To the genotoxicity of stack gas condensates of Bavarian waste incineration plants - I. Stack gas condensate - Techniques of sample collection

Investigations into the toxicity and the chemical analytics of stack gas co ndensates from 21 waste incineration plants (locations in Bavaria) were und ertaken in the years 1990 to 1995. A decisive prerequisite was the developm ent of a simple, standardizable technique for sample collection It was done by condensating stack gases at 0 to 5 degrees C in an intensive glass cond ensator. Certain types of compounds showed a different behaviour of separat ion at the temperatures which were used. Whereas bivalent ionic mercury and chlorophenols were comparatively well separated with amounts of 60 to 95% and the polychlorinated dioxins, furans and biphenyls (PCBs) were sufficien tly separated with 20 to 60%,less than 10% of the chlorobenzenes and polycy clic aromatics (PAHs) were found in the condensates. Sufficiently sensitive biological test procedures must be chosen for a biomonitoring of the conde nsates on geno- and immunotoxic effects to keep the required quantity of th e condensates within practicable limits. The concentration of organic waste s was done through a solid phase extraction for the genotoxicity testing in the period from 1990 to 1991, and uniformly through a dichloromethane extr action for the biological and the simultaneous chemical analytical investig ations from 1992 to 1995.