CEE Jan-Mar 2012

14. Pradip, A., and Kapur, P.C., Manufacture of Eco-friendly and Energy-efficient Alinite Cements from F/yashes and other Bulk Wastes, Resources Processing, Vol. 51, No. I, 2004. 15. Singh et al. , Waste Management, Volume 28, Issue 8, 2008. 16. Taylor, H.F.W., Cement Chemistry, Academic Press London, 1990. 17. Tsuchida. Y. et al. , Hydration and Characterization of Alinite Rich Clinker Burnt at Different Temperatures, Journal of Research of the Chichibu Onoda Cement Corporation, 1996. Courtesy: Cement and Concrete World, July-August 2011, Pp62-71. ~ollution Cont_ro_l___, US SETS MERCURY EMISSION LIMITS India still far from setting standards for toxic pollutants from power plants To minimise the largest source of pollution from coal– based and fuel oil power plants, America's environment protection agency has set the first ever mercury and air taxies standards (MATS). Some 7,000 power plants in the country will now have to reduce their mercury and other toxic emissions levels. Effective from December 2014, MATS was issued on December 16 last year, 24 years after the Clean Air Act was fonnulated (see 'MATS for mercury emission') . The Act bound EPA (environment protecti on agency) to investigate mercury and other toxic pollutions from power plants. In 1990, when the Act came into existence, two-thirds of the total mercury emission in MATS for mercury emission PowerpiMts Coal·bawd (good qualityvirgin coal) Coal-b~Md (pOOf quality vii' gin coal) lnt~ratad gaJifk~tlon combined cycle (plants that use syn g.u to ~Itt tnffgy) Plants that use liquid oil fromAnwbA <On~ Plants lh.t UM liquid oil from non--Amerbn con~ Pfants that use solid oil ' ll>tA:lunci):04SJI:jl G'~W.n~ ·-"'""''""' units On IWGWh•) 0.0002 M-wy etlllMion lmlt few aiRing ........-.u.g ........ (ill ltiGWh) 0.01) 0.0& ,- O.M o.o:s 0.001 0.0001 0,002 0.0004 0.0004 0.002 0.002 .SO....C~ MAll, N.I>ONI (lf'l- $tMwlttd> lot HarMJ<M AI~ VS(Pit America was from medical energy have expressed waste incinerators and municipal confidence that MATS will waste combustors besides ensure smooth transition to power plants. While emissions cleaner technologies without standards were set for compromising on power supply incinerators and combustors, it in America. Energy generating was not mandatory for power units of about 18 Giga Watts plants to reduce emissions. By (GW) capacity will get 2005, the two sectors reduced dilapidated by 2015, and of mercury emission by 96-98 per about 54 GW by 2018. These cent. But power plants could can be replaced with new and reduce mercury emission only clean power plants. , by one per cent during this time. Highly toxic, mercury enters the human body through contaminated fish and can have serious neuro developmental and psychological impacts. It can also cause asthma, bronchitis, heart attack and cancer. Once MATS is fully implemented, by 2016 America will be able to prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, about 2,800 cases of chronic bronchitis, about 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks every year, says EPA. It will also reduce 5,700 hospital visits every year. MATS will regulate mercury and many of the 187 air pollutants released by coal- and fuel oil-based plants listed as hazardous in the Act. Those criticising the rule say it will make power supply less reliable in the country. Three years is too short a time period to implement the rule, they say. But EPA and the department of India lags In 2006-2008, power plants in India released 95 to 11 2 tonnes of mercury, states a study conducted by Taxies Link, a Delhi-based non-profit. This was based on the assumption that mercury content in Indian coal is between 0.18 and 0.61 gram per tonne. With huge investments being made in coal-based power plants, the impact from mercury raises grave concerns . By August 2011, the total capacity of power plants was 118.4 GW. Of this, 84 per cent was coal-based and 1 per cent fuel oil-based. B Sengupta, fonner member secretary, Central Pollution Control Board, admits that burning of coal is the largest source of mercury release in the country. Yet, India has made no effort to set emission levels for power plants . Courtesy: Down to Earth, January 16-31, 2012, P14 20