Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in flue gas emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators in China

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) emissions in flue gas from two types of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) most commonly used in China were investigated in this study. The selected incinerators include two grate-type MSWIs: MSWI-A (350 t/d) and MSWI-B (150 t/d), and two fluidized bed MSWIs: MSWI-C (400 t/d) and MSWI-D (400 t/d), which are all equipped with semi-dry lime scrubber and bag filter except MSWI-D equipped with cyclone and wet scrubber (WS) as air pollutant control device (APCD). Results indicated that the emission concentration and the international toxic equivalents (I-TEQs) of the PCDD/Fs from the stacks were in the range of 1.210∼10.273 ng/Nm3 and 0.019∼0.201 ng I-TEQ/Nm3, respectively. They were greatly lower than the emission regulation standard of PCDD/Fs in China (1.0 ng I-TEQ/Nm3). However, only the PCDD/Fs emission level from MSWI-C was below 0.1 ng I-TEQ/Nm3. Although the homologue profiles were distinct, the contributions of the 2,3,7,8-subsituted congeners to the total I-TEQ were similar among all the investigated MSWIs. Two major 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, account for 47% and 9% (average values) of the total I-TEQ values, respectively. The correlation between PCDD/Fs levels and composition of flue gas was also discussed.