Study on the relationship between waste classification, combustion condition and dioxin emission from waste incineration

Domestic waste in China is mainly collected as a combination of different types of materials. The components are variable and complex, with very different combustion characteristics making it difficult to optimize the burning to reduce pollution. There are still some controversies about the accuracy of using carbon monoxide (CO) emission to characterize waste incineration performance. Here, we investigated the relationship between waste classification, incineration conditions and dioxin emission and concluded that the concentration of CO in flue gas could not be used as the only criterion of combustion efficiency and safety. Considering the close relationship between the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and products of incomplete combustion, the relatively low concentrations of CO are not a reliable indicator that an incinerator equipped with an activated carbon injection system and fabric filter could achieve the national standards for PCDD/F emission. The goal, therefore, is not only to lower the emission of PCDD/Fs and other pollutants through classifying the waste components at the source, but also to reduce the need for the treatment of incinerated waste to protect the environment and to increase the power generation efficiency of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plants. As the demand for waste disposal continues to rapidly increase, the need for a safe waste incineration system with dioxin emission controls makes the classification of waste an indispensable part of future MSWI systems.