Study of boron behaviour in two spanish coal combustion power plants

Abstract

16A full-scale field study was carried out at two Spanish coal-fired power plants equipped with 17 electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems to investigate 18 the distribution of boron in coals, solid by-products, wastewater streams and flue gases. The 19 results were obtained from the simultaneous sampling of solid, liquid and gaseous streams 20and their subsequent analysis in two different laboratories for purposes of comparison. 21Although the final aim of this study was to evaluate the partitioning of boron in a 22 (co-)combustion power plant, special attention was paid to the analytical procedure for boron 23 determination. A sample preparation procedure was optimised for coal and combustion by-24 products to overcome some specific shortcomings of the currently used acid digestion 25 methods. In addition boron mass balances and removal efficiencies in ESP and FGD devices 26 were calculated. Mass balance closures between 83 and 149 % were obtained. During coal 27 combustion, 95 % of the incoming boron was collected in the fly ashes. The use of petroleum 28 coke as co-combustible produced a decrease in the removal efficiency of the ESP (87 %). 29Nevertheless, more than 90 % of the remaining gaseous boron was eliminated via the FGD in 30 the wastewater discharged from the scrubber, thereby causing environmental problems. 31 32

Zinc Isotope Variability in Three Coal-Fired Power Plants: A Predictive Model for Determining Isotopic Fractionation during Combustion

“…22,23 To assist the interpretations of Zn isotope variations in the coal combustion plants, we conducted mass balances across the ESPs (Figure 1b). 24 The retention of Zn in the bottom ash collected in PPA, PPB, and PPC ranges between 3.4 and 12%, while the proportion of Zn in the fly ash is higher than 87% of the Zn entering the boilers. As a consequence, particles that are not captured in the ESPs and are emitted to the atmosphere by the chimneys are enriched in Zn relative to the fuels.…”

Heavy metal induced stress on wheat: phytotoxicity and microbiological management

“…15,16 Heavy metals also enter the soil through road traffic and road dust, [17][18][19] and the burning of tires and brake linings. 20,21 Some other notable sources that can also add adequate quantities of HM to soils include y ash originating from coal-red power plants, 22 PVC products, colour pigment, and several alloys and chargeable Ni-Cd batteries. 23 All of the anthropogenic activities causing soil contamination have broadly been grouped into ve categories: (i) mining and smelting, (ii) industries (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn), (iii) agriculture (e.g., As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, U and Zn), (iv) atmospheric deposition (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg and U), and (v) waste disposal (e.g., As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg and Zn).…”

Global boron cycle in the Anthropocene

“…In recent years, high‐efficiency cold‐side electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), fabric filters, and wet flue gas desulphurization (FGD) using the lime/gypsum process, remove about 95% of gaseous boron (50% by ESP and 45% by wet FGD), converting it to CCRs [ Meij and Winkel , ; Ochoa‐González et al ., ]. In the U.S., most of the coal‐fired plants installed these scrubber systems during the 1980s and 1990s.…”