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Photochemical investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons vapor-adsorbed on coal fly ash

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:7042428
Five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were deposited from the vapor phase onto the surfaces of eight different types of coal fly ash. This procedure generated samples of PAH-laden fly ash in a manner which simulated the actual process of adsorption occurring in the gaseous effluent of a coal-fired electric power plant. Samples were then irradiated with a light source similar in spectral distribution to sunlight. The adsorbed PAHs were extracted from the ash, and the decrease in the PAD concentration on the ash due to irradiation was measured and assumed to be the result of photochemical decomposition. The percentage photochemical decomposition was calculated for each combination of a single PAH compound adsorbed onto a single type of fly ash, and the apparent decomposition of adsorbed PAHs was found to be generally more extensive on ash surfaces which were relatively photo-reflective. Other results suggested that more strongly adsorbed PAHs were less susceptible to photochemical transformation. Results of measurements of the percentage of vapor-deposited pyrene recovered by solvent extraction were obtained with the help of a flame ionization detector to measure the amount of pyrene depositing on the ash.
Research Organization:
Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA)
OSTI ID:
7042428
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English