Oxidation of sulfur dioxide in power plant plumes

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7128075

Forrest, J; Newman, L

The extent of oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfate was measured at two coal-fired and four oil-fired power plant plumes. Samples were collected at various distances downwind of the source by employing a high-volume filter pack in a fixed-wing aircraft. Particulate sulfur to total sulfur concentration ratios and /sup 34/S to /sup 32/S isotope ratios were measured and interpreted. In almost all instances essentially all of the oxidation was found to occur during the first few kilometers of plume transit and even when plumes were followed for more than 70 kilometers. In the coal-fired plumes the extent of oxidation seldom exceeded 4 percent, one-third of which could be attributed to primary sulfate production during the combustion of the coal. In the oil-fired plumes the extent of oxidation was approximately twice that observed for coal. However, the primary production of sulfate is much more variable and probably higher during oil-fired operations and could account for some of the apparent difference observed for the atmospheric oxidation. In addition, there is some indication that sulfate could be dropping out of the power plant plumes which might cause observations of sulfate formation to appear to be less than their true values.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: E(30-1)-16
• OSTI ID: 7128075
• Report Number(s): BNL-21698; CONF-761109-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
02 PETROLEUM
020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AERIAL MONITORING
AIR
AIR POLLUTION
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUEL OILS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
MONITORING
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLUMES
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE AIR
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES