Health-risk assessment of incinerator stack emissions: Trace metals

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5472343

Lee, Jinhong

The research presented in this dissertation centers on the development of a method for health risk assessment of incinerator stack emissions within the context of multiple exposure pathways and on its application to a problem of contemporary interest. The emphasis is on toxic metal emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators. A comparison of the amount of metal emissions shows that toxic metal emissions from MSW incinerators are generally of the same order of magnitude as those from hazardous waste incinerators. A hazard index for stack emitted metals based on toxicity and quantity are developed in this dissertation to screen metals which are important from a risk view-point. From this hazard index, lead and mercury are added to the known carcinogenic metals, i.e., arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, and nickel as candidates for the assessment. The method presented in this dissertation consists of hazard identification and hazard quantification. If a substance is identified as a potential human carcinogen, the carcinogenicity may be related to the chemical form of a substance and the route of exposure. Regarding the carcinogenic potency of a pollutant, the chemical form of a substance and the route of exposure is investigated. This type of information with regard to carcinogenic uncertainty is incorporated into hazard quantification. The appropriate carcinogenic group of a pollutant is also identified. In order to quantify the human health risks for the 7 metals, the following are determined in this dissertation: emission factors; mass particle-size distributions; air dispersion models; exposure assessment models; population data; and unit risks or cancer potency factors.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Los Angeles, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5472343
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ANIMALS
ARSENIC
BERYLLIUM
CADMIUM
CARCINOGENESIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM
COMBUSTION
ELEMENTS
INCINERATORS
LEAD
MAMMALS
MAN
MANAGEMENT
MERCURY
METALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NICKEL
OXIDATION
PATHOGENESIS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEMIMETALS
SOLID WASTES
STACK DISPOSAL
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES