Toxicological and chemical characterization of the process stream materials and gas combustion products of an experimental low-Btu coal gasifier
The process gas stream of an experimental pressurized McDowell-Wellman stirred-bed low-Btu coal gasifier, and combustion products of the clean gas were characterized as to their mutagenic properties and chemical composition. Samples of aerosol droplets condensed from the gas were obtained at selected positions along the process stream using a condenser train. Mutagenicity was assessed using the Ames Salmonella mammalian microsome mutagenicity assay (TA98, with and without rat liver S9). All materials required metabolic activation to be mutagenic. Droplets condensed from gas had a specific mugtagenicity of 6.7 reverants/..mu..g (50,000 revertants/liter of raw gas). Methylnaphthalene, phenanthrene, chrysene, and nitrogen-containing compounds were positively identified in a highly mutagenic fraction of raw gas condensate. While gas cleanup by the humidifier-tar trap system and Venturi scrubber led to only a small reduction in specific mutagenicity of the cooled process stream material (4.1 revertants/..mu..g), a significant overall reduction in mutagenicity was achieved (to 2200 reverants/liter) due to a substantial reduction in the concentration of material in the gas. By the end of gas cleanup, gas condensates had no detectable mutagenic activity. Condensates of combustion product gas, which contained several polycyclic aromatic compounds, had a specific mutagenicity of 1.1 revertants/..mu..g (4.0 revertants/liter). Results indicate that the process stream material is potentially toxic and that care should be taken to limit exposure of workers to the aerosolized tars emitted in fugitive emissions. Health risks to general population resulting from exposure to gas combustion products are expected to be minimal. 28 references.
- Research Organization:
- Inhalation Toxicology Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76EV01013
- OSTI ID:
- 7042945
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Res.; (United States), Vol. 33:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Report on preliminary results of aerosol measurements at the Rio Blanco oil-shale retort, Burn No. 1
Indirect Liquefaction of Coal-Biomass Mixture for Production of Jet Fuel with High Productivity and Selectivity
Related Subjects
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
EXHAUST GASES
COAL TAR
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
MUTAGEN SCREENING
PERSONNEL
HEALTH HAZARDS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
AEROSOLS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COAL GASIFICATION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
GAS GENERATORS
HOT GAS CLEANUP
METABOLIC ACTIVATION
SALMONELLA
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
GASIFICATION
HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PURIFICATION
SCREENING
SOLS
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTES
010800* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Waste Management
016000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety