Co-firing coal in municipal waste combustors may reduce dioxin/furan formation

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Air Pollution Consultant

OSTI ID:159661

While dioxin/furan emissions from municipal waste combustors (MWCs) are a serious concern, coal-fired utility boilers generally do not emit significant amounts of these toxic substances. This difference in emission profiles has led researchers to the hypothesis that co-firing coal and municipal waste could reduce dioxin/furan emissions from MWCs. The hypothesis has proven correct in several studies. Investigators recently studied coal co-firing during pilot-scale tests. The study evaluated the effect of sulfur and investigated specific mechanisms for inhibiting dioxin/furan formation. The experiments substantiated the possibility of reducing MWC dioxin/furan emissions with coal co-firing. However, as noted in the experimental results, coal co-firing under certain conditions may actually increase dioxin/furan formation. Coal type, the ratio of municipal waste to coal, and other operating parameters must be selected carefully to ensure dioxin/furan inhibition. 1 ref., 1 fig.

• OSTI ID: 159661
• Journal Information: Air Pollution Consultant, Journal Name: Air Pollution Consultant Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 5; ISSN 1058-6628; ISSN APOCEH
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
40 CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
COAL
COCOMBUSTION
COMBUSTORS
DIOXIN
FURANS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
REDUCTION
SYNTHESIS
USES
WASTE PROCESSING