Dioxin Emissions Research Articles

Study on Emission Control of Dioxins by Thermal Decomposition

In this paper, we present the data regarding the thermal decomposition of PCDD/Fs during the manufacturing process of ceramisite from MSWI fly ash, and the efficiency of bag filter with activated carbon injection technology to reduce the gas emission of PCDD/Fs. The distribution of seventeen 2,3,7,8-chlorinated dioxins and furans in MSWI fly ash, ceramisite product, bag filter ash and emission gases were analyzed, and the international toxic equivalents (I-TEQ as 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD) values were calculated by using international-toxicity equivalency factor (I-TEF). The total I-TEQ value of PCDD/Fs in MSWI fly ash reached up to 904.944 ng/kg. After high temperature calcining, only 1.250 ng I-TEQ/kg of PCDD/Fs is left in the ceramisite product. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in two kinds of bag filter ashes, with activated carbon injection (AC) and without activated carbon injection (NAC), were 324.723 ng I-TEQ/kg and 217.066 ng I-TEQ/kg, respectively. The distribution patterns of seventeen 2,3,7,8-chlorinated dioxins and furans in MSWI fly ash, ceramisite product and bag filter ashes are alike, which suggested that the secondary formation of PCDD/Fs did not significantly occur during the thermal process of manufacturing ceramisite from MSWI fly ash. When no activated carbon was injected, the gas emission of PCDD/Fs was 0.373 ng I-TEQ/Nm3, but 100 mg/Nm3 of activated carbon injection, the gas emission of PCDD/Fs was declined to 0.081 ng I-TEQ/Nm3, which is lower than the gas emission limit established by the European Union Directive of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/Nm3. Therefor, we can recommend that the manufacturing ceramisite from MSWI fly ash using the developed rotary kiln system is an effective measure to safely dispose the MSWI fly ash on the aspect of dioxin emission control.

Evolution of sperm quality in men living in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator possibly correlated with decreasing dioxins emission levels

The objective was to examine the impact on sperm parameters of environmental exposure to dioxins around a municipal waste incinerator initially with high emission levels and during reduction levels. An ecological study with quasi-experimental conditions was performed in patients of a reproductive laboratory. The first semen analyses of 251 men living in Besançon, France, between 2001 and 2007, were included. To analyse the contribution of direct exposure (inhalation), the calendar time was dichotomised in two periods 2001-2003 versus 2004-2007 and used as a proxy for exposure. Regarding the indirect exposure pathway (food), the statistical analysis was made with a nonparametric test to assess the trends. There was a negative correlation between the year of exposure and the percentage of abnormal mid-piece and the multiple abnormalities index, even after adjusting for age and days abstention from inter-course. A positive correlation was found between the progressive motile sperm count and the period of exposure. These findings are to be put into the context of a drastic reduction in emissions of dioxins. Our results suggest an effect of chronic exposure to dioxins on spermiogenesis with more abnormalities. These results should be confirmed with concentration measurements of dioxins in infertile men.

Annual and seasonal variations in atmospheric PCDDs/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs levels in satellite cities of Seoul, Korea during 2003–2009

Long-term measurements of atmospheric polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) were conducted in six satellite cities of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, from January 2003 to December 2009. Of the six sites, three were located in residential areas (Suwon, Anyang, and Seongnam) and the other three were in industrial areas (Ansan, Bucheon, and Siheung). For the 7 years, the average concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs were higher at industrial sites than those at residential sites, and their lowest and highest concentrations were 0.113 ± 0.073 pg international toxicity equivalency quantity (I-TEQ) m−3 and 0.0071 ± 0.0040 pg World Health Organization (WHO)-TEQ m−3 at Seongnam and 0.625 ± 0.597 pg I-TEQ m−3 and 0.0376 ± 0.0285 pg WHO-TEQ m−3 at Ansan, respectively. The annual averages of these compounds tended to decrease from 2003 to 2009, with the most apparent change in 2006 when the regulation of dioxin emission standard was reinforced for flue gas from incineration facilities. Complying with the reinforced standard, the concentrations of PCDFs were reduced more effectively than those of PCDDs, leading to increase in ratios of PCDDs to PCDFs since 2006. Additionally, a seasonal tendency was observed for PCDDs/PCDFs with higher concentrations in winter than summer, which was opposite for dl-PCBs. This seasonal difference suggests their sources such as combustion processes and volatilization and the influence of synoptic-scale circulation. The congener profiles indicated that 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF, OCDF, OCDD, and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD were the most abundant, comprising 65.0% of the 17 toxic 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs/PCDFs mass. The three congeners of 2,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB, 2,3,3′,4,4′-PeCB, and 3,3′,4,4′-TeCB comprised 75.9% of the 12 dl-PCBs.

