RESEARCH FINDINGS ON THE TOXICITY OF QUARTZ PARTICLES RELEVANT TO PULVERIZED FUEL ASH

Abstract

Pulverized fuel ash contains 60–80% insoluble glass particles and 2–4% soluble material. The insoluble crystalline residue of 15–30% consists mainly of mullite, magnetite, carbon and quartz. Published studies on quartz indicate that fibrogenicity, tested on the whole animals or on cells in culture, is reduced by heating and the presence of iron, aluminium and other salts. It can be increased by grinding. As the pulverized fuel ash is produced at a high temperature in the presence of metal salts and is not subjected to milling or grinding, the quartz in it should not be fibrogenic. So far, cell studies also indicate that it is not fibrogenic.