Piotr Burmistrz

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coke plant wastewater

The subject of examinations presented in this paper is the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) between solid and liquid phases in samples of raw wastewater and wastewater after treatment. The content of 16 PAHs according to the US EPA was determined in the samples of coke plant wastewater from the Zdzieszowice Coke Plant, Poland. The samples contained raw wastewater, wastewater after physico-chemical treatment as well as after biological treatment. The ΣPHA16 content varied between 255.050 μg L(-1) and 311.907 μg L(-1) in raw wastewater and between 0.940 and 4.465 μg L(-1) in wastewater after full treatment. Investigation of the distribution of PAHs showed that 71-84% of these compounds is adsorbed on the surface of suspended solids and 16-29% is dissolved in water. Distribution of individual PAHs and ΣPHA16 between solid phase and liquid phase was described with the use of statistically significant, linear equations. The calculated values of the partitioning coefficient Kp changed from 0.99 to 7.90 for naphthalene in samples containing mineral-organic suspension and acenaphthylene in samples with biological activated sludge, respectively.

Coke dust enhances coke plant wastewater treatment.

Coke plant wastewater contain many toxic pollutants. Despite physico-chemical and biological treatment this specific type of wastewater has a significant impact on environment and human health. This article presents results of research on industrial adsorptive coke plant wastewater treatment. As a sorbent the coke dust, dozen times less expensive than pulverized activated carbon, was used. Treatment was conducted in three scenarios: adsorptive after full treatment with coke dust at 15 g L(-1), biological treatment enhanced with coke dust at 0.3-0.5 g L(-1) and addition of coke dust at 0.3 g L(-1) prior to the biological treatment. The enhanced biological treatment proved the most effective. It allowed additional removal of 147-178 mg COD kg(-1) of coke dust.

Method development and validation for total mercury determination in coke oven gas combining a trap sampling method with CVAAS detection

Coke oven gas is one of the by-products of the coal coking process. It is used as a fuel in the coking plant, but also as a raw material in the chemical industry to produce methanol, syngas or environment-friendly, low-CO2 hydrogen fuel. Due to the reasons mentioned above, the knowledge of coke oven gas pollutants such as mercury is a key issue. To determine the mercury in the cleaned coke oven gas a trap sampling method combined with CVAAS mercury detection was developed, optimized and validated. In order to perform the sampling process the traps filled with activated carbon were used. The determination of mercury in the traps material was performed by means of an MA-2 mercury analyzer. During the optimization of the method one selected the trap material, sample volume and flow rate. The optimal volume of the coke oven gas sample was 3 dm3 and the flow rate was 18 dm3/h (per one trap). The developed method was validated according to the Eurachem recommendation and was applied to determine mercury in the clean coke oven gas. The coke oven gas sampling was performed in a coking plant in Poland. The average concentration of mercury in the clean coke oven gas was 3.2 ± 0.3 μg/m3N (k = 2) for n = 18.

Impact of the Temperature of Waste Biomass Py-Rolysis on the Quality of the Obtained Biochar

Abstract Combustion and co-combustion of biomass from different sources is one of the most popular technologies applied in Poland. It allows management of numerous industrial, communal and agricultural waste. Organic waste constitutes one of the richest sources of cheap biomass solid fuels since they are very popular. The paper includes an assessment of practical use of biomass waste: hazelnut shell and pistachio nut shell. The impact of pyrolysis temperature (300, 450 and 550°C) of the investigated biomass on the quality of the obtained biochar was determined and the optimal temperature of this process was defined. The quality of the investigated biomass was analysed on account of its use for energy purposes. Numerous advantageous properties of the obtained materials were found out, for instance: low content of ash and a noticeable increase of the calorific value with an increase of the pyrolysis temperature.