INCINERATOR AIR EMISSIONS - INHALATION EXPOSURE PERSPECTIVES

Incineration is often proposed as the treatment of choice for processi ng diverse wastes, particularly hazardous wastes. Where such treatment is proposed, people are often fearful that is will adversely affect t heir health. Unfortunately, information presented to the public about incinerators often does not include any criteria or benchmarks for eva luating such facilities. This article describes a review of air emissi on data from regulatory trial burns in a large prototype incinerator, operated at design capacity by the U.S. Army to destroy chemical warfa re materials. It uses several sets of criteria to gauge the treat that these emissions pose to public health. Incinerator air emission level s are evaluated with respect to various toxicity screening levels and ambient air levels of the same pollutants. Also, emission levels of ch lorinated dioxins and furans are compared with emission levels of two common combustion sources. Such comparisons can add to a community's u nderstanding of health risks associated with incinerator. This article focuses only on the air exposure/inhalation pathway as related to hum an health. It does not address other potential human exposure pathways or the possible effects of emissions on the local ecology, both of wh ich should also be examined during a complete analysis of any major ne w facility.