Measurement of the influence of a cement kiln stack on a surrounding residential community by injection of an identification particulate.

An identification particulate, barium sulfate, was injected into the kiln stack of a large cement plant in order to determine the effect of the particulate effluent of this stack on the immediately surrounding residential community. Meteorological conditions at the time of the injection favored deposition of the stack plume fallout directly over the location of a 7.75-km2 area in which both dustfall and suspended particle samplers were located. Dustfall data are reported for a 24-hour period to permit collection of all possible BaSO4-relatable stack emission. Collected particulate was analyzed for calcium and barium by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Collected dustfall particulates showed no stack effluent effect; collected suspended particulates exhibited a content of stack-relatable material in the amount of 1% of the total observed weight.