Establishment of Indicatory Metals for Filterable and Condensable PM_2.5 Emitted from Important Stationary Emission Sources

Abstract

This study investigated indicatory metals in the filterable (FPM2.5) and condensable (CPM) particulate matter emitted from six different types of stationary stacks (based on fuels and raw materials, n = 33), namely, coal boiler (COL), heavy oil boiler (HOL), wood boiler (WOD), diesel boiler (DSL), natural gas boiler (NGS), and incinerator (INR). FPM2.5 and CPM samples were collected following U.S. EPA Method 201A and Method 202, respectively. The samples were analyzed for mass concentrations and metal compositions. Results showed that the concentration of CPM was higher than that of the FPM2.5 for all types of stacks except WOD. Comparability analysis of FPM2.5, CPM, and TPM2.5 (FPM2.5 + CPM) metal profiles assessed by using the coefficient of divergence (COD) showed a heterogeneous (COD = 0.32–0.99) relationship among six groups of emission stacks. However, FPM2.5, CPM, and TPM2.5 metal profiles within a group of stack revealed homogeneous (COD = 0.19) to heterogeneous (COD = 0.79) relations. Indicatory metals for COL were found to be Ca, Ba, V (FPM2.5), Se, Cd, and Co (CPM) and V, Se, and Co (TPM2.5). Similarly, indicatory metals for HOL included Ca, V, Ni (FPM2.5), V, Se, and Cd (CPM) and V, Co, and As (TPM2.5). Ca, Ni, Ba (FPM2.5), Se, V, and Cd (CPM) and V, Cd, and As (TPM2.5) were recognized as indicatory metals for WOD boilers. Similarly, K and Ca were found to be indicatory metals for DSL, NGS, and INR. The indicatory metals for different emission sources and for different particle fractions (FPM2.5 and CPM) reflect the differences in fuel types, combustion temperatures, and particle formation mechanisms. The results of the present study are expected to provide valuable information for source apportionment modeling and to better assess the contributions of the aforementioned emission sources to the ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and metal elements.

Non-Negligible Stack Emissions of Noncriteria Air Pollutants from Coal-Fired Power Plants in China: Condensable Particulate Matter and Sulfur Trioxide

“…However, the final CPM emission concentrations are slightly higher than FPM, and the CPM concentrations from plants #1 and #2 even exceed 10 mg/Nm 3 . Actually, the aerodynamic diameter of CPM is generally less than 2.5 μm, 16 but the mass concentrations of CPM are significantly higher than those of FPM 2.5 at each sampling site, and similar results are reported by Yang et al 44 Average mass concentrations of FPM and CPM at the WFGD-inlet are 32.48 ± 26.24 and 11.11 ± 3.83 mg/Nm 3 , while those at the stack are 7.68 ± 1.82 and 11.43 ± 2.54 mg/Nm 3 , respectively. The proportions of CPM in TPM at the WFGD-inlet range from 13.92 to 79.36% and those at the stack range from 51.82 to 65.50%.…”

“…Before entering WFGD, Se mainly exists in the forms of Se 0 , SeO 2 , or SeO 3 2− in flue gas. Yang et al 44 established the indicatory metals of filterable and condensable PM 2.5 from important stationary emission sources, and pointed out that Se was one of the important indicatory metals in CPM 2.5 and TPM 2.5 emitted from the coal boiler. Coŕdoba 46 reviewed the partitioning and speciation of Se in WFGD, and pointed out that the Se chemistry reacted in WFGD was highly complicated.…”

Combined use of principal component analysis/multiple linear regression analysis and artificial neural network to assess the impact of meteorological parameters on fluctuation of selected PM2.5-bound elements

“…Because the harvesting cost required for hiring cutting machines is relatively expensive, small-scale sugarcane farmers have little choice but to burn the leftover sugarcane because of the ease of finding labour [109]. Additionally, wood combustion and sugarcane burning have been reported as potential contributors of As, Ni, Se, and V in particulate matter emitted from cogeneration power plants and factories that use wood boilers [110][111][112]. Thus, it is inferred that the significant differences in Ni/V, V/Fe, and As/V ratios of PM 2.5 samples collected at COS and BOS during haze area consequence of agricultural waste burning which usually starts from January to May (Table 3 and S1 Overall, these findings have shown that policymakers should be aware that the expansion of the sugarcane industry can inevitably lead to seasonal air quality problems, and thus non-burning alternative agricultural practices are essential.…”

The Behavior and Removal of Condensable Particulate Matter in Flue Gas in a Multi-Field Force: A Modeling and Experimental Study

“…Chen optimized governing equations by undertaking coordinate transformation and performed numerical simulation, with the aim of analyzing the deposition status of particles in the joint action of thermophoresis, electric field force, convection and Brownian motion [11]. Yang et al investigated the deposition effect of microparticles in a vertical pipe by using the Lagrangian trajectory tracking method, and found that the deposition effect of particles on the wall of the pipe was significantly enhanced by the combined action of thermophoresis and electrophoresis [14]. Researchers focused on electrostatic precipitators, developing a turbulent diffusion model that incorporates electrostatic transport effects in order to study the motion and sedimentation behavior of particles within the precipitator.…”