Modeling the dioxin emission of a municipal solid waste incinerator using neural networks

Incineration is considered as an efficient approach in dealing with the increasing demand for municipal and industrial solid waste treatment, especially in areas without sufficient land resources. Facing the concern of health risk, the toxic pollutants emitted from incinerators have attracted much attention from environmentalists, even though this technology is capable of reducing solid waste volume and demand for landfill areas, together with plenty of energy generation. To reduce the negative impacts of toxic chemicals emitted from incinerators, various monitoring and control plans are made not only for use in facilities performance evaluation but also better control of operation for stable effluent quality. How to screen out the key variables from massive observed and control variables for modeling the dioxin emission has become an important issue in incinerator operation and pollution prevention. For these reasons, this study used 4-year monitoring data of an incinerator in Taiwan as a case study, and developed a prediction model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) to forecast the dioxin emission. By doing this, a simplified monitoring strategy for incinerators with regarding to dioxin emission control can be achieved. The result indicated that the prediction model based on a back-propagation neural network is a promising method to deal with complex and non-linear data with the help of statistics in screening out the useful variables for modeling. The suitable architecture of an ANN for using in the dioxin prediction consists of 5 input factors, 3 basic layers with 8 hidden nodes. The R2 was found to equal 0.99 in both the training and testing steps. In addition, sensitivity analysis can identify the most significant variables for the dioxin emission. From the obtained results, the frequency of activated carbon injection showed as the factor of highest relative importance for the dioxin emission.

PCDD/Fs emission, risk characterization, and reduction in China’s secondary copper production industry

Secondary copper production is one of the key polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) emission sources in China, but research and data on this issue are rare. In 2004, when the Stockholm Convention entered into force in China, PCDD/Fs emissions from secondary copper production contributed to 32.2% of the total release. In this paper, PCDD/Fs emission dynamics from secondary copper industry were discussed and cumulative risks were characterized. From 2004 to 2009, industrial policies played an indirect role in PCDD/Fs reduction, but its effects are still limited. The Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and central regions were among the top three of dioxin emissions from secondary copper production in China. Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi had comparatively higher accumulated risk and were recommended as the priority regions for promoting PCDD/Fs emission control in China. From 2009 to 2015, the PCDD/Fs emission dynamics in the secondary copper industry were presented through simulation. PCDD/Fs emission equations were established, resulting in the recommendation of control technology conversion rate at 30% for small scale smelters and 51%–57% for large and medium-sized enterprises in 2015. In conclusion, both indirect policy and direct control technology retrofitting should be integrated for more effective PCDD/Fs emission reduction in secondary copper industry.

Residential proximity to industrial combustion facilities and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case-control study.

BackgroundResidence near municipal solid waste incinerators, a major historical source of dioxin emissions, has been associated with increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in European studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate residence near industrial combustion facilities and estimates of dioxin emissions in relation to NHL risk in the United States.MethodsWe conducted a population-based case–control study of NHL (1998–2000) in four National Cancer Institute-Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results centers (Detroit, Iowa, Los Angeles, Seattle). Residential histories 15 years before diagnosis (similar date for controls) were linked to an Environmental Protection Agency database of dioxin-emitting facilities for 969 cases and 749 controls. We evaluated proximity (3 and 5 km) to 10 facility types that accounted for >85% of U.S. emissions and a distance-weighted average emission index (AEI [ng toxic equivalency quotient (TEQ)/year]).ResultsProximity to any dioxin-emitting facility was not associated with NHL risk (3 km OR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.8-1.3). Risk was elevated for residence near cement kilns (5 km OR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.8-3.3; 3 km OR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.1-14.0) and reduced for residence near municipal solid waste incinerators (5 km OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9; 3 km OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-1.4). The AEI was not associated with risk of NHL overall. Risk for marginal zone lymphoma was increased for the highest versus lowest quartile (5 km OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-6.8; 3 km OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.3).ConclusionsOverall, we found no association with residential exposure to dioxins and NHL risk. However, findings for high emissions and marginal zone lymphoma and for specific facility types and all NHL provide some evidence of an association and deserve future study.

