210Po distribution after high temperature processes in coal-fired power plants

Wang Chuangao; Liu Ruirui; Li Jinfeng; Huang Zhijun; Pan Jingshun; Luo Zhiping; Chen Ling; Wang Zhongwen; Pan Ziqiang

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.02.015

²¹⁰Po distribution after high temperature processes in coal-fired power plants

J Environ Radioact. 2017 May:171:132-137. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.02.015. Epub 2017 Feb 24.

Authors

Wang Chuangao¹, Liu Ruirui², Li Jinfeng³, Huang Zhijun³, Pan Jingshun³, Luo Zhiping³, Chen Ling³, Wang Zhongwen³, Pan Ziqiang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Safety, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Fangshan District, Beijing, 102413, China. Electronic address: wangchuangao45@163.com.
² Department of Radiation Safety, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Fangshan District, Beijing, 102413, China; Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics, Oregon State University, 100 Radiation Center, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
³ Department of Radiation Safety, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Fangshan District, Beijing, 102413, China.
⁴ China National Nuclear Corporation, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100822, China.

PMID: 28242538
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.02.015

Abstract

In this paper, the distribution of ²¹⁰Po after high temperature processes in six units of coal-fired power plants (CFPs) were evaluated. The coal, bottom ashes, fly ashes from electrostatic precipitators (ESP), and flue gases from stacks were sampled from four CFPs and analyzed for ²¹⁰Po contents. The results showed that ²¹⁰Po was mainly captured by the ESP, with little left in the bottom ash, and a small fraction of ²¹⁰Po was directly discharged into the environment through the stacks, accounting for 0.06%-0.6%, which was consistent with the reported data. It was also found that part of the ²¹⁰Po could not be accounted for in the mass balance analysis for the whole combustion process in CFPs, which was also in line with the reported data. The results obtained in this study provided essential basic data for environmental radiological risk analysis for CFPs.

Keywords: (210)Po; Coal-fired power plant; Mass balance analysis; NORM.

MeSH terms

Coal Ash / analysis*
Polonium / analysis*
Power Plants*
Radiation Monitoring*
Radioactive Pollutants / analysis*

Substances

Coal Ash
Radioactive Pollutants
Polonium