Process Related Effects on the Chemical and Toxicologic Characteristics of Coal Derived Fuels

摘要

As a component of an ongoing program to assess the potential health effects of coal conversion materials, we have recently completed chemical and toxicologic studies of a sample set collected on selected days of a 25-day demonstration run of a catalytic two stage direct coal liquefaction (CTSL) process. There was an increase in heteroatomic, nitrogen containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (NPAC) and hydroxy-substituted PAC, compounds as the operation time of the pilot plant increased. The proportion of material which boiled above 975 deg F also increased in the solids-free portion of the recycle slurry oil as pilot plant operation time increased. As anticipated from the increase in NPAC concentration during the run, the microbial mutagenic activity of selected process materials also increased as a function of run time. Likewise, the tumorigenicity of the materials produced later in the demonstration run was higher than that of those produced initially. These results support the view that catalyst deactivation during the course of the run gives rise not only to lower coal conversion, but also to increased toxicologic activity. 9 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs. (ERA citation 11:033656)