Evaluation test on a hospital refuse incinerator at Saint Agnes Medical Center, Fresno, California. Air pollution test report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6283556

Jenkins, A C; Ouchida, P

An evaluation test program was conducted to evaluate the emissions from a hospital-refuse incinerator. The test was conducted as a part of the Air Resources Board's program to assess emissions from stationary sources. The incinerator was operated at an average burn rate of 780 pounds of hospital refuse per hour during the entire test period. Daily average oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations ranged from 13.3% and 5.8%, respectively to 16.3% and 3.8%. The carbon monoxide concentrations were less than 50 parts per million by volume, (PPMV), during the entire test period. Analysis for selected trace metals was conducted and emission rates determined. Mass emission rates for chlorinated and aromatic compounds were determined. Sampling for PCDDs and PCDFs was conducted to assess if hospital incinerators had the potential to emit such compounds. Based on data obtained, mass emission rates were determined for the tetra-chlorinated through hepta-chlorinated homologues of the PCDDs and PCDFs. The dioxin emissions ranged from 4.3 nonograms per second (ng/sec) for tetrachloro dioxin (TCDD) to 270 (ng/sec) for the octachloro dioxin (OCDD). Furan emission rates ranged from 64.9 (ng/sec) for the tetrachloro furan to 319 (ng/sec) for the heptachloro furan. Polychlorinated biphenyls were not detected in the outlet gas stream samples.

• Research Organization: California State Air Resources Board, Sacramento (USA). Stationary Source Div.
• OSTI ID: 6283556
• Report Number(s): PB-87-204400/XAB; ARB/SS-87-01
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
BUILDINGS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DIOXIN
EVALUATION
FURANS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HOSPITALS
INCINERATORS
MATTER
MEASURING METHODS
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
VOLATILE MATTER