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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Is there a meaningful dioxin: Chlorine link in commercial scale system flue gases?

Conference ·
OSTI ID:287480
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Rigo and Rigo Associates, Inc., Berea, OH (United States)
  2. A.J. Chandler and Associates Ltd., Willowdale, Ontario (Canada)
  3. Energy and Environmental Research Corp., Durham, NC (United States)
An extensive database including more than 1,900 PCDD/F test runs at different types of waste combustors was assembled and analyzed. A series f increasingly sophisticated statistical techniques found that for the vast majority of the data sets, the effect of feed chlorine content on PCDD/F emissions cannot be differentiated from normal variability. The small number of data sets that showed an effect displayed conflicting results. The quantity of PCDD/F increased in some cases and decreased in others. Whatever effect chlorine feed rate has on PCDD/F in the products of combustion, it is not discernible against the background. Consequently, mandatory chlorine reduction programs are unlikely to produce any measurable reduction in the quality or quantity of PCDD/F emissions from commercial scale waste combustors.
OSTI ID:
287480
Report Number(s):
CONF-960345--; ISBN 0-7918-1227-8
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English