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Title: Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic

Abstract

Chemical and biological analyses were performed to characterize products of incomplete combustion emitted during the simulated open field burning of agricultural plastic. A small utility shed equipped with an air delivery system was used to simulate pile burning and forced-air-curtain incineration of a nonhalogenated agricultural plastic that reportedly consisted of polyethylene and carbon black. Emissions were analyzed for combustion gases; volatile, semi-volatile, and particulate organics; and toxic and mutagenic properties. Emission samples, as well as samples of the used (possibly pesticide-contaminated) plastic, were analyzed for the presence of several pesticides to which the plastic may have been exposed. Although a variety of alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds were identified in the volatile, semi-volatile, and particulate fractions of these emissions, a substantial fraction of higher molecular weight organic material was not identified. No pesticides were identified in either combustion emission samples or dichloromethane washes of the used plastic. When mutagenicity was evaluated by exposing Salmonella bacteria (Ames assay) to whole vapor and vapor/particulate emissions, no toxic or mutagenic effects were observed. However, organic extracts of the particulate samples were moderately mutagenic. This mutagenicity compares approximately to that measured from residential wood heating on a revertant permore » unit heat release basis. Compared to pile burning, forced air slightly decreased the time necessary to burn a charge of plastic. There was not a substantial difference, however, in the variety or concentrations of organic compounds identified in samples from these two burn conditions. This study highlights the benefits of a combined chemical/biological approach to the characterization of complex, multi-component combustion emissions.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5608818
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
JAPCA, International Journal of Air Pollution Control and Waste Management; (USA)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 39:6; Journal ID: ISSN 0894-0630
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; COMBUSTION PRODUCTS; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; MUTAGEN SCREENING; PARTICULATES; PLASTICS; COMBUSTION; AGRICULTURE; AIR POLLUTION; ALKANES; ALKENES; CARBON BLACK; IN VITRO; MUTAGENS; PESTICIDES; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS; POLYETHYLENES; RATS; SALMONELLA; SIMULATION; TOXICITY; ANIMALS; AROMATICS; BACTERIA; CARBON; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; ELEMENTS; HYDROCARBONS; INDUSTRY; MAMMALS; MATERIALS; MICROORGANISMS; NONMETALS; ORGANIC POLYMERS; OXIDATION; PARTICLES; PETROCHEMICALS; PETROLEUM PRODUCTS; POLLUTION; POLYMERS; POLYOLEFINS; RODENTS; SCREENING; SYNTHETIC MATERIALS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; VERTEBRATES; 500200* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989); 560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology

Citation Formats

Linak, W P, Ryan, J V, Perry, E, Williams, R W, and DeMarini, D M. Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic. United States: N. p., 1989. Web. doi:10.1080/08940630.1989.10466570.
Linak, W P, Ryan, J V, Perry, E, Williams, R W, & DeMarini, D M. Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic. United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/08940630.1989.10466570
Linak, W P, Ryan, J V, Perry, E, Williams, R W, and DeMarini, D M. 1989. "Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic". United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/08940630.1989.10466570.
@article{osti_5608818,
title = {Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic},
author = {Linak, W P and Ryan, J V and Perry, E and Williams, R W and DeMarini, D M},
abstractNote = {Chemical and biological analyses were performed to characterize products of incomplete combustion emitted during the simulated open field burning of agricultural plastic. A small utility shed equipped with an air delivery system was used to simulate pile burning and forced-air-curtain incineration of a nonhalogenated agricultural plastic that reportedly consisted of polyethylene and carbon black. Emissions were analyzed for combustion gases; volatile, semi-volatile, and particulate organics; and toxic and mutagenic properties. Emission samples, as well as samples of the used (possibly pesticide-contaminated) plastic, were analyzed for the presence of several pesticides to which the plastic may have been exposed. Although a variety of alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds were identified in the volatile, semi-volatile, and particulate fractions of these emissions, a substantial fraction of higher molecular weight organic material was not identified. No pesticides were identified in either combustion emission samples or dichloromethane washes of the used plastic. When mutagenicity was evaluated by exposing Salmonella bacteria (Ames assay) to whole vapor and vapor/particulate emissions, no toxic or mutagenic effects were observed. However, organic extracts of the particulate samples were moderately mutagenic. This mutagenicity compares approximately to that measured from residential wood heating on a revertant per unit heat release basis. Compared to pile burning, forced air slightly decreased the time necessary to burn a charge of plastic. There was not a substantial difference, however, in the variety or concentrations of organic compounds identified in samples from these two burn conditions. This study highlights the benefits of a combined chemical/biological approach to the characterization of complex, multi-component combustion emissions.},
doi = {10.1080/08940630.1989.10466570},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5608818}, journal = {JAPCA, International Journal of Air Pollution Control and Waste Management; (USA)},
issn = {0894-0630},
number = ,
volume = 39:6,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989},
month = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989}
}