Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Are They a Problem in

166 Pages·2016·5.99 MB·English

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Reports Utah Water Research Laboratory
January 1983
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David L. Maase
V. Dean Adams
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Maase, David L. and Adams, V. Dean, "Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Are They a Problem in
Processed Oil Shales?" (1983). Reports. Paper 232.
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POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS--
ARE THEY A PROBLEM IN PROCESSED OIL SHALES?
David L. Maase
V. Dean Adams
The research on which this report is based was
financed in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior,
as authorized by the Water Research and Development
Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-467).
Project No. B-154-UTAH, Contract No. 14-34-0001-8123
WATER QUALITY SERIES
UWRL/Q-83/07
Utah Water Research Laboratory
Utah State University
Logan, Utah 84322
May 1983
Contents of this publication.do not necessarily reflect the views and
policies of the U. S. Department of the Interior nor does mention of
trade names or commercial products constitute their endorsement or
recommendation for use by the U.S. Government.
it
ABSTRACT
Organic residues from processed oil shales were character
ized with specific attention to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAR). Oil shale development in the White River Basin (Utah and
Colorado) was projected i1and hydrological and geological param
eters pertinent to estimations of polycyclic aromatichydrocar
bons (PAR) flux,were focused. Oil shale samples from the Union
B, Paraho, and Tosco II processes were extracted by using organic
solvents in a soxhlet apparatus and by mixing shale samples with
water (characterization of in situ shales, as mined shales and
alluvial samples are also included). Literature reported organic
chemistry isolation and identification regimes (applicable to
gas, liquid and solid samples) were summarized in a tabular
format ('V 50 examples). Selected 3 through 6 ring aromatic
hydrocarbons were also characterized in a tabular format ('V 100
examples). More than 100 organic compounds from processed
oil shales were identified by gas chromatography coupled with
mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Four and 5 ring PAR, i.e., fluor
anthrene, pyrene, triphenylene, benz(a)anthracene, chrysene,
benzo(e)pyrene, perylene, and benzo(a)pyrene, respectively were
found to be benzene extractable from processed shales in concen
trations ranging from <1 to >50 ppb (weight of each PAR/weight
shale). These PAR were detected in water extracts at levels
below their respective solubilities. Preliminary aqueous chlori
nation studies using selected 3 to 5 ring PAR resulted in re
ductions of more than 90 percent for anthracene and pyrene after
1 hour of mixing with >10 mg/l free available chlorine at a pR of
8.0 to 8.5. Reductions of phenanthrene, triphenylene, and
benz(a)anthracene were only about 15 to 25 percent after 15 hours
of mixing. As a best estimate, fluoranthrene and the study 5
ring PAR concentrations were only reduced by about 50 percent in
15 hours.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to acknowledge the Office of Water Research
and Technology (Project No. B-154-UTAH, Contract No. 14-34-0001-
8123), United States Department of the Interior, Washington,
D.C., which provided funds for this research (WG 215), as author
ized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978, and the
State of Utah (WR 215) for providing matching funds.
