Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Coals and Coal Combustion Residuals in the United States

Lauer, Nancy E.; Hower, James C.; Hsu‐Kim, Heileen; Taggart, Ross K.; Vengosh, Avner

doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b01978

Cited by 76 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Most coals contain small amounts of parent U and Th but their concentrations can vary over several orders of magnitude from deposit to deposit. There is a substantial volume of literature on naturally occurring radionuclide distributions in coals and fly ash [116,[122][123][124][125]. Coal is formed via reduction of organic material, in which uranium is trapped or adsorbed onto clay particles, carbonaceous matter, pyrite and organic matter.…”

Section: Pb and 210 Po From Combustion Of Coal And Other Solid Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since organic matter is an effective reductant, coal horizons may accumulate additional uranium over time by extracting dissolved uranium from circulating groundwaters [126]. Lower rank sub-bituminous coals, brown coals, and lignites may contain higher concentrations of parent U and Th ( [125] and references therein). Unconsolidated analogues, including peats, may also contain anomalous RN concentrations.…”

Section: Pb and 210 Po From Combustion Of Coal And Other Solid Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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210Pb and 210Po in Geological and Related Anthropogenic Materials: Implications for Their Mineralogical Distribution in Base Metal Ores

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The distributions of 210 Pb and 210 Po, short half-life products of 238 U decay, in geological and related anthropogenic materials are reviewed, with emphasis on their geochemical behaviours and likely mineral hosts. Concentrations of natural 210 Pb and 210 Po in igneous and related hydrothermal environments are governed by release from crustal reservoirs. 210 Po may undergo volatilisation, inducing disequilibrium in magmatic systems. In sedimentary environments (marine, lacustrine, deltaic and fluvial), as in soils, concentrations of 210 Pb and 210 Po are commonly derived from a combination of natural and anthropogenic sources. Enhanced concentrations of both radionuclides are reported in media from a variety of industrial operations, including uranium mill tailings, waste from phosphoric acid production, oil and gas exploitation and energy production from coals, as well as in residues from the mining and smelting of uranium-bearing copper ores. Although the mineral hosts of the two radionuclides in most solid media are readily defined as those containing parent 238 U and 226 Ra, their distributions in some hydrothermal U-bearing ores and the products of processing those ores are much less well constrained. Much of the present understanding of these radionuclides is based on indirect data rather than direct observation and potential hosts are likely to be diverse, with deportments depending on the local geochemical environment. Some predictions can nevertheless be made based on the geochemical properties of 210 Pb and 210 Po and those of the intermediate products of 238 U decay, including isotopes of Ra and Rn. Alongside all U-bearing minerals, the potential hosts of 210 Pb and 210 Po may include Pb-bearing chalcogenides such as galena, as well as a range of sulphates, carbonates, and Fe-oxides. 210 Pb and 210 Po are also likely to occur as nanoparticles adsorbed onto the surface of other minerals, such as clays, Fe-(hydr)oxides and possibly also carbonates. In rocks, unsupported 210 Pb-and/or 210 Po-bearing nanoparticles may also be present within micro-fractures in minerals and at the interfaces of mineral grains. Despite forming under very limited and special conditions, the local-scale isotopic disequilibrium they infer is highly relevant for understanding their distributions in mineralized rocks and processing products.

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Section: Pb and 210 Po From Combustion Of Coal And Other Solid Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pb and 210 Po From Combustion Of Coal And Other Solid Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

210Pb and 210Po in Geological and Related Anthropogenic Materials: Implications for Their Mineralogical Distribution in Base Metal Ores

et al. 2018

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“…Coal is primarily mined for the world's increasing demand of fuel; coal combustion power plants continue to act as a major contributor to electricity production despite efforts to increase natural gas production (1,3). In 2014, the United States consumed 917.7 million short tons of coal; one short ton is equivalent to 2000 pounds (4).…”

Section: Background Coal Ash and Its Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fly ash is the largest component of coal ash and is characterized by fine incombustible, inorganic material (3,15). During the combustion process, residuals are carried in the flue gas pathway where some of the material will cool and condense into small, glassy spherules (15,16).…”

Section: Background Coal Ash and Its Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to taking residential history, the questionnaire includes sections which assess 1) the child's demographic information and home characteristics, 2) child behaviors, 3) cleaning methods and supplies, 4) pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, 5) food and water, 6) hobbies done at the home, 7) occupations, 8) whether the child lives near hazardous sites, 9) questions about pregnancy, and 10) information about other places the child spends time.…”

Section: Study Questionnaires and Considered Covariates Environmentalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pediatric anxiety and/or depression problems : associations with PM10, fly ash, and metal exposure.

Hagemeyer¹

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Recruitment strategies and challenges: Lessons learned from a coal ash and children's health study

Odoh

Sears

Tompkins

et al. 2019

Research in Nursing & Health

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The purpose of this paper is to describe the approaches and recruitment strategies of a study focused on the impact of coal fly ash on neurobehavioral performance among children living in proximity to coal‐burning power plants. Challenges encountered with each recruitment approach are highlighted as well as solutions used to overcome those challenges and ultimately enroll children and one of their parents or guardians. To ensure participants were distributed throughout the study area, geographical information systems were used to guide recruitment and achieve the target sample size (N = 300). Several approaches were employed to recruit the number of needed participants, including “shoe leather” or door‐to‐door recruitment, placement of flyers and brochures in public spaces, mailings to targeted addresses, media announcements, and local government outreach. Since September 2015, 265 participants have been enrolled in the study using a combination of the described recruitment approaches. Even with a well‐designed plan, it is important to re‐examine strategies at every step to maximize recruitment efforts. Researcher flexibility in adapting to new strategies is vital in facilitating recruitment efforts, and the recruitment of participants in the study remains a dynamic and evolving process.

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Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Coals and Coal Combustion Residuals in the United States

Cited by 76 publications

References 26 publications

210Pb and 210Po in Geological and Related Anthropogenic Materials: Implications for Their Mineralogical Distribution in Base Metal Ores

210Pb and 210Po in Geological and Related Anthropogenic Materials: Implications for Their Mineralogical Distribution in Base Metal Ores

Pediatric anxiety and/or depression problems : associations with PM10, fly ash, and metal exposure.

Recruitment strategies and challenges: Lessons learned from a coal ash and children's health study

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