User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Milton Beychok
No edit summary
imported>Milton Beychok
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
The major air pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants are sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>), nitrogen oxides (NOx), [[particulate matter]], and [[mercury]] (Hg).


Coal-fired power plants also emit large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) which is not a pollutant in the traditional sense. In fact, it is essential for all plant life on Earth through [[photosynthesis]]. However, it is a ''[[greenhouse gas]]'' considered to have a major role in so-called ''[[global warming]]''.
The currently available (2008) technology for flue gas clean-up can remove 99.9% of the fly ash, 99% of the sulfur dioxide and about 90% of the nitrogen dioxides.<ref name=MIT>{{cite book|author=Dr. James Katzer et al and MIT Coal Energy Study Advisory
Committee|title=The Future of Coal|edition=|publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]|year=2007|id=ISBN 0-615-14092-0}} [http://web.mit.edu/coal/The_Future_of_Coal.pdf The Future of Coal]</ref>

Revision as of 16:24, 30 November 2008

The major air pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants are sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and mercury (Hg).

Coal-fired power plants also emit large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is not a pollutant in the traditional sense. In fact, it is essential for all plant life on Earth through photosynthesis. However, it is a greenhouse gas considered to have a major role in so-called global warming.

The currently available (2008) technology for flue gas clean-up can remove 99.9% of the fly ash, 99% of the sulfur dioxide and about 90% of the nitrogen dioxides.[1]

  1. Dr. James Katzer et al and MIT Coal Energy Study Advisory Committee (2007). The Future of Coal. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ISBN 0-615-14092-0.  The Future of Coal