Heavy Metal Vaporization

[Abstruce]

I need to know what happens when heavy metals are vaporized by Industry.

 

Concrete Plant Kiln's burn tires as a form of fuel.

 

The Metal in the tires are vaporized in the process and vented by the smoke stack.

 

My question is what happens to the heavy metal vapors?

 

Do they rise in the atmosphere or do they settle near the ground?

 

I am most concerned about Mercury and Lead.

 

I see smoke coming from the smoke stack and the smoke floats up to some extent.

 

Can you see the smoke from the Vaporized heavy metals? Would they tend to be visible?

 

Thanks for all your help.

[TheBigDog]

Are you positive they are vaporized and not removed as a solid byproduct from the furnace?

 

Bill

[Abstruce]

Are you positive they are vaporized and not removed as a solid byproduct from the furnace?

 

Bill

Tata 45

Base Raw Material Fire Clay Grog

Max service Temprature (°C) 1500°C

Application area For blast furnace, cement rotary kiln, lime calcination kiln, glass tank furnace

 

I am trying to find the boiling point temprature of Mercury and Lead.

 

and according to this website they are being emmited into the atmosphere.

 

http://www.earthjustice.org/urgent/display.html?ID=227

[TheBigDog]

Here is a link to the periodic table of elements. Has that info. You may find a nicer picture if you look around.

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/%7Elvw/physics/bigpertable.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/%7Elvw/physics/pertable.html&h=1399&w=1800&sz=596&tbnid=7Vrey8uO8pYJ:&tbnh=116&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dperiodic%2Btable%2Belements%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&oi=imagesr&start=1

 

Lead = 1749C

Mercury = 356 C

 

Bill

[Abstruce]

Here is a link to the periodic table of elements. Has that info. You may find a nicer picture if you look around.

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/%7Elvw/physics/bigpertable.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/%7Elvw/physics/pertable.html&h=1399&w=1800&sz=596&tbnid=7Vrey8uO8pYJ:&tbnh=116&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dperiodic%2Btable%2Belements%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&oi=imagesr&start=1

 

Lead = 1749C

Mercury = 356 C

 

Bill

 

Thanks Bill

 

So it is possible that Mercury is vaporized in the Cement Kiln.

 

My question dose mercury vapor act in our atmosphere?

[TheBigDog]

Thanks Bill

 

So it is possible that Mercury is vaporized in the Cement Kiln.

 

My question dose mercury vapor act in our atmosphere?

It is out there, but I don't know what it does.

 

78% Nitrogen

21% Oxygen

1% Other

 

Mercury is a very small part of the 1%.

 

Bill

[HydrogenBond]

Mercury may vaporize but it will eventually settle or be scrubbed out of the atmosphere by rain. Water scrubbers are often used, for example, in coal fired steam plants where water cascades down within the smoke stack, extracting harmful things out of the smoke. The water is then treated and recycled.

[Abstruce]

Mercury may vaporize but it will eventually settle or be scrubbed out of the atmosphere by rain. Water scrubbers are often used, for example, in coal fired steam plants where water cascades down within the smoke stack, extracting harmful things out of the smoke. The water is then treated and recycled.

 

Yes I understand how water scrubbers work in Coal Fired plants.

 

Concrete Plants use electrostatic charge scrubbers to filter out particulates. However if the heavy metals are in a gaseous state then will the scrubber be effective.

 

And as far as I understand Vaporized heavy metals, their gases should be heavier than the atmosphere. And they may be have a tendency to settle near the ground.

[Abstruce]

It is out there, but I don't know what it does.

 

78% Nitrogen

21% Oxygen

1% Other

 

Mercury is a very small part of the 1%.

 

Bill

 

Thanks Bill

 

I became concerned because one day about two weeks ago when I was driving by the plant with my windows down as I do every day, all of the sudden I started having difficulties breathing, I had the taste of chalk in my mouth and every time I took in a breath of air, it choked me. I could not see anything in the atmosphere other than smoke from the stack going in an upward direction. Soon as I was about half a mile past the plant the symptoms stopped.

 

I was wondering if anything comes out of the stack that is not visible and that may fall closer to the ground that may not of been visiable effecting me.

