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Unsubstituted polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) in extracts of coal fly ash from the fly ash test cell in Montour, Pennsylvania

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6682694
Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry (IDMS) was used to identify and to quantify trace amounts of selected, unsubstituted polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) present in extracts of coal fly ash from the solid waste disposal test cell at Montour, Pennsylvania. Isotope dilution experiments using deuterated analogs of polyaromatic hydrocarbons demonstrated that the concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene and anthracene were lower than 1 ng/g of fly ash. Isotope dilution experiments demonstrated that benzo(a)pyrene could be detected at concentrations as high as 1 ng/g when an isotopic carrier was used at a concentration of 125 ng/g in the analytical method. Maximum concentrations of fluorene, fluoranthene, pyrene and chrysene were conservatively estimated to be 3 ng/g of fly ash, using a 95 percent confidence interval based on analytical precision of {+-}1 ng/g of fly ash. Concentrations of phenanthrene were found to range from 6 to 38 ng/g of fly ash with a mean concentration of 14 ng/g of fly ash. Two sources of phenanthrene were speculated: incomplete combustion of phenanthrene in the coal furnace and addition of phenanthrene to the fly ash after collection by electrostatic precipitators.
Research Organization:
Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6682694
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English