### Contaminant Concentrations in Traditional Fuels: Tables for Comparison

November 29, 2011

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### In an effort to provide additional information and data to the regulated community concerning the concentrations of contaminants that may be found in traditional fuels, the following tables present summary statistics for contaminant c oncentrations in common traditional fuels. Members of the regulated commun ity may find the data presented here useful when comparing contaminants in their non-hazardous secondary materials (NHSMs) to contaminants in the appropriate traditional fuels. 1



### • Use of these tables is not required to demonstrate compliance with the contaminant legitimacy criterion, and the existence of thes e tables does not precl ude the use of other data sources. EPA has organized and presente d this data as a service to assist NHSM processors and combustors in making contaminant comparisons. The Agency will periodically update these tables as additional data become available.

• The following three tables cite contaminant da ta from both the scientific literature and EPA databases for coal, wood/biomass, and fu el oil. NHSMs burned in combustion units are most often substituted for one of these three traditional fuels.

• The two referenced EPA databases, both compiled by the Agency’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), together contain approximately 32,000 records of contaminant analyses performed on coal (~ 17,000), wood/biomass (~ 12,000), or fuel oil (~3,000) samples prior to combustion. Summ ary statistics from this comprehensive dataset are displayed separately from other da ta sources, but persons using these tables to make contaminant comparisons are not constrai ned to one column or one data source for the appropriate traditional fuel.

1 All data presented in this document are for individual contaminants for which EPA has information. Please note that targeted revisions to the rule are under development, with the goals of both clarifying the 40 CFR Part 241 requirements and facilitating implementation of the rule as EPA originally intended. EPA is considering including a discussion of contaminant groups (e.g., VOC), an altern ate option for contaminant comp arisons involving hazardous air pollutant compounds that NHSM processors and combustors may want to consider.

### 2 Contaminant Units Literature Sources OAQPS Databases 2

Range Range Average 3 Non-Detect Rate
Metal elements – dry basis Antimony (Sb) ppm 0.5 – 10 4 ND – 6.9 1.7 25 % Arsenic (As) ppm 0.5 – 80 4 ND – 174 8.2 8 % Beryllium (Be) ppm 0.1 – 15 4 ND – 206 1.9 12 % Cadmium (Cd) ppm 0.1 – 3 4 ND – 19 0.6 38 % Chromium (Cr) ppm 0.5 – 60 4 ND – 168 13.4 1 % Cobalt (Co) ppm 0.5 – 30 4 ND – 25.2 6.9 8 % Lead (Pb) ppm 2 – 80 4 ND – 148 8.7 5 % Manganese (Mn) ppm 5 – 300 4 ND – 512 26.2 <1 % Mercury (Hg) ppm 0.02 – 1 4 ND – 3.1 0.09 5 % Nickel (Ni) ppm 0.5 – 50 4 ND – 730 21.5 <1 % Selenium (Se) ppm 0.2 – 10 4 ND – 74.3 3.4 22 % Non-metal elements – dry basis Chlorine (Cl) ppm -- ND – 9,080 992 4 % Fluorine (F) ppm -- ND – 178 64.0 9 % Nitrogen (N) ppm -- 13600 – 54000 15090 0 % Sulfur (S) ppm -- 740 – 61300 13580 0 % Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) compounds 5

Benzene ppm ND – 38 6

-- -- -- Ethyl benzene ppm 0.7 – 5.4 6

-- -- -- 16-PAH ppm 6 – 253 7

-- -- -- PAH (52 extractable) ppm 14 – 2090 7

-- -- -- Styrene ppm 1.0 – 26 6

-- -- -- Toluene ppm 8.6 – 56 6

-- -- -- Xylenes ppm 4.0 – 28 6

-- -- --

Sources and Notes:

1. This table includes data for anthracite, bi tuminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite coal. 2. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Pl anning and Standards (2011a & 2011b). 3. Averages are weighted averages of individual facilities responding to the OAQPS survey. Averages only include samples above detection limits. 4. Clarke and Sloss (1992). 5. HAPs listed here include only those HAPs with available data. These are not the only HAP compounds considered contaminants. 6. Fernandez-Martinez (2000). 7. Laumann, et al. (2011). 

### Table 1: Contaminant Concentrations in Coal 1

### 3 Contaminant Units Literature Sources OAQPS Databases 2

Range Range Average 3 Non-Detect Rate

Metal elements — dry basis Antimony (Sb) ppm ND – 26 4 ND – 6.0 0.9 45 % Arsenic (As) ppm ND – 6.8 4 ND – 298 6.3 57 % Beryllium (Be) ppm -- ND – 10 0.3 69 % Cadmium (Cd) ppm ND – 3 4 ND – 17 0.6 32 % Chromium (Cr) ppm ND – 130 4 ND – 340 5.9 14 % Cobalt (Co) ppm ND – 24 4 ND – 213 6.5 23 % Lead (Pb) ppm ND – 340 4 ND – 229 4.5 28 % Manganese (Mn) ppm 7.9 – 840 4 ND – 15800 302 <1 % Mercury (Hg) ppm ND – 0.2 4 ND – 1.1 0.03 22 % Nickel (Ni) ppm ND – 540 4 ND – 175 2.8 17 % Selenium (Se) ppm ND – 2 4 ND – 9.0 1.1 69 % Non-metal elements — dry basis Chlorine (Cl) ppm ND – 2600 4 ND – 5400 259 5 % Fluorine (F) ppm ND – 300 4 ND – 128 32.4 43 % Nitrogen (N) ppm 200 – 39500 4,5

2200 – 4600 5 3460 0 % Sulfur (S) ppm ND – 8700 4 ND – 6100 704 5 % Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) compounds 6

Formaldehyde ppm 1.6 – 27 7

-- -- --

Sources and Notes:

1. This table includes data for untreated wood and biom ass, including bark, bagasse, hog fuel, and agricultural plant residues. 2. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Pl anning and Standards (2011a & 2011b). 3. Averages are weighted averages of individual facilities responding to the OAQPS survey. Averages only include samples above detection limits. 4. Energy Research Centre for the Ne therlands, Phyllis Biomass database. http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis. 5. OAQPS nitrogen range based on 20 samples from two facili ties, whereas Phyllis biomass database nitrogen range reflects the results of 394 studies. 6. HAPs listed here include only those HAPs with available data. These are not the only HAP compounds considered contaminants. 7. T. Hunt (2011). 

