Health effects research in direct coal liquefaction. Studies of H-coal distillates: Phase I. PDU samples - the effects of hydrotreatment
A multi-divisional effort aimed at the integrated assessment of the health and environmental effects of various coal conversion and shale oil technologies is being carried out. The feasibility of using health effects bioassays to predict the potential biohazard of various H-Coal derived test materials is examined in a coupled chemical and biological approach. The primary focus of the research is the use of preliminary chemical characterizations and preparation for bioassay, followed by testing in short-term assays in order to rapidly ascertain the potential biohazard. Mammalian toxicological assays parallel the testing. Raw and hydrotreated product liquids from process development units of H-Coal and the pilot plant solvent refined coal process were examined for acute toxicity monitored as population growth impairment of Tetrahymena exposed to aqueous extracts and for mutagenic activity monitored as revertants of Salmonella exposed to metabolically activated chemical class fractions. Medium to high severity hydrotreatment appears to be an effective means of reducing biological activity, presumably by reducing the aromaticity and heteroatom content. Five basic mammalian, acute toxicity tests have been conducted with selected H-coal samples and shale oil derivatives. The data show that H-Coal samples are moderately toxic whereas the toxicity of shale oil derived products is slight and comparable to samples obtained from naturally occurring petroleums. No overt skin or eye toxicity was found. The present data reveal that coal-derived distillates generated by the H-coal process are highly carcinogenic to mouse skin. An extreme form of neurotoxicity associated with dermal exposure to one of the lighter, minimally carcinogenic, materials was noted. (DMC)
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5892400
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-8071; ON: DE82003702
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
COAL LIQUIDS
TOXICITY
SHALE OIL
CARCINOGENESIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
GUINEA PIGS
H-COAL PROCESS
MICE
MUTAGEN SCREENING
MUTAGENESIS
PROCESS DEVELOPMENT UNITS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVERTANTS
SALMONELLA
SAMPLING
SKIN
SRC PROCESS
TETRAHYMENA
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
BODY
CILIATA
COAL LIQUEFACTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
INVERTEBRATES
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUIDS
MAMMALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL OILS
MUTANTS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PROTOZOA
RODENTS
SCREENING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VERTEBRATES
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
560305 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)
016000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety
040700 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Health & Safety