Mercury emission from coal-fired power stations, situated in Poland in the Silesian region was investigated. The determination methods for mercury in the consumed coal and in combustion gas, used in this research, are described. The mass of mercury emitted into the air from coal combustion in the power station is in constant relation to the mercury content in the consumed coal during the assumed period. A relationship between mercury emission into the air and the mercury content in the consumed coal in electric power stations is derived.
The measurements of metallic mercury vapor were carried out in seven local hospitals, where mercury-containing products are widely used, as well as in one residence to check effectiveness of decontamination after mercury spillage. Hopcalite as a solid sorbent was used in active and passive sampling methods, and mercury was analyzed by CV-AAS technique. Good agreement was found between results of mercury measurements using active samplers (pumped hopcalite adsorption tubes) and passive (diffusion) monitors applied in indoor atmosphere. The results indicated the presence of metallic mercury vaporization sources in the assessed hospital rooms but in the majority of cases mercury levels did not exceed 1 microg/m3 i.e. Polish permissible concentration for residence. However, in some of the hospital rooms, elevated concentrations of mercury vapor were found and airborne levels of up to 13.9 microg/m3 were recorded. Higher concentrations of mercury vapor were observed in autumn season when compared to summer.
A few analytical methods of elemental carbon determination are described. The purpose of the work is to choose the best method for determination of its content in dust suspended in air in industrial regions. The reflectance and chromatographic methods were investigated. It was shown that the reflectance methods could be used only when the particle size and form of elemental carbons constant. The chromatographic method, which includes the step of combustion of the sample in oxygen and chromatographic determination of evolved CO2 is recommended, since it is independent of the form of carbon. Organic carbon is removed from dust samples by extraction with benzene-methanol mixture.
The emission factors of mercury and calculation of annual emission into the atmosphere from different industrial sources in Poland are presented. The emission factors in turn depend on mercury concentration in raw materials, as well as on the character of a technological process. The combustion of hard coal and lignite was found to be the major emission source of mercury into the atmosphere.
The studies on elemental carbon content in the atmospheric air, performed at the air monitoring station in Katowice (Poland), have revealed violations of allowable maximum average annual and diurnal concentrations. Elemental carbon is introduced into the atmosphere mainly as soot generated from combustion processes. This work presents the determination of elemental carbon in emission generated from coal combustion processes.
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