Arsenic Speciation in Atmospheric Aerosols at The Geysers

Abstract

Geothermal energy production in California has been identified as a major source of arsenic by the California Air Resources Board. New regulations have been implemented by the state of California. These regulations require information on ambient levels and emissions of inorganic arsenic. However, these laws consider only total arsenic and do not take into account the potential differences in toxicity or possibly carcinogenicity of the different arsenic species present in the ambient atmosphere. To proved information on the ambient levels of As(III) and As(V), atmospheric particulate matter samples were collected at the Geysers geothermal development area in Lake County, California, over a 2 month period in 1989. Each sample was analyzed for As(III), As(V) and total arsenic. This paper describes those results and provides a unique insight into the atmospheric loadings of the inorganic species of arsenic. As(III) and As(V) at geothermal power facilities.