ANALYSIS OF WASTEWATERS FROM
HIGH-BTU COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
Richard G. Luthy, Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Michael J. Massey, Assistant Professor
Robert W. Dunlap, Professor
Department of Engineering and Public Policy
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania 15213
INTRODUCTION
Through its high-Btu pilot plant program, ERDA-FE is evaluating the technical feasibility
of a number of processes for the production of synthetic natural gas from coal (see Table I).
To date, two processes (C02-Acceptor and Hygas) have achieved significant self-sustained
operation at the pilot plant scale; two other processes (Bi-Gas, Synthane) are in advanced
stages of pilot plant startup and shakedown. In parallel with these ongoing process development and evaluation efforts, ERDA initiated a comprehensive program for environmental
assessment in July 1976. The Environmental Studies Institute of Carnegie-Mellon University
(C-MU) has been engaged to provide a range of assistance, coordination and evaluation services to that program. Other participants in the ERDA program are listed in Table I.
Table I. Summary of High Btu Pilot Plants, Process Contractors and Environmental Assessment
Contractors Associated with the ERDA Coal Gasification Environmental Assessment Program
Gasification Process Process Engineering Contractor Environmental Assessment Contractor
Bi-Gas Phillip's Petroleum; Phillip's Petroleum; Penn Environ-
Bituminous Coal Research mental Consultants
COj-Acceptor Conoco Coal Development Radian Corporation; South Dakota
Company School of Mines & Technology
Hygas Institute of Gas Technology Institute of Gas Technology
Synthane Pittsburgh Energy Research Pittsburgh Energy Research Center
Center
aAlthough not formally a part of the environmental assessment program, PERC and C-MU are working
jointly on several aspects of environmental assessment in the Synthane program. This work is in addition to PERC's separate Synthane environmental assessment activities.
Strategic development of a wastewater effluent data base constitutes a major element of
the present ERDA environmental assessment program. The present paper addresses three
issues relevant to this effort:  (a) baseline process/environmental wastewater analysis for
each pilot plant; (b) prioritization of stream sampling and measurement efforts; and (c) development and validation of a set of wastewater sampling, preservation and analytical methods. The paper then closes with a review and discussion of currently available pilot plant
wastewater characterization data.
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