Control of salt laden particulate emissions from hogged fuel boilers

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of excessive salt emissions from 16 hogged fuel boilers in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Logs transported or stored in sea water, absorb substantial amounts of salt which is noncombustible, and is emitted as a fine particulate when the hogged fuel is burned, contributing to opacity and particulate emissions. Control measures considered are fuel pretreatment, combustion modification, use of conventional particulate control devices (electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, and wet scrubbers), and several novel particulate control devices.The best available control technology appears to be a mechanical collector-fabric filter combination; some electrostatic scrubber type devices have also shown excellent capability.     

Preferred policies when there is a concern for probability of adoption

A theory of effective policy choice is developed that recognizes that the probability that a policy is adopted depends on who gains from it, who loses, and by how much. Ten pieces of recent environmental legislation are assessed to see how mechanisms such as coupling with other legislation, phased implementation, and the manipulation of uncertainty can spread benefits and costs. Several optimizing models are presented that explicitly incorporate the probability of adoption.     

A study of diesel emissions on Drosophila

A sex-linked recessive lethal test was performed on male fruit flies of the species Drosophila melanogaster, (Oregon-R strain), exposed to an approximate five-fold dilution of exhaust from a diesel engine. The eight hour exposure was achieved by drawing diluted diesel exhaust from a three cubic meter stainless steel exposure chamber housing laboratory animals through a two liter reaction flask modified for use with Drosophila. A preconditioned sampling bag was used to collect the emissions after passing through the exposure chamber containing the flies. Results of analyses performed on the diesel exhaust mixture showed the following: carbon dioxide—0.17%, carbon monoxide—12.2 ppm, hydrocarbons—11.6 ppm, nitrogen oxide—3.8 ppm, nitrogen dioxide—2.9 ppm, sulphur dioxide—1.0 ppm, and particulates—2.18 mg/m³. Two broods of the F₂ generation were investigated for the occurrence of recessive lethal events. These broods approximated the developing gametogenic stages of mature sperm (P₁ matings on days 2 and 3 postexposure) and spermatocytes (P₁ matings on days 8 and 9). Additionally, the F₃ generation was evaluated for the occurrence of mosaic recessive lethal events which might escape detection in the F₂ generation. An equal number of F₂ and F₃ flies for both broods served as concurrent controls. Results indicate that, under the conditions tested, the diesel exhaust did not increase the mutation frequency of the exposed flies (F₂ rate = 0.30%, F₃ rate = 0%) when compared to the concurrent controls (F₂ rate = 0.37%, F₃ rate = 0.15%).     

Dioxins not detected in effluents from coal/refuse combustion

No 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was detected in effluents from a power plant burning coal supplemented with processed municipal wastes. These negative findings, in contrast with the many reports of the presence of dioxins from waste incineration, are proposed to be due to the high temperature of 1200°C for the combustion of small pieces of refuse with adequate oxygen for times sufficient to insure complete oxidation.