Multi-Sources Local Diffusion Model for Dioxins Based on Gauss Method (DM-II)

Aiming at effects evaluation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for environment and human health, Multi-sources Local Diffusion Model for Dioxins Based on Gauss Method (DM-Ⅱ) is developed, in which the terrains and mixed layer thickness considered. The meteorological observations data during spring in 2006 at the Jinhua region in Zhejiang province were analyzed, and various probabilities obtained in different wind, different wind speed and different stability respectively. Based on this analysis results, using DM-Ⅱ, diffusion of several key sources of dioxin emissions at the Jinhua region is simulated, and the distribution of dioxin POPs is simulated during spring in 2006 in the region. The average concentration of dioxin POPs is about 0.1~1pg/m3 in near areas of emission sources.

Computation of Societal Risk Abatement Cost and Long Run Marginal Financial Cost with Regard to Dioxin and Furan Emission Standards for Common Hazardous Waste Incinerator of India

Dioxins and Furans are generated unintentionally during incineration of halogenated hazardous waste which warrants adequate pollution control measures. International Agency for Research in Cancer(IARC) reported that population exposed to the most highly carcinogen 2,3,7,8-TCDD (one of the congener of dioxin) is more prone to increased risk of cancer, beyond this, societal risks are enhanced to people living in nearby areas even if they are not exposed directly. The study compares societal costs of dioxin & furan emission with events such as water borne diseases, rail and road accidents etc. The basic approach is adopted to convert impact of various risks into reduction in life span of the total population to form a common basis for comparison. This paper find out the “break even” standard for dioxin and furan emission where emission control costs and societal costs are equal. This is an attempt to develop a conceptual approach to consider societal cost as one of the determinants for developing emission standard in future. The reason is that the break even number 0.15 ng TEQ/Nm3 should not be taken as sacrosanct since studies are based on a variety of assumptions.

Spatial distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-furans (PCDDs/Fs) in dust, soil, sediment and health risk assessment from an intensive electronic waste recycling site in Southern China

Workshop dust, soil and sediment samples were collected to investigate the level and spatial distribution of PCDDs/Fs at an intensive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site in Southern China, and also to characterize the dioxin emission in different e-waste recycling procedures. The concentrations of total PCDDs/Fs ranged from 1866 to 234292 ng kg(-1) for the dust samples, from 3187 to 63998 ng kg(-1) dry wt for the top soils, and 33718 ng kg(-1) for the surface sediment. All the samples were characterized by abnormally high concentrations of OCDD and an extremely low portion of PCDFs. Different e-waste recycling procedures may generate different congener profiles. Open burning and dismantling were the two procedures emitting relatively higher concentrations of PCDDs/Fs in this case, indicating that low-tech recycling operations were one of the major contributors of PCDDs/Fs to the environment. The variation and distinction of the concentrations and homologue/congener profiles among different environmental matrices reveal the characteristics of contaminant environmental behavior and fate during the transportation from "source" to "sink". Daily intake of PCDDs/Fs through soil ingestion and dermal absorption was negligible, but the rough estimated total PCDD/F intake dose far exceeded the tolerance daily intake value of 4 pg-TEQ per kg per day recommended by WHO, indicating that residents in Longtang were at a high risk of exposure to dioxins, especially children.

Development of the Vertical Swirling Melting Furnace with Multistage Air Nozzles for a Municipal Solid Waste Gasification and Melting System

The melting furnace of a municipal solid waste gasification and melting system must have a high slag recovery rate and low dioxin emission. In this study, we developed a vertical swirling melting furnace with multistage air nozzles which can be used in the gasification and melting system. Three stage nozzles for feeding air and fuel are installed on a cylindrical furnace. Each nozzle is arranged in a tangential direction to generate swirling flow. The fuel is supplied by the primary nozzle which is located at the lowest level among the nozzles. Combustion air is supplied by the secondary and tertiary stage nozzles. The flow pattern of this furnace is similar to that of a cyclone separator. Most of the fuel goes down to the bottom of the furnace and burns in the swirl flow. The furnace design was done using a one-dimensional heat balance simulation tool. In this simulation, distribution of air mass flow in the furnace was determined by an air flow model experiment. The simulation results were compared with measured data from a 20t/day demonstration plant, and accuracy of the developed design tool was verified. The temperature prediction error was less than 40 degC. In the demonstration plant, the slag recovery rate of the melting furnace was higher than 90%, and the dioxin concentration in the flue gas at the chimney was lower than the government regulation value.

