Emissions from burning municipal solid waste and wood in domestic heaters

Özet

Waste burning is globally important emission source of several toxic compounds. The objective of thisstudy was to acquire emission factors (EF) for PCDD/Fs, HCBs, PAHs, PMx and for several gaseous pollutantsfrom the residential combustion, where wood is burned with municipal solid waste (MSW). Inaddition to the wood, paper and cardboard waste, people also tend to burn MSW. As the burnable wastecontent in MSW has changed during the past years, it is important to assess the effect of this factor for airemissions nowadays and in the past. Therefore an attempt was made to derive EF for the past emissions.18 experiments including samples of firewood and MSW were burned using Estonian most common oldtype masonry heater, measuring PMx, PCDD/F, HCB, PAH-s and gaseous pollutants.Significant correlation was found between PCDD/F, HCl, HCB and CO and between HCl and HCB in all 18experiments. In three experiments (years 1990, 1995, 2000), the mean levels of PCDD/F were higher thanthe legislative limit value for combustion of MSW in waste incineration plants. The mean PCDD/F concentrationsduring the experiments was 0.0833 (0.0116e0.1550 95% Cl) ng I-TEQ Nm3 11% O2. Since lowchlorine levels in used fuel caused high emissions of PCDD/F and HCB, it indicates that the habit ofburning these kinds of waste in residential heaters should be avoided.We can conclude that RWC is significant source of PCDD/F, HCB and PAH. In general, EF measuredwithin this study are in accordance with literature data. There was remarkable difference in EF betweendifferent years. EF of PCDD/F and HCB found confirm the trend of development of MSW collection systemleading to an increasing usage of MSW recycling. Nevertheless, people's awareness about the negativeimpacts of waste burning in household heaters, should be raised.