Fluidized bed combustion emissions toxicology program. Status report, October 1979

Abstract

Research progress is reported in studies to determine the potential health risk to man from the fluidized bed combustion of coal. The effort to date has consisted of field sampling from the 18'' atmospheric pressure fluidized bed combustor (AFBC) to chemically and physically characterize potential effluents from the coal combustion FBC. This is followed by toxicological testing of effluents to determine their potential hazard to man. Information available to date is summarized. Special emphasis is given to comparisons between the FBC information available to data and information available from the conventional combustion of coal, even though these comparisons are between an experimental scale unit on one hand and full sized units on the other. It is concluded that fluidized bed combustor (FBC) particle emissions are comparable or lower than from conventional power plants. Fluidized bed combustor particle-associated organic emissions appear to be higher than estimated for conventional power plants. Fluidized bed combustor trace element emissions are comparable to conventional power plant emissions. Atmospheric fluidized bed combustion, pressurized fluidized bed combustion and conventional pulverized coal combustion generate similar organic compounds. Fluidized bed combustion causes less trace element enrichment in fine particles than has been observed in conventional combustion. No mutagenic activitymore » was detected in the hydrocarbons of the vapor phase fraction of the stack breech effluent, but was found in hydrocarbons associated with some samples of bag filter (final cleanup device) or stack breech ash. There appears to be some positive correlation of ash-associated mutagenicity with higher combustion temperatures, but no correlation of mutagenicity with type of coal burned. Results of in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity tests are also reported. « less

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