Tracking environmental innovations and policy regulations in Japan: case studies on dioxin emissions and electric home appliances recycling

Taking dioxin emissions from incineration and the recycling of home electric appliances in Japan as two case studies, this paper aims to clarify the impact of environmental policy on technological innovation. For our case studies, relevant Japanese patent data were gathered and analyzed for the period 1990–2008. To demonstrate that environmental regulations induce technology innovation, we conducted statistical analysis to compare the number of patents related to each regulation between the period under regulation and period outside the regulation. The results show that after the regulations were introduced, new technological developments occurred for most technological types and the total number of related patent applications was larger even when controlling for other exogenous and endogenous factors such as business cycles and expenditures in Research and Development (R&D). We finally argue that while a possible weakness in these types of direct regulations is the lack of incentives for further innovations, they can still induce innovation if they are flexible and with specific targets.

Endogenous sources of dioxin emissions in areas of tectonomagmatic activation using the example of the Sakhalin-Kuril region

Data on the dioxin contents in landscapes of modern active volcanoes, buried volcanic ashes, and fresh ejecta of mud volcanoes are obtained. It is shown that endogenous sources of natural (nontechnogenic) dioxins exist in the areas of tectonomagmatic activation. It is suggested that extremely toxic chemical compounds (dioxins) were continuously supplied to the biosphere during the geological time. The environmental importance of this phenomenon for the biota is still difficult to estimate.

Formation and Emission of PCDD/Fs in Chinese Non-Wood Pulp and Paper Mills

Chlorine bleaching is still practiced by non-wood pulp and paper mills in China, resulting in considerable formation and emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). We investigate the distribution of PCDD/Fs in different papermaking processes and dioxin emissions at six typical Chinese non-wood pulp and paper mills. Raw materials for papermaking included reed, wheat straw, bamboo, and sugar cane bagasse. The formation and emission of PCDD/Fs varied strikingly according to bleaching processes and raw materials. Elemental chlorine bleaching promoted the formation of tetra- to octa-CDDs and 2,3,7,8-TCDF, while hypochlorite bleaching only gave rise to a significant increase of 2,3,7,8-TCDF. Bleaching with elemental chlorine and hypochlorite increased 2,3,7,8-TCDF 0.9-42.5 and 0.3-4.1 times, respectively. Most of the 2,3,7,8-TCDF formed at hypochlorite bleaching stage was partitioned into the effluent, which indicated that hypochlorite bleaching was also an important emission source of dioxins. The removal of PCDD/Fs occurred visibly during alkaline digestion, alkaline extraction, and hydrogen peroxide bleaching. Furthermore, the annual emission of PCDD/Fs from Chinese non-wood pulp and paper mills was evaluated.

Reduction of dioxin emissions from thermal waste treatment plants: a brief survey

Since 1977 dioxins were detected in fly ashes from waste incineration plants; this class of compounds is of major importance concerning the acceptance of this technology. Extended research and development revealed in short time the main formation mechanism of dioxins, the importance of good combustion control, the influence of halogens and sulphur, and paved the way for strategies for minimisation of formation, and efficient abatement. The main steps in this development as well as the current situation are described.

Environmental impact assessment of chlorine in liquid crystal display glass (LCDG) based on material flow analysis

Liquid crystal display glass (LCDG) may contain chlorine in trace amounts to attain some of its special properties. LCDG is primarily manufactured by glass companies, which then supply the electronic industry for utilization in the manufacture of items such as televisions, computer monitors, etc. In order to be seen as environmentally friendly, some electronic companies that utilize LCDG request that glass companies eliminate halogens such as chlorine from LCDG. The issue of halogens in products is often associated with dioxin-like problems. By using halogen-free LCDG in their manufacturing process, electronic companies aim to enhance their eco-friendly branding. Nevertheless, the real gains in terms of environmental improvement are yet to be assessed. In this study, we discussed the effectiveness of reducing or eliminating chlorine in electrical and electronic products on a scientific basis, by carrying out a quantitative assessment of cancer risk posed by potential emissions of dioxins when discarded LCDG is incinerated. The results indicate that the maximum increase of individual lifetime cancer risk is 3.2 × 10−10. This level of cancer risk is negligible. Consequently, we suggest that there is no need to introduce stricter standards for chlorine content in LCDG, from the viewpoint of potential dioxin formation.

Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants: The ways of its implementation in the Russian Federation

The situation in Russia concerning the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) aimed at ending their production and use and reducing emissions is examined. The data on the quantities of POPs accumulated in the Russian Federation are presented: to date, the total amount of polychlorobiphenyls is assessed as up to 30000 tons and of obsolete pesticides as 40000 tons. The total emission of dioxins in Russia is estimated to be ∼1.8 kg toxic equivalent, with the main contributions coming from burning waste dumps, forest fires, and hazardous waste incineration. A number of ways to destroy waste POPs are analyzed. Advantages of waste disposal technology by incineration in an excess of oxygen are discussed. The need to elaborate measures for the destruction and disposal of POPs is emphasized.

