PREDICTION OF PCDD AND PCDF EMISSIONS FROM MUNICIPAL SOLID-WASTE (MSW) INCINERATORS

A procedure has been developed for predicting PGDD/F formation in and emission from incinerator off-gas plant. Calculations are based on rat es of static and in-flight formation, and take account of electrostati c enhancement and phase redistribution in electrostatic precipitators. Application to operating data from two incinerators gave good estimat es of PCDD levels within an order of magnitude, while PCDF levels were overestimated by a considerable margin. The discrepancy is believed t o arise mainly from the use of an overestimated in-flight formation ra te, and homologue distribution data that over-represents the proportio n of furans. The results suggest different formation routes for dioxin s and furans, and underline the need for more reliable data as a basis for prediction. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd