Enrichment and particle size dependence of polonium and other naturally occurring radionuclides in coal ash. 2014

S K Sahu, and M Tiwari, and R C Bhangare, and G G Pandit
Environmental Monitoring & Assessment Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India.

Coal fired thermal power contributes 70% of power in India. Coal fired power generation results in huge amounts of fly ash and bottom ash of varying properties. Coal, which contains the naturally occurring radionuclides, on burning results in enrichment of these radionuclides in the ashes. In the present study, coal, bottom ash and fly ash samples collected from six coal-fired power plants in India were measured for (210)Po using alpha spectrometry and for natural U, (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K by an HPGe γ-ray spectrometer. (210)Po in fly ash ranged from 25.7 to 70 Bq/kg with a mean value of 40.5 Bq/kg. The range and mean activities of (238)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K in fly ash were 38.5-101 (78.1), 60-105.7 (79), 20-125 (61.7) and 43.6-200 (100) Bq/kg respectively. Fly ash and bottom ash contains two to five times more natural radionuclides than feed coal. The results were compared with the available data from earlier studies in other countries. The effect of particle size on enrichment factor of the nuclides in fly ash was studied. (210)Po showed the largest size dependence with its concentration favoring the smaller particle size while (232)Th showed least size dependence. (238)U and (226)Ra showed behavior intermediate to that of (210)Po and (232)Th. Also the correlation between sulfur content of the feed coal and activity of (210)Po was investigated. Increased sulfur content in feed coal enhanced enrichment of (210)Po in ash.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007194 India A country in southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan. The capitol is New Delhi. Republic of India
D010316 Particle Size Relating to the size of solids. Particle Sizes,Size, Particle,Sizes, Particle
D011059 Polonium A radioactive element that is a member of the chalcogen family. It has the atomic symbol Po, atomic number 84, and the atomic weight of the isotope with the longest half-life (209Po) is 208.98. It decays by alpha-emission.
D011210 Power Plants Units that convert some other form of energy into electrical energy. Electric Power Plants,Hydroelectric Power Plants,Thermoelectric Power Plants,Electric Power Plant,Hydroelectric Power Plant,Plant, Electric Power,Plant, Hydroelectric Power,Plant, Power,Plant, Thermoelectric Power,Plants, Electric Power,Plants, Hydroelectric Power,Plants, Power,Plants, Thermoelectric Power,Power Plant,Power Plant, Electric,Power Plant, Hydroelectric,Power Plant, Thermoelectric,Power Plants, Electric,Power Plants, Hydroelectric,Power Plants, Thermoelectric,Thermoelectric Power Plant
D011834 Radiation Monitoring The observation, either continuously or at intervals, of the levels of radiation in a given area, generally for the purpose of assuring that they have not exceeded prescribed amounts or, in case of radiation already present in the area, assuring that the levels have returned to those meeting acceptable safety standards. Monitoring, Radiation
D011868 Radioisotopes Isotopes that exhibit radioactivity and undergo radioactive decay. (From Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed & McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Daughter Isotope,Daughter Nuclide,Radioactive Isotope,Radioactive Isotopes,Radiogenic Isotope,Radioisotope,Radionuclide,Radionuclides,Daughter Nuclides,Daugter Isotopes,Radiogenic Isotopes,Isotope, Daughter,Isotope, Radioactive,Isotope, Radiogenic,Isotopes, Daugter,Isotopes, Radioactive,Isotopes, Radiogenic,Nuclide, Daughter,Nuclides, Daughter
D003031 Coal A natural fuel formed by partial decomposition of vegetable matter under certain environmental conditions. Anthracite,Bituminous Coal,Brown Coal,Lignite,Lignitious Coal,Peat Coal,Soft Coal,Anthracites,Bituminous Coals,Brown Coals,Coal, Bituminous,Coal, Brown,Coal, Lignitious,Coal, Peat,Coal, Soft,Coals,Coals, Bituminous,Coals, Brown,Coals, Lignitious,Coals, Peat,Coals, Soft,Lignites,Lignitious Coals,Peat Coals,Soft Coals
D005591 Chemical Fractionation Separation of a mixture in successive stages, each stage removing from the mixture some proportion of one of the substances, for example by differential solubility in water-solvent mixtures. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Fractionation, Chemical,Chemical Fractionations,Fractionations, Chemical
D000396 Air Pollutants, Radioactive Pollutants present in air which exhibit radioactivity. Radioactive Air Pollutants,Pollutants, Radioactive Air
D013051 Spectrometry, Gamma Determination of the energy distribution of gamma rays emitted by nuclei. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Gamma Spectrophotometry,Gamma Spectrometry,Spectrophotometry, Gamma

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