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CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR TOXICS FROM AN OIL-FIRED FIRETUBE BOILER
Citation:
Miller*, C, J. Ryan, AND T. Lombardo. CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR TOXICS FROM AN OIL-FIRED FIRETUBE BOILER. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 46(8):742-748, (1996).
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Description:
Tests were conducted on a commercially available firetube package boiler running on #2 through #6 oils to determine the emissions levels of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from the combustion of four fuel oils. Flue gas was sampled to determine levels of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds and of metals. Analytical procedures were used to provide more detailed information regarding the emissions rates for carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in addition to the standard analyses for volatile and semivolatile organics. Metals emissions were greater by an order of magnitude than organic emissions for all oils tested. Carbonyls dominated the organic emissions, with emission rates more than double the remaining organics for all four oils tested. Formaldehyde made up the largest percentage of carbonyls, at roughly 50% of these emissions for three of the four oils and at approximately 30% of the other oil's carbonyl emissions. Naphthalene was found to be the largest part of the PAH emissions for three of the four oils with phenanthrene being greatest for the #2 fuel oil. The flue gases were also sampled for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans; however, inconsistent levels were found between repeat tests. For the boiler tested, no single HAP was emitted at a rate which would require control under Title III of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The fuel emitting the largest amount of HAPs was the high sulfur #6 oil, which had a total HAP emission rate of less than 100 lb (45 kg)/year based on operation for a full year at a firing rate of 1.25X10 to the 6th power Btu/hr (50% load of the unit tested).
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