Flue gas cleaning in power stations by using electron beam technology. Influence on PAH emissions

The electron beam technology (EBT), proven treatment for SO2 and NOx removal, is applied to different power stations as hot gas cleaning system. In this paper, an assessment of this technique installed in a Bulgarian power station on organic emissions is analyzed. The Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) content, not only emitted in the gas phase but also trapped in the solid phase, has been carried out before and after the irradiation. The main aim has been to know whether the EBT affects organic emissions, like PAH, as it happens with inorganic pollutants, like SO2 and NOx, studying EBT effects from an organic environmental point of view. The PAH quantification was performed by using a very sensitive analytical technique, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS-MS). Results showed that PAH are influenced by the EBT showing a reduction of the most volatile PAH in the gas phase. PAH concentrations in the fertilizers obtained after irradiation were found to be similar to those in the fly ashes produced when no irradiation is applied. These fertilizers were considered like unpolluted soils being adequate for agriculture applications with PAH concentrations below the target value set up by the Dutch government. (author)