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Physical and Biological Studies of Coal Fly Ash

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Application of Short-Term Bioassays in the Fractionation and Analysis of Complex Environmental Mixtures

Part of the book series: Environmental Science Research ((ESRH,volume 15))

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Abstract

In our initial studies of the potential health impact of energy technologies, we have performed physical, chemical, and mutagenic studies with coal fly ash. Although the vast majority (95–99%) of the fly ash produced in coal combustion for electric power generation is retained in the power plant, we (5) have estimated that 2.4 million metric tons of fly ash were emitted in the atmosphere from U. S. coal-fired electric plants in 1974. Because the principal particulate emission control technologies, electrostatic precipitators (ESP) or wet scrubbers, have low collection efficiency for smaller particles (34), much of the released fly ash is in the “respirable” size range (aerodynamic diameters <10 m) (11). This fine particle fraction presents the greatest potential health hazard because fine particles have the longest atmospheric residence times, and thus the greatest potential for ultimate human inhalation (21), and are generally most efficiently deposited in deep lung and least efficiently removed by mucociliary transport (35).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiobiology Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California, USA

    Gerald L. Fisher & Clarence E. Chrisp

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  1. Gerald L. Fisher
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  2. Clarence E. Chrisp
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    Michael D. Waters , Stephen Nesnow , Joellen L. Huisingh , Shahbeg S. Sandhu  & Larry Claxton , , ,  & 

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© 1978 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Fisher, G.L., Chrisp, C.E. (1978). Physical and Biological Studies of Coal Fly Ash. In: Waters, M.D., Nesnow, S., Huisingh, J.L., Sandhu, S.S., Claxton, L. (eds) Application of Short-Term Bioassays in the Fractionation and Analysis of Complex Environmental Mixtures. Environmental Science Research, vol 15. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3611-2_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3611-2_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-3613-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-3611-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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