PAH emissions from lignite combustion - Case study in a model fluidized bed combustor results with four types of Turkish (Soma) lignites

Four kinds of local Turkish lignites (Lavvar, Kisrakdere, Eynez and Sarikaya coal mines from Soma area) were burned in a model fluidized bed combustor (FBC) under different operating conditions. Combustion performances of the FBC for these tests were determined in terms of the regular parameters. Flue gases were sampled using an in-stack sampling train which collected the particulate and gaseous phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) separately. Collected samples were extracted, enriched, fractionated and analyzed by HPLC in accordance with EPA methods. In the chromatogram 16 EPA priority PAH were identified, quantified, and the results were converted into concentrations of units of mass per cubic meter of slack gas corrected for standard conditions. Results were evaluated in terms of combustion parameters, segregation modes in the FBC tests, partition between particulate and gaseous phases in the emitted flue gases, predominating PAH species and total PAH emission Factors for the four lignites.