Publicação
Avaliação da Qualidade do solo na área envolvente à Central Termoelétrica de Sines
| Resumo: | Soil contamination has recently become an issue of global concern in the context of the current climate and energy crisis, since various industrial, urban and agricultural activities take and took place on the soils, leading to the distribution of contaminants. The combustion of coal in thermoelectric power stations in an industrial activity that causes negative environmental impacts affecting soil quality due to the deposition, percolation and leaching of potentially toxic elements derived from the atmospheric dispersion of polluting gases and particulate matter emitted during the coal combustion process, and during the handling, transportation and storage of coal and combustion residues. This study aims to assess the quality of the soil in the area surrounding the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant which ceased activity in 2021. The motivation for this work is related to the fact that there are several studies that indicate contamination resulting from this type of industry and, in addition, the plant is located close to sensitive areas that require protection and preservation from an environmental point of view. Thus, this research aims to identify and quantify the environmental legacy on the soil resulting from the combustion of coal at the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant over three decades of operation. For this purpose, a total of 31 soil samples and 3 samples of material that appeared to be ash were collected close to Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant. Laboratory procedures for granulometric analysis, pH and electrical conductivity measurement, and determination of the elemental chemical composition were carried out on the samples. Methodologies for identification and quantification of the contamination were also applied through comparison between elemental chemical composition of the soils and reference values, and determination of contamination indices. The results obtained showed that the soils in the area surrounding the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant present impacts that affect their quality, with several contaminating elements having been identified, with Ba, Se, Ni and V standing out as the most significant with regard to contamination indices and the comparison between elemental concentrations and reference values. Through the analysis of the spatial distribution of elemental concentrations, it is also evident that contamination occurs in the area south of the plant, where soils tend to present moderate contamination, which is corroborated by the results of granulometry, pH and electrical conductivity of the materials studied. This predominance of contamination in the south may be due to the preferential wind regime in the region, which favours the mobilization of contaminant particles from emissions in chimneys and from coal storage piles and landfills of combustion by-products. |
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| Autores principais: | Góis, Laura Maria Ribeiro |
| Assunto: | coal combustion, potentially toxic elements contamination soil composition and spatial distribution combustão de carvão elementos potencialmente tóxicos contaminação solo composição e distribuição espacial |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Coimbra |
| Idioma: | português |
| Origem: | Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra |
| Resumo: | Soil contamination has recently become an issue of global concern in the context of the current climate and energy crisis, since various industrial, urban and agricultural activities take and took place on the soils, leading to the distribution of contaminants. The combustion of coal in thermoelectric power stations in an industrial activity that causes negative environmental impacts affecting soil quality due to the deposition, percolation and leaching of potentially toxic elements derived from the atmospheric dispersion of polluting gases and particulate matter emitted during the coal combustion process, and during the handling, transportation and storage of coal and combustion residues. This study aims to assess the quality of the soil in the area surrounding the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant which ceased activity in 2021. The motivation for this work is related to the fact that there are several studies that indicate contamination resulting from this type of industry and, in addition, the plant is located close to sensitive areas that require protection and preservation from an environmental point of view. Thus, this research aims to identify and quantify the environmental legacy on the soil resulting from the combustion of coal at the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant over three decades of operation. For this purpose, a total of 31 soil samples and 3 samples of material that appeared to be ash were collected close to Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant. Laboratory procedures for granulometric analysis, pH and electrical conductivity measurement, and determination of the elemental chemical composition were carried out on the samples. Methodologies for identification and quantification of the contamination were also applied through comparison between elemental chemical composition of the soils and reference values, and determination of contamination indices. The results obtained showed that the soils in the area surrounding the Sines Thermoelectric Power Plant present impacts that affect their quality, with several contaminating elements having been identified, with Ba, Se, Ni and V standing out as the most significant with regard to contamination indices and the comparison between elemental concentrations and reference values. Through the analysis of the spatial distribution of elemental concentrations, it is also evident that contamination occurs in the area south of the plant, where soils tend to present moderate contamination, which is corroborated by the results of granulometry, pH and electrical conductivity of the materials studied. This predominance of contamination in the south may be due to the preferential wind regime in the region, which favours the mobilization of contaminant particles from emissions in chimneys and from coal storage piles and landfills of combustion by-products. |
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