant mineral transformations that occurred during coal conversion processing were those of the iron-bearing minerals. Thermodynamic speciation of inorganic ions and complexes in solution was modeled using the computer program WATEQF. Study of the soil attenuation of soluble constituents leached from the coal solid wastes used the dispersed soil method with three Illinois soils of widely varying character. The results showed that chemical constituents were attenuated by the soils to a high degree. The results of 96-hour static bioassays indicated that the water-soluble constituents in equilibrium with the wastes generally were not acutely toxic to fathead minnow fry at near neutral pH's (7.0 to 8.5); however, there was complete mortality in both the high- and low-pH leachates.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Champaign, IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6677650
• Report Number(s): EGN-89
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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010600* -- Coal
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010800 -- Coal
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINIUM
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BARIUM
BIOASSAY
BORON
CALCIUM
CERIUM
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINE
CHROMIUM
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COMPUTER CODES
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHES
FLUORINE
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
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H-COAL PROCESS
HALOGENS
INFORMATION
IONS
IRON
LEACHATES
LIQUEFACTION
LURGI PROCESS
MAGNESIUM
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MINERALS
MIXTURES
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORES
POTASSIUM
POWER PLANTS
PYRITES
RARE EARTHS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SODIUM
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
SOLUTIONS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SRC PROCESS
SULFIDES
SULFUR
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ORES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TITANIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
W CODES
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