United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Risk Reduction Engineering
Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/S2-89/002 Feb. 1990
&ERA Project Summary
Test Report for the Trial Burn of
Dionseb in a Pilot-Scale
Incinerator
Mitchell Wool, Frank Villa, Howard Mason, and Donald Oberacker
This Project Summary synopsizes a
brief (16 page) final report on the
incineration behavior of a cancelled
pesticide, dinoseb. Dlnoseb exists as
a large volume (2 to 4 mil gal) of
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) waste, type P-020. The
pesticide was cancelled in recent
years because the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) determined
its continued use in agriculture
represented an imminent health
hazard in terms of its cancer-causing
properties as well as its effects on
human reproductivlty. The EPA, in its
process of finding disposal methods
for this waste, determined that
incineration would be the optimum
technology except for concerns over
the potential nitrogen oxide (NOX)
emissions that may result.
Consequently, before proceeding
with full-scale incineration of all
inventories, EPA conducted a brief
trial burn of a sample dinoseb
mixture to quantify NOX levels and
also to ascertain that acceptable
levels could be achieved for
destruction and removal efficiency
(ORE), paniculate emissions, and
other combustion behavior.
The trial burn demonstrated that,
indeed, incineration would be an
effective, safe, and satisfactory
method for disposal. Based on the
tests described herein, and
subsequent full-scale demonstration
testing, EPA then proceeded with
contract disposal of dinoseb by the
commercial incineration industry.
This Project Summary was
developed by EPA's Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati,
OH, to announce key findings of the
research project that Is fully
documented in a separate report of
the same title (see Project Report
ordering Information at back).
Introduction
As part of a program by the EPA Office
of Research and Development (ORD) to
determine which technically viable
disposal option is appropriate, the
Environmental Systems Division of
Acurex Corporation conducted pilot-scale
test burns of a mixture of dinoseb
products at the John Zink Company
Research Incineration Facility in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. The mixture represented the
dinoseb products that were to be
destroyed. The rationale for doing the
pilot-scale test was that specific
performance data were needed to
address, with confidence, any public or
permitting questions that might arise in
authorizing the full-scale disposal
operation.
The sampling and analysis methods
were configured to characterize influent
and effluent streams and to quantify the
incinerator operating conditions. The
specific objectives of the test burns were:
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• Confirm that ORE of dinoseb is better
than 99.99% at typical waste
incinerator operating conditions,
• Determine the portion of nitrogen in the
dinoseb mixture converted to NOX in
the combustion products,
• Determine the particulate emission
characteristics of the dinoseb mixture,
and
• Survey the combustion products for
hazardous semi-volatile or volatile
products of incomplete combustion.
Pilot-scale incineration testing was also
needed so that interested parties could
assess and project basic incineration
parameters associated with destroying
the dinoseb products.
The test burn plan was completed in
December 1987, and the Quality
Assurance Project Plan was approved in
February 1988. The test burns were
successfully performed between
February 18 and February 26,1988.
Facility Description
Tests were performed in a conventional
2 mil Btu/hr liquid injection incinerator at
the John Zink Company Research
Facility. The system consisted of a
horizontal combustion chamber followed
by two vertical, water-quenched transfer
sections and assorted ducting to
downstream pollution control equipment.
Feed Materials Characteristics
The nominal dinoseb mixture fed to the
incinerator consisted of 82% Dyanap,
16% Dynamyte 3, and 1.6% Dynamyte 5.
The Dyanap contains about 12% dinoseb
salts. The Dynamyte 3 and 5 consists of
51% and 54% dinoseb, respectively. All
of the dinoseb products were delivered to
John Zink's facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in
30-gal containers.
According to the manufacturer, Dyanap
is a mixture of dinoseb, dinoseb salt, a
herbicide called naptalam, other
constituents, and water. The common
name of Naptalam is sodium alanap or N-
1-naphthylphthalemic acid. It represents
about 22% of the Dyanap. The Dyanap
mixture is a dark red liquid with a
phenolic odor and a specific gravity close
to water. Dyanap material tends,
however, to become very viscous and
solidify below 10°C. The other dinoseb
formulations, Dynamyte 3 and 5 from
Drexel, are very stable even at
temperatures below 10°C.
