National annual dioxin emissions estimate for hazardous waste incinerators

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:353596

Cudahy, J J ^[1]; Rigo, H G ^[2]

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1. Focus Environmental, Inc., Knoxville, TN (United States)
2. Rigo and Rigo Associates, Inc., Berea, OH (United States)

On April 19, 1996, the EPA proposed Maximum Achievable Control [MACT] Standards for Hazardous Waste Combustors. In that preamble, the EPA stated that annual estimated emissions of dioxins from the nation`s hazardous waste incinerators [HWIs] expressed as an equivalent amount of 2,3,7,8 TCDD (international toxic equivalents) are 77 grams. Commentors on EPA dioxin emission estimates from medical waste incinerators and cement kilns found them significantly overestimated. This paper presents an independent dioxin emissions estimate that takes advantage of correcting the errors in EPA`s HWI emissions database, an updated inventory of HWIs in the United States and statistical imputation techniques that maximum the information extractable from the limited dioxin emissions data for HWIs. Actual HWI dioxin emissions are probably between a quarter and half the HWC preamble estimate.

• OSTI ID: 353596
• Report Number(s): CONF-970677--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
DIOXIN
EMISSION
INCINERATORS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION