Coal An Impure Fuel Source: Radiation Effects of Coal-fired Power Plants in Turkey

Year 2010, Volume: 38 Issue: 4, 259 - 268, 01.12.2010

İbrahim Uslu Faruk Gökmeşe

Abstract

Turkish coal is generally poor quality and the levels of chemical and radiological toxic trace elements in it are higher with respect to mean values of activity concentrations given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation UNSCEAR Report. The main pathways through which the population living around soal-fired power plant CFPP is exposed to natural radionuclides are external and internal ingestion and inhalation dose and fly ash particles are the major component of the risk. It is estimated that the people working or living near the CFPP in Turkey receive a dose in between 0.1 mSv to 1 mSv extra from CFPP because nearly all the region of Turkey uranium U and thorium Th content in the coal are higher than 5 ppm to 7 ppm and around 25 ppm to 40 ppm respectively. Continuous monitoring is essential to determine occupational exposure levels in all stages of the coal fuel-cycle and proper measures should be taken to prevent direct contact of the ash pile with the top soil and local drainage systems.

Keywords

Radiation, Coal, Coal-fired power plant, Pollution, Radioactivity, Turkey

References

• Nakaoka A., Fukishima M., Takagi S., Environmental effects of natural radionuclides from coal fired power plants, Health Phys., 47(3), 407,1984.
• UNSCEAR, United Nations Sciebtific Committee on the Effects of Aomic Radiation, Report to the General Assembly (New York: United Nations) 1982.
• USGS, Coal Combustion Products, USGS Fact Sheet-FS- 076-01, 2001.
• USGS, Radioactive elements in coal and fly ash: abundance, forms, and environmental significance, USGS Fact Sheet-FS-163-97, 2001.
• USGS, Characterization and Modes of Occurrence of elements in Feed Coal and Fly Ash, USGS Fact Sheet-038- 02, 2002.
• Ersoy M., Current Status of Turkish Lignite Sector, UNECE Ad Hoc meeting of experts on coal in sustainable development, Geneva, 17-18 November, 2003.
• DPT, Elektrik Enerjisi Özel İhtisas Komisyonu Raporu, State Planning Organization, DPT: 2569 . ÖİK: 585, Ankara, 2001.
• Karayigit A. I., Onacak T., Hower, J.C., Türkiye’de kömür yakan bazı termik santral uçucu küllerinin özellikleri, 54. Türkiye Jeoloji Kurultayı, Geology Symp., Ankara, 7 May, 2001.
• Karayigit, A.I., Gayer R.A., Characterization of fly ash from the Kangal power plant, Int. Ash Utilization Symp., University of Kentucky, 2001.
• Karayigit A. I., Gayer R. A., Querol X., Onacak T., Contents of major and trace elements in feed coals from turkish coal- fired power plants, Int. J. Coal Geol., 44, 169, 2000.
• Karayigit A. I., Spears D.A., Booth C.A., Distribution of environmental sensitive trace elements in the eocene Sorgun coals, Turkey, Int. J. Coal Geol., 42(4), 297, 2000.
• Querol X., Whateley M.K.G., Fernandez J.L., Tuncali E., Geology controls on the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Beypazari lignite, central Anatolia, Turkey, Int. J. Coal Geol., 33(3), 255, 1997.
• Ayanoglu S.F., Gunduz G., Türk kömürlerinin i çindeki eser elementlerin nötron uyarı yöntemiyle tayini, VI. Bilim Kongresi, TUBİTAK, Izmir, 24-28 October, 1977.
• Ayanoglu S.F., Gunduz G., Neutron activation analysis of Turkish coals I”, J. Radioanal. Chem., 43, 155, 1978.
• Ayanoglu S.F., Gunduz G., Neutron activation analysis of Turkish coals II, J. Radioanal. Chem., 43, 159, 1978.
• Ayanoglu S.F., Gunduz G., Neutron activation analysis of Turkish coals III, J. Radioanal. Chem., 43, 165, 1978.
• Battaglia, A., Bramati, A., Environmental radiation survey around a coal-fired power plant site, Rad. Prot. Dosim., 24, 407, 1988.
• Klusek, C.S., Miller, K.M., Heit, M., Trace element and radionuclide mass balances at a coal-fired electric generating station, Env. Int., 9, 139, 1983.
• Corbet J.O., The radiation dose from coal burning: a review of pathways and data, Rad. Prot. Dosim., 4(1), 5, 1983.
• Mandal, A., Sengupta, D., Radionuclide and trace element contamination around Kolaghat thermal power station, Current Sci., 88(4), 617, 2005.
• Grasty R.L., LaMerre J.R., The annual effective dose from natural sources of ionizing radiation in Canada, Rad. Prot. Dosim., 108(3), 215, 2004.
• IAEA, Safety Series 115, International Atomic Energy Agency, Printed by the IAEA in Austria, 1996.
• UNSCEAR, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Report to the General Assembly (New York: United Nations), 2000.
• Saito, K., Jacop, P., Gamma ray fields in the air due to sources in the ground”, Rad. Prot. Dosim., 58, 29, 1995.
• Gulec, N., Gunal, B., Erler, A., Assessment of soil and water contamination around an ash disposal site: Seyitömer, Turkey, Env. Geol., 43(3), 331, 2001.
• Yener, G., Uysal, I., Low energy scintillation spectrometry for direct determination of U-238 and Pb-210 in coal and ash samples, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 47(1), 93, 1996.
• Ayçık, G., Ercan, A., Radioactivity measurements of coals and ashes from coal-fired power plants in the soutwestern part of Turkey, J. Environ. Radioact., 35(1), 23, 1997.
• Yaprak, G., Indoor Rn-222 concentrations in the vicinity of a Turkish coal-fired power plant, J. Environ. Radioact., 46, 131, 1999.
• IAEA, Generic models for use in assessing the impact of discharges of radioactive substances to the environment, International Atomic Energy Agency, Safety Report Series, 19, Vienna, 2001.
• Tadmore, J., Radioactivity from coal-fired power plants: A review, J. Environ. Radioact., 4, 177, 1986.
• McBride, J.P., Moore, R.E., Winterspoon, J.P., Blanco, R.E., Radiological impact of airborne effluents of coal and nuclear power plants, Oak Ridge Natl. Lab. Report, ORNL 5315, 1977.