Dioxin emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) in France

The objective of this study was to determine whether the fear of dioxin/furan emissions from waste-to-energy plants was justified by the 2007 status of emissions of French municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs). All emissions were examined, plant by plant, but this paper focuses on the incinerator emission that is most frequently mentioned in the French media, toxic dioxins and furans. The study showed that there are 85 large MSWI that generate electricity or heat, i.e., waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, and 39 smaller MSW incinerators. The results showed that all French MSWI are operated well below the EU and French standard of 0.1ngTEQNm−3 (toxic equivalent nanograms per standard cubic meter) and that their total dioxin/furan emissions decreased from 435gTEQ in 1997 to only 1.2g in 2008. All other industrial emissions of dioxins have also decreased and the major source is residential combustion of wood (320gTEQ). It was extremely difficult to obtain MSWI emission data. This unwarranted lack of transparency has resulted in the public perception that MSWI plants are major contributors to dioxin emissions while in fact they have ceased to be so.

Emission profiles of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from secondary metallurgy industries in Portugal

This paper reports, for the first time, a study of dioxin emissions from 10 siderurgies and metallurgies, secondary copper, aluminum and lead metallurgies, in Portugal. The study reports the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). The congener patterns were characterized and are discussed. The results showed that the total amount of PCDFs is higher than PCDDs in flue gas of each industrial unit. The toxic equivalent emission factors of pollutants emitted are 3098–3338ngI-TEQt−1 for PCDD/Fs and 597–659ngI-TEQt−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in siderurgies production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 3.9–4.5gI-TEQyr−1), 50–152ngI-TEQt−1 for PCDD/Fs and 24–121ngI-TEQt−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in ferrous foundries production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.0010–0.0016gI-TEQyr−1) and 5.8–5715ngI-TEQt−1 for PCDD/Fs and 0.49–259ngI-TEQt−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in non-ferrous foundries production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.00014–0.12gI-TEQyr−1). The HCB emission from siderurgies production is 0.94–3.2mgt−1 (total estimated emission amounts released 0.94–3.8gyr−1), being much smaller, residual, in the emissions of the other types of plants (0.0012–0.026mgt−1 production and total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.013–1.7mgyr−1).

Development of waste gasification and gas reforming system for municipal solid waste (MSW)

To achieve both high-efficiency power generation and high detoxification performance, advanced-type waste power generation plants such as pyrolysis and gas reforming plants are suggested. Further surveys on actual operational data of these plants are required in terms of reliability of the system when it is introduced to waste disposal sites. To verify the technical effectiveness of advanced-type waste power generation using the pyrolysis and gas reforming method, we evaluated 10 tons/day of municipal solid wastes (MSW) treated in a demonstration plant. A demonstration test was conducted over 100 days including 35 consecutive days of operation treating MSWs. The test results show high recycling performance and harmless nature of the plant which proves it to be an excellent waste recycling system. Major test results are as follows: (1) stabilization of waste treatment is possible with the wastes of various qualities, (2) clean gas is produced from the waste whose energy recovery ratio is approximately 40 %. (3) 99.3 % weight % of dried waste are recovered as valuable materials such as clean gas, char and metal, (4) total amount of dioxin emission to the outside of the plant is very small, down to 0.0051–0.018 μg TEQ per ton waste.

Accumulation of dioxins and induction of cytochrome P450 1A4/1A5 enzyme activities in common cormorants from Lake Biwa, Japan: Temporal trends and validation of national regulation on dioxins emission

To validate the outcome of the national regulation on dioxins emission implemented in 1999, this study investigated temporal trends of chlorinated dioxins and related compounds (DRCs) in liver of common cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) collected from Lake Biwa, Japan between 2001 and 2008, as a part of the “Survey on the State of Dioxins Accumulation in Wildlife” conducted by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. We also measured a biomarker of DRCs exposure, the cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A)-dependent O-dealkylation activity of alkoxyresorufins (AROD), including methoxy-, ethoxy-, pentoxy- and benzyloxy-resorufins in the samples over 2001–2007. Neither TEQ nor AROD activity showed any clear declining trend over the time period, although the emission of DRCs during the corresponding period was estimated to be apparently decreasing. Our data indicate that the concentration of recalcitrant DRCs in the cormorant during 2001–2008 was scarcely affected by the national regulation on dioxins emission.