AIRBORNE RELEASES FROM FIRES INVOLVING CHEMICAL WASTE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CASE-STUDY

A multidisciplinary study of fires in chemical waste at a Danish chemi cal company has been carried out in order to estimate the concentratio ns of combustion products in the surroundings. The first part of the s tudy addressed the characterisation of the waste and the assessment of fire cases which formed the basis for the experimental work and deter mination of fire effluents. The combustion experiments were carried ou t using a tubular furnace, following DLN 53436. Secondly, the source t erm concentrations were estimated, and calculations of plume rise and dispersion of combustion products in the surroundings were performed. Finally, an uncertainty assessment has been carried out for each part of the study. For some of the issues the uncertainties are described q ualitatively and for others the uncertainties are expressed quantitati vely. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.