ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS 



OF COAL -CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES: 



ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS 



C. W. GEHRS 



Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 



Oak Ridge, Tennessee 



ABSTRACT 



The Department of Energy is currently supporting development of more than 20 

 major coal-conversion facilities, with many more in the exploratory and 

 predesign stage. All coal-conversion processes utilize pyrolysis (destructive 

 heating) to produce hydrocarbons enriched in their hydrogen-to-carbon ratio 

 from the parent coal. This entails the use of high temperature, often high 

 pressure, and a reducing atmosphere. The products are easier to handle than the 

 parent coal and are usable in a greater variety of ways. The organic components 

 may reach the aquatic environment, however, from product usage, through 

 leaks, or in plant effluents. This paper briefly describes the conversion 

 technologies, identifies the types of organic contaminants expected to be 

 released, summarizes the literature on environmental effects, and outlines a 

 research strategy for addressing the potential environmental ramifications of 

 organic contaminants released by coal-conversion technologies. 



The United States contains more tlian 50% of the world's known 

 reserves of coal. Although 90% of the total reserves of fossil fuels in 

 the United States are coal, only 20% of the energy produced results 

 from the use of this fuel. This relatively small reliance on coal as an 

 energy source is expected to change drastically over the next few 

 decades. Consumption is expected to increase from 600 tonnes of 

 coal per year in 1975 to double that amount in the early 1980s and 

 potentially to quadruple by the year 2020. Although coal is being 

 considered a major source of energy over the next half century, its 

 use is not without potential health and environmental ramifications. 

 As early as 1750, Sir Percival Pott reported a high incidence of 

 scrotal cancer among chimney sweeps in London (Henry, 1946). He 



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