Measurement of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran emission from EAF steel making proces

Abstract

Electric arc furnace (EAF) steel manufacturing is an important recycling activity which contributes to the recovery of steel resources and steel scrap/waste minimization. Because of the content of plastics, coatings and paintings as well as other nonferrous materials in the charge during melting, a strong emission of pollutants, including polluting substance group consists of persistent organic pollutions (POPs) represented by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) occurs. This study was set out to investigate emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) from the stack of a new electric-arc furnace-dust treatment plant installed during modernisation of the Melt Shop in CMC SISAK d.o.o., Croatia. Obtained results have been compared with previously obtained results of PCDDs/Fs emission measurements from the old electric-arc furnace dust treatment without dust drop-out box, as well as quenching tower. The total PCDDs/Fs concentration in the stack off gases of both electric arc furnaces EAF A and EAF B were 0.2098 and 0.022603 ng I-TEQ/Nm3 respectively, and these results are close to previous obtained results by other authors. The calculated values of the emission factors for PCDDs/Fs calculated on the basis of measured PCDDs/Fs concentration in the stack off gases in 2008 and 2011 were 1.09 and 0.22 ng I-TEQ/ ton steel, respectively.