TITLE: Environmental Risk Analysis for Indirect Coal Liquefaction.

AUTHOR: L. W. Barnthouse; G. W. Suter; C.F. Baes; S.M. Bartell; M.G. Cavendish.

INST.  AUTHOR: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Jan 85,  134p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE85004767/INW

ABSTRACT:

This report presents an analysis of the risks to fish, water quality (due to noxious algal blooms), crops, forests, and wildlife of two technologies for the indirect liquefaction of coal: Lurgi and Koppers-Totzek gasification of coal for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. A variety of analytical techniques were used to make maximum use of the available data to consider effects of effluents on different levels of ecological organization. The most significant toxicants to fish were found to be ammonia, cadmium, and acid gases. An analysis of whole-effluent toxicity indicated that the Lurgi effluent is more acutely toxic than the Koppers-Totzek effluent. Six effluent components appear to pose a potential threat of blue-green algal blooms, primarily because of their effects on higher trophic levels. The most important atmospheric emissions with respect to crops, forests, and wildlife were found to be the conventional combustion products SO sub 2 and NO sub 2 . Of the materials deposited on the soil, arsenic, cadmium, and nickel appear of greatest concern for phytotoxicity. 147 references, 5 figures, 41 tables. (ERA citation 10:008211)

REPORT  NUMBER: ORNL/TM-9120

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC05-84OR21400