Future controls on the emission of mercury and possibly other trace elements have raised concerns about the ultimate fate of these contaminants once they are removed from the flue gas. Preventing these “air pollutants” from being transferred to surface or ground waters will be critical. Additionally, ammonia from selective catalytic reduction systems used to control nitrogen oxide emissions can appear in a power plant’s wastewater streams. Research is needed for advanced technologies to detect and remove mercury, arsenic, selenium and other components from the aqueous streams of coal-based power plants should effluent standards be tightened in the future.

Sponsored research includes the following: study of the fate of As, Se, and Hg in a passive integrated treatment system for fossil plant waste water; demonstration of a market-based approach to abandoned mine land reclamation by creating marketable water quality and carbon emission credits; utilization of anionic clay sorbents for treating and reusing power plant effluent; and evaluation of wetland use to treat plant scrubber wastewater.

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