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CHAPTER TEN
10 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
10.1 Introduction
Any comprehensive assessment of power generation must include consideration of
hazards to the environment. Theses hazards arise because energy conversion and use
affect virtually the entire physical world, including plant and animal life, agricultural
productivity, air and water purity landscape beauty and climate.
Some of these effects may damage not only the environment but also human beings.
Human hazards due to power generation include occupational dangers in the mining,
transporting and processing of fuels. They also include public health hazards associated
with power plant emissions, particularly in the case of accidents.
The central problem is human safety and the chief areas of concern are air pollution due to
fossil fuels and nuclear radiation. The influence of thermal power plants on the
surroundings is determined by their ejection of flue gases, heat and contaminated waste
waters. Though thermal power plants are not among the worst contaminants of water
basins in terms of scope and composition of their wastes their discharges into water basins
can cause great harm if proper disposal means are not employed.
The main pollutants from thermal power plants are;
Sulfur oxides Thermal pollution
Nitrogen oxides (NO & NO2) Lead and hydrocarbons
Carbon oxides (CO & CO2) Radioactive release
Particulate matter (Dust & Radioactive wastes
Fly Ash)
With incomplete combustion of fuel in furnaces carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons
CH4,C2H4, etc are produced. CO is injurious to human health as it combines with
hemoglobin in the red blood corpuscles and thus interferes with their normal function of
supplying oxygen to the blood tissues. CO2 has very harmful effects on atmospheric
climate, which could turn fertile land into deserts
MPE 571E: POWER PLANT ENGINEERING
CHAPTER TEN
10 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
10.1 Introduction
Any comprehensive assessment of power generation must include consideration of
hazards to the environment. Theses hazards arise because energy conversion and use
affect virtually the entire physical world, including plant and animal life, agricultural
productivity, air and water purity landscape beauty and climate.
Some of these effects may damage not only the environment but also human beings.
Human hazards due to power generation include occupational dangers in the mining,
transporting and processing of fuels. They also include public health hazards associated
with power plant emissions, particularly in the case of accidents.
The central problem is human safety and the chief areas of concern are air pollution due to
fossil fuels and nuclear radiation. The influence of thermal power plants on the
surroundings is determined by their ejection of flue gases, heat and contaminated waste
waters. Though thermal power plants are not among the worst contaminants of water
basins in terms of scope and composition of their wastes their discharges into water basins
can cause great harm if proper disposal means are not employed.
The main pollutants from thermal power plants are;
Sulfur oxides Thermal pollution
Nitrogen oxides (NO & NO2) Lead and hydrocarbons
Carbon oxides (CO & CO2) Radioactive release
Particulate matter (Dust & Radioactive wastes
Fly Ash)
With incomplete combustion of fuel in furnaces carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons
CH4,C2H4, etc are produced. CO is injurious to human health as it combines with
hemoglobin in the red blood corpuscles and thus interferes with their normal function of
supplying oxygen to the blood tissues. CO2 has very harmful effects on atmospheric
climate, which could turn fertile land into deserts
MPE 571E: POWER PLANT ENGINEERING
