Experimental Characterization and Quantification of Effluent Contaminants in Wastewater Streams from Coal-Fired Power Plants

Improving the efficiency of the effluent constituent regulations in wastewater requires quantifying and characterizing the toxic discharges from coal-fired power plants. This work focuses on the characterization of emissions and understanding of the effects of the operational profile of the power plants on the effluent. This study presents the experimental results from sampling and analysis conducted on the effluents collected from two U.S. coal-fired power plants from October 2018 to February 2019 and from June 2019 to January 2020 for each plant, respectively. The results of effluent conditions are presented as a function of unit configuration, sampling periods, and unit load profile with levels of uncertainty analysis. The results of the elemental analysis of the sampled coal are also included. The results demonstrate wide variation across the sampling dates with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of more than 100% at the same location. While an increased unit load directly correlates with the increased concentration of mercury and reduced concentration of arsenic at a particular unit, this trend was not proven at the other unit.