Effective Sampling System for Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans in Flue Gas from Municipal Solid Incinerators

Abstract

Dodecyl sulfuric acid-binding DEAE-Sephadex (DS-Sephadex) was developed as the adsorbent to trap polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in flue gas. Using a DS-Sephadex column, an improved sampling system for PCDD/F in flue gas from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) was investigated. The system was composed of a probe for drawing flue gas, a filter for collecting dust, impingers for removing acidic substances in flue gas which would decrease trapping activity of the DS-Sephadex, a DS-Sephadex column for trapping PCDD/F, and a vacuum system. As several fundamental experiments for the application of DS-Sephadex to the adsorbent column, uptake efficiency of PCDD/F by the DS-Sephadex column, effective elution of PCDD/F from the column, retention of surrogate PCDD/F on the column during sampling flue gas from a MSWI, distribution of PCDD/F in the column after the sampling, etc. were investigated in detail. In the sampling of flue gas, PCDD/F in solid and gaseous forms were effectively trapped onto the DS-Sephadex column without breaking through during sampling. Thus, a simple and efficient system for sampling PCDD/F in flue gas was developed without requirement of a backup system