The authors express their appreciation to the Utah Water
Research Laboratory, L. Douglas James, Director, for providing
the laboratory equipment and facilities necessary to complete
this study and to the editorial and secretarial staff for their
assistance in preparation and publication of this report.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 1
Objectives 2
Hydrology and Geology of Oil Shale Areas 2
In-place Oil Shale Characteristics 9
Industrial Development 15
Water and Land Requirements 22
Shale Waste Characterization 24
Retort oils characterization 25
Retorted shale characterization 33
MATERIALS AND METHODS 49
Extraction of Organics 50
Isolation Approaches 52
Water Extractions 53
GC/MS and GC Identification 54
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 59
GC/MS of Organic Soxhlet Extracts 59
GC/MS of TLC Fractions 59
GC/MS of Water Extracts. 66
Quantification of Identified PAR in Spent Shale
Samples 68
Chlorination Study Results 68
Laboratory Limits to Aqueous Investigation of 5 Ring
PAR . 73
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 77
REFERENCES 81
APPENDICES 99
Appendix A: Supporting Data 99
Appendix B: Summary of Organic Chemistry Extraction
and Identification Regimes Reported in
. the Literature 131
Appendix C: Characterization of Selected Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons 142
v
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Oil shale lands--Green River Formation 3
2. Geologic (Uinta and Piceance Basins) and hydrologic
(White River Basin, Utah and Colorado) location map
of the oil shale regions 5
3. Isoerodent map, R contours, for White River Basin. 8
4. General scheme of oil shale components (adopted
from Yen 1975), schematic section of oil shale (Yen
1977), and chemical analysis of a Green River oil
shale (Yen and Chilingarian 1976) 11
5. Atomic ratio diagram for selected kerogens and coal
macerals as related to other organic materials • 12
6. Components and bridges of a Green River oil shale
kerogen (Yen 1976), and kerogen structure of Green
River oil shale (Young and Yen 1977) 13
7. Flow diagram for the Tosco II process. 17
8. Flow diagram of the Paraho process 19
9. Moisture content as a function of percent saturation
and dry density for Tosco II processed shale 38
10. Typical gas-liquid chromatogram of oil shale
polynuclear aromatic fraction 40
11. Example of a gas chromatogram of a pentane soxhlet
extraction of processed shale 56
12. GC/MS ion chromatograph of benzene soxhlet leachates. 60
13. Gas chromatogram comparisons of a standard PAR
mixture and a 0.6 to 0.8 Rf TLC fraction 64
14. Summary of organic extraction 65
15. GC trace of benzene extracted processed shale
before and after water leaching • 67
16. Gas chromatogram comparison of an XAD-2 developed
processed shale compared to known PAR .standard • 69
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Known available estimates of organic fuel resources 1
2. Estimate of Green River oil shale resources. 2
3. Results of federal oil shale lease offerings 4
4. Summary of Utah and Colorado oil shale area hydrology. 7
5. Summary of geologic units and their water bearing
characteristics; a portion of a USGS atlas key . 10
6. Composition of bitumens in Green River oil shale 14
7. Derived relationships relating shale components to
the Modified Fisher Assay . 15
8. Comparison of organic carbon and the Modified
Fisher Assay of specific Green River Mahogany zone
shales to reported world values 15
9. Current oil shale development projects 18
10. Associated operation material balances of planned oil
shale developments 20
11. Summary of water needs for oil shale development 22
12. One estimate of needs and summary of water avail
ability for oil shale ~evelopment in Colorado, Utah,
and Wyoming 23
13. Waste characterization of oil shale industry related
waters 26
14. Characterization of shale industry related oils 30
15. Physical properties of retorted shale 34
16. Macro elemental characterization of retorted shales 35
17. Permeabilities found in various shale disposal areas. 37
18. Organic carbon content and other disposal character-
istics of processed shales 38
ix
LIST OF TABLES (CONTINUED)
Table Page
19. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons detected 39
20. Particulate polycyclic organic matter (paM) compounds
identified in benzene extract of carbonaceous shale
coke from Green River oil shale 41
21. Polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons identified in
benzene extracts of carbonaceous spent shale from the
Tasca process • 42
22. Evaluation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) content in samples
of benzene extracts from various spent shale, soils,
plants, and leached salt samples 43
23. Evaluation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) content in samples
of benzene extracts from direct mode retorted shales. 44
24. Benzene and water extractables of retorted shale, and
raw shale particulates • 45
25. Summary of electrolytic treatment of retort water. 46
26. Summary of sample characteristics 51
27. Summary of GC/MS study standards 55
28. Identified benzene leachables 61
29. Summary of PARs identified in TLC 0.6 to 0.8 Rf
fraction 65
30. Summary of derived indicator relationships (TOC, EC,
VS, TDS) of various oil shale leachates and White
River water 67
31. Summary of quantification of organic and water de-
veloped shale samples 70
32. Summary of standard PAR L/L extraction efficiency
and removal chlorination 71
33. Summary of selected PAR concentration in selected
waters 75
34. Comparison of human exposure to 3 to 5 ring PAR
from other sources with concentrations estimated
in drinking water downstream from oil shale areas 79
x