Environmental fate of combustion-generated polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) are formed in various combustion processes. Because of the extreme toxicity of certain PCDD and PCDF isomers, it is important to understand the sources and long-term environmental fate of dioxins and dibenzofurans. The goal of this paper is to address three questions: (a) Are the PCDD and PCDF found in the environment from combustion or industrial sources (b) Are PCDD and PCDF stable, and thus accumulating in the environment (c) Is there some evidence regarding the specific combustion processes (trash, chemical waste, coal or wood combustion) which are the major sources of dioxins and dibenzofurans The authors measured the PCDD and PCDF in coal and municipal incinerator fly ash, using capillary gas chromatographic, negative chemical ionization, mass spectrometry. They analyzed urban air particulates from St. Louis, Missouri and Washington, D.C. Unlike the combustion samples, they found a predominance of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) which suggests that this isomer is the most stable in the environment. They analyzed sediments from the Great Lakes, Siskiwit Lake (Isle Royale), and lakes in Switzerland. The isomer profiles were remarkably similar to those found in air particulates. Dated sediment cores were analyzed to determine the historical input of dioxins and dibenzofurans to the environment. The PCDD and PCDF presently accumulating in the environment are the result of the combustion of wastes containing chlorinated precursors of dioxins and dibenzofurans.
- Research Organization:
- Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7119774
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOL WASTES
AROMATICS
ASHES
BENZOFURANS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL WASTES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DIOXIN
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPE
FEDERAL REGION VII
FLY ASH
FURANS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GREAT LAKES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ISOMERS
LAKES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MASS TRANSFER
MISSOURI
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESIDUES
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE WATERS
SWITZERLAND
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
URBAN AREAS
USA
WASHINGTON DC
WASTES
WESTERN EUROPE