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Fuel Oil Testing for Trace Metals and Sulfur Content
In partnership with major fuel distributors in the northeast, NESCAUM is performing a study funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to determine trace metal and sulfur content of fuels used in the Northeast. The initial idea grew from current state emission inventories that suggest the combustion of heating oil is a significant source of mercury air emissions in New York and other northeastern states. The heavy metals nickel and vanadium are also present in relatively high concentrations in distillate fuels. Emission inventory estimates for distillate fuel, however, are based on limited data and are considered highly uncertain.
This project will improve our knowledge of mercury and other trace metals (such as nickel and vanadium) in distillate products used in the Northeast, and assist the region in better understanding the relative contribution of this source to trace metal emissions. The project will also quantify the levels of sulfur in the distillate products used in the region. These results will help quantify the actual sulfur content of fuels in the marketplace and determine if a correlation exists between sulfur and trace metal content in distillates. Fuels analyzed will include heating oil (2,500 ppm sulfur), nonroad fuel (500 ppm sulfur), highway diesel (15 ppm sulfur), biodiesel, and #6 fuel oil.