### Table 2: Contaminant Concentrations in Wood & Biomass Materials 1

### 4 Contaminant Units Literature Sources OAQPS Databases 2

Range Range Average 3 Non-Detect Rate

Metal elements - dry basis Antimony (Sb) ppm ND – 15.7 4 ND – 3.8 3.5 97 % Arsenic (As) ppm -- ND – 13 1.3 72 % Beryllium (Be) ppm -- ND – 19 2.3 73 % Cadmium (Cd) ppm -- ND – 1.4 0.4 75 % Chromium (Cr) ppm -- ND – 37 3.7 65 % Cobalt (Co) ppm -- ND – 8.5 1.1 84 % Lead (Pb) ppm ND – 56.8 4 ND – 52 4.3 46 % Manganese (Mn) ppm -- ND – 3200 118 49 % Mercury (Hg) ppm -- ND – 0.2 0.02 74 % Nickel (Ni) ppm ND – 50.2 4 ND – 270 24.1 39 % Selenium (Se) ppm -- ND – 4 0.8 74 % Non-metal elements - dry basis Chlorine (Cl) ppm -- ND – 1260 133 35 % Fluorine (F) ppm -- ND – 14 5 8.5 80 % Nitrogen (N) ppm 42 – 8950 4 2000 – 3000 6 2250 0 % Sulfur (S) ppm -- ND – 57000 8280 9 % Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) compounds 7 Benzene ppm ND – 75 4

-- -- -- Biphenyl ppm 1000 – 1200 8

-- -- -- Cumene ppm 6000 – 8600 9

-- -- -- Ethyl benzene ppm 22 – 1270 8

-- -- -- Hexane ppm 50 – 10000 8

-- -- -- Naphthalene ppm ND – 7330 8

-- -- -- Total PAH ppm 3900 – 54700 4

-- -- -- Phenol ppm ND – 7700 8

-- -- -- Styrene ppm ND – 320 8

-- -- -- Toluene ppm ND – 380 4

-- -- -- Xylenes ppm ND – 3100 8

-- -- --

Sources and Notes:

1. This table includes data for fuel oils 1-6, including distillate, residual, kerosene , diesel, and other petroleum based oils. It does not include data for gasoline or unrefined crude oil. 2. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Pl anning and Standards (2011a & 2011b). 3. Averages are weighted averages of individual facilities responding to the OAQPS survey. Averages only include samples above detection limits. 4. U.S. EPA (1999), Appendix B. 5. OAQPS fluorine range based on a limited dataset (59 samp les from only five faciliti es). Detection limits for non-detect results ranged from 19 to 300 ppm, all higher than the maximum re corded value of 14 ppm. 6. OAQPS nitrogen range based on a limited da taset (12 samples from only one facility). 7. HAPs listed here include only those HAPs with available data. These are not the only HAP compounds considered contaminants. 8. USEPA (2000). 9. World Health Organization (1999). 

### Table 3: Contaminant Concentrations in Fuel Oils 1

### 5 References

1. Clarke, L.B., Sloss, L.L. 1992. Trace elements - emissions from coal combustion and gasification. IEACR/49, London, UK, IEA Coal Research. July 1992. 2. Davidson, R., “Trace Elements in Coal” 1996, Energe ia, v.7, No.3, University of Kentucky, Center for Applied Research. 3. Fernandez-Martinez , G., et al, 2000, Determina tion of Volatile Organic Compounds in Coal, Fly Ash, and Slag Samples by Direct Thermal Desorption/GC/MS, Analusis, v 28, pp 953-959. 4. Hunt, Tim. Written communication from Tim Hunt of American Forest & Paper Association to Jim Berlow of EPA, July 14, 2011. 5. Laumann, S., et al., 2011, Variations in concentr ations and compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coals related to the coal rank and origin, Environmental Pollution 159 (10): 2690-2697. 6. Phyllis, database for biomass a nd waste, http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis , Energy research Centre of the Netherlands. 7. USEPA, 1999. “Final Technical Support Docume nt for Hazardous MACT Standards,” Vol. IV: Compliance with the HWC MACT Standards” Ch.17 and Appendix B. 8. USEPA, 2000. EPCRA Section 313, Industry Guidance: Electricity Generating Facilities ; February 2000; EPA 745-B-00-004. 9. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Sta ndards (OAQPS) (2011a), CISWI 2011 Database for the Final Rule. February 21, 2011. EPA Dock et/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-2484. Accessed October 25, 2011 at http://www. epa.gov/ttn/atw/129/ciwi/ciwipg.html#TECH 10. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standa rds (2011b), Emissions Database for Boilers and Process Heaters Containing Stack Test, CEM & Fuel Analysis Data Reported Under ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (Version 6). EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002- 0058-3255. February 2011. A ccessed October 25, 2011 at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/boiler/boilerpg.html#TECH 11. World Health Organization (WHO). 1999. “Conci se International Chemical Assessment Document 18.” Accessed July 2011 at http://www.inchem.org/documents/cic ads/cicads/cicad18.htm#PartNumber:6