DISTRIBUTION OF TOXIC AND RADIATION COMPONENTS IN AIR PARTICULATES

The concentrations of several toxic heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various types of Hungarian fly-ash fine particulat es were investigated by means of instrumental neutron activation analy sis, X-ray fluorescence analysis and gas chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry. Within a power station, particulate samples were ta ken from the boiler zone (BO), from the electrostatic dust filter cham ber (FI) and from the flue-gas at the top of the stack (ST). Enrichmen t rates of the toxic metals both in FI and ST particulate fractions re lated to the BO concentrations were calculated to enable the temperatu re dependence on the adsorption of the toxic components to be studied. In addition, both the total amounts of the VOCs and their partial dis tributions in accordance with the number of carbon atoms were also stu died in fly-ash particulates. From them, 31 organic species were ident ified and determined. Since Hungarian blown coals have high uranium an d thorium contents, the specific radioactivities of the daughter isoto pes of both the Th-232 and U-238 decay series were also measured and a re discussed.