PROBLEMS OF THE CONTAMINATION FROM SEDIMENTARY ROCK ENVIRONMENT PAH DURING UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION

11th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM2011, www.sgem.org, SGEM2011 Conference Proceedings/ ISSN 1314-2704, June 20-25, 2011, Vol. 1, 885-892 pp

ABSTRACT

Coal is one of the main energy sources in condition of Slovak republic. During process
of gasification there is rising coal gas that presents natural part of every coal bush.
Methane presents its significant element.

One of the technologies for gas obtaining in situ is also underground coal gasification –
UCG. Technologies for gas obtaining from the coal layer are considered as “clean coal
technologies.” Despite of their using there can be contamination of every element of the
living environment.

By not perfect coal burning there are created also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), many of them are toxic or they have mutagenic effects. Environmental Protection Agency USA indicates them at the list of precedence polluter; therefore there is necessity to monitor their presence at the terrestrial as well as water elements of the
environment. They are entering to the environment from the natural and anthrop
sources. Coal burning has most high rate during emission PAH rising (90%).

Foreign sources indicate that during water and soil monitoring minor values of PAH
occurred during UCG technology using. From experimental results of the underground
coal gasification at Mine Cígeľ results that values of polluting elements in the tar
sample overcame limit values. Therefore it is necessary to point to their toxicity,
carcinogenic influence and total hazardousness to the living environment.

Keywords: experimental coal gasification, degradation of PAH