The Determination of Total Mercury in Coal and Coal Fly Ash Using Thermal Combustion and Amalgamation Coupled with Atomic Absorption
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چکیده
Coal-fired power plants are by far the largest source of mercury pollution in the US. Through the coal-combustion process, they emit approximately 50 tons of mercury particulates into the atmosphere every year (EPA, 2005 data). When the mercury falls back to earth it is deposited on the land and gets into the water ecosystem, where it is converted into the highly toxic organo mercury compound, methyl mercury (CH3Hg) by anaerobic organisms. This toxicant enters the aquatic system food chain, and eventually ends up in the shellfish and seafood we consume. For that reason the EPA initiated the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) in March 2005, to significantly reduce the amount of mercury emission from coal-fired power stations from 48 tons to 15 tons by the year 2018.
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