For the test burns, the waste mixture
was prepared by blending the three
dinoseb products (Dyanap, Dynamyte 3,
Dynamyte 5) into an agitated mix tank in
a 5:1:0.1 volumetric ratio to produce a
waste with a dinoseb or dinoseb salt
composition of 16% to 20% by weight. A
sample of this mixture was prepared in
the laboratory and kept at ambient
temperature of about 20 °C.
The sample remained homogeneous
with no visible signs of immiscibility over
a period of more than a month. As long
as the mixture is above 20°C, it seems to
be easily pumped, agitated, and injected
into the incinerator. During testing,
ambient temperature was below freezing,
so the mixture needed to be heated to
remain pumpable.
Operating Conditions
The primary operating parameters for
the test burns were the incinerator exit
temperature and the dinoseb mixture
feedrate. Flue gas was sampled both
before and after the particulate scrubber
pollution control device at the ports.
The incinerator was fired primarily on
natural gas with relatively small amounts
of heating provided by the dinoseb
mixture. Estimated heating value of the
mixture is 2,485 cal/gm (4,473 Btu/lb).
Sampling and Analysis Methods
Sampling and analysis were conducted
in accordance with an EPA Category II
Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).
Methods generally followed those given
in Tesf Methods for Evaluating Solid
Waste (SW-846, Third Edition, November
1986). Specific deviations were needed in
some cases and are documented in the
QAPP.
Dinoseb Destruction and
Removal Efficiency
The ORE of the dinoseb mixture in the
John Zink incinerator system was
evaluated by conducting standard
Modified Method 5 (MM5) sampling at
the flue gas ducts (Method 0010 of SW-
846). Analyses generally followed the
protocol, although, during method
validation activities, the extraction
process was changed to use acetone
rather than methylene chloride. In the
validation work, dinoseb recovery
exceeded 70%.
Results
No dinoseb was detected in any c
flue gas samples. In all cases,
dinoseb DRE exceeded (was better
99.999%.
NOX Production
The feed mixture contained 3.1 w
percent nitrogen on a dry basis.
nitrogen comes from the dine
dinoseb salt, Naptalam,
diethanolamine.
The NOX concentrations in the flu
were analyzed continuously usinc
nondispersive infrared analyzers:
detected only NO and the se
detected total NOX. In general
differences in readings were smalle
the uncertainty in measurement.
Various levels of NOX were mee
during incineration; these are pres
in detail according to location i
incinerator and test conditions in th
report. The values, however, rangei
150 to as high as 1011 parts per
(ppm) in the combustion gases or
exhaust stack, as corrected t
oxygen levels. Values of NOX me;
without any dinoseb flowing,
resulted simply from firing natur.
alone with combustion air, ranged
150 ppm.
Other Results
Particulate measurements showi
with a common design of a wet sc
although dinoseb produces a rel
heavy loading of nearly 700 mil
per dry standard cubic meter (mg
the stack gas loading after scrubbi
controlled to less than 35 mg
which was well under the
performance standard of 180 mg/d
Products of incomplete corn!
(PICs) were sampled and analyzec
the PICs detected, however, neit
volatile or the semi-volatile type
found to be of any unusual type o
level of concern in the stack gas.
Conclusion
Incineration proved an effectiv
and satisfactory method for disp
the cancelled pesticide dinoseb.
The full report was submi
fulfillment of Contract No. 68-03-
Acurex Corporation und
sponsorship of the U.S. Enviro
Protection Agency.
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Mitchell Wood, Frank Villa, and Howard Mason are with Acurex Corporation,
Mountain View, CA 94039; and Donald Oberacker (also the EPA Project
Officer, see below), is with the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory,
Cincinnati, OH 45268.
The complete report, entitled "Test Report for the Trial Burn of Dionseb in a
Pilot-Scale Incinerator," (Order No. PB 89-198 7901 AS; Cost: $13.95, subject
to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
US. OFFICIAL Mi AIL'
•U.S.POSUGE i
* 0 1 5 =
EPA/600/S2-89/002
MOtECMO.
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