 

Also my house is less than 2.5 miles downwind from the plant. On Feb 13th at 6:50 Am I was taking out my trash and was only outside for a few minutes when I received the same sensation the chalk taste and shortness of breath only this time it gave me a real sore throat.

 

After what I read at

 

http://www.downwindersatrisk.org

 

I am freaking out and ready to start a political campaign against the plant, I filed complaints with the TCEQ and the EPA and they are coming to my house to do tests today.

 

What concerns me is that they do not regulate Mercury and Lead emissions so they do not even look for them.

 

Also I believe that what gave me the sore throat is some type of Chlorine gas. Whatever it is I do know it is real and I am concerned.

 

Here is the Kicker I was concerned about my son's school and I went and talked to the principal thinking he would know nothing about the problem as was the case with my neighbors. He did know about the problem and he told me that he is notified whenever the wind from the plant is blowing in the schools direction and then they keep the kids inside.

 

The wind blows in the schools direction everyday yet the kids are never kept inside. So I'm thinking he is telling me some BS not to mention wouldn't it be a problem if they noticed the School and the Children and not the residents of the area in danger.

 

Something stinks here and I need to figure it out. I have printed 100 flyers informing people of the dangers of the plant and am going to circulate them in the neighborhoods down wind from the plant.

 

At times I think I am over reacting yet, something tells me I am not.

 

JQ

[CraigD]

As I understand it, mercury emission is an undesirable feature of nearly all combustion. Particularly, coal and some oil contains trace amounts of mercury, which are emitted when it is burned.

 

In the concentrations typically produced, and at the rate that mercury gas condenses in normal atmospheric conditions, the primary hazard is the mercury entering the local watershed, and from there, the local food chain, ultimately ending up consumed by people. Mercury ingested in this way is suspected of causing infertility and birth defects, expecially mental retardation, blindness, and cerebral palsy. (source http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=84513)

 

In the US, setting and enforcing acceptable levels of mercury emissions from manufacturing and power generation has been a source of controversy. The current Federal Executive and Legislatures are considered by many to be failing to enforce existing laws limiting mercury emissions.

 

According to this EPA fact sheet, “There are no control technologies for mercury that are commercially viable for utility boilers, but some may become available in a few years.” Until then, the only viable strategy for reducing emissions is to restrict use of higher-mercury fuels, such as coal, in favor of lower ones, such as natural gas. Unfortunately, such restrictions typically result in higher manufacturing and power generation costs, a large reason for the current controversy.

[Abstruce]

As I understand it, mercury emission is an undesirable feature of nearly all combustion. Particularly, coal and some oil contains trace amounts of mercury, which are emitted when it is burned.

 

In the concentrations typically produced, and at the rate that mercury gas condenses in normal atmospheric conditions, the primary hazard is the mercury entering the local watershed, and from there, the local food chain, ultimately ending up consumed by people. Mercury ingested in this way is suspected of causing infertility and birth defects, expecially mental retardation, blindness, and cerebral palsy. (source http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=84513)

 

In the US, setting and enforcing acceptable levels of mercury emissions from manufacturing and power generation has been a source of controversy. The current Federal Executive and Legislatures are considered by many to be failing to enforce existing laws limiting mercury emissions.

.

 

I understand the dangers of Coal fire emissions, yet I can not help being even more concerned about the burning of Tires as 25% of the fuel in the Kiln at concrete plants. This, can not be good.

 

It kind of reminds me of the old days when we just lit off nukes anywhere we wanted to with know understanding of what would take place down wind. And because there are no immediate reactions we just kept doing it.

 

The difference between Power Generation Plants and Concrete Kilns plants are that there are far less restrictions. This is a good example of poor management by the EPA.

[CraigD]

The difference between Power Generation Plants and Concrete Kilns plants are that there are far less restrictions. This is a good example of poor management by the EPA.

I agree.

 

Although we in the US have great faith that mildly regulated free markets will, without much regulation, provide the greatest good for the greatest number, I believe that areas like this contradict that faith. Although a decrease in fertility, and an increase in the incidence of birth defects – the continuing treatment of victims of which is very costly in economic terms – are not beneficial to either society, or, arguably, business, I don’t believe markets are capable of responding to such indirect, long-off costs, by shifting demand to industries that avoid these risks more than others. It’s necessary for public law to regulate industry in this area, for the good of both the public, and industry.