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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/S2-85/118 Sept. 1986
SEPA Project Summary
Dioxin Emissions from Industrial
Boilers Burning Hazardous
Materials
C. Castaldini and R. Olexsey
? - 4
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Laboratory analyses for polychlori-
nated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and
polychlorinated dibenzo-furans (PCDF)
were performed on waste fuels and
stack gas emission samples from five
industrial boiler test sites cofiring liquid
hazardous waste fuels. Analytical re-
sults indicate that, apart from creosote
sludge, chlorinated wastes were void of
PCDD and PCDF isomers at detection
limits in the range of 0.045 to 4.17
ppb. Creosote sludge cof ired with wood
waste in a stoker boiler was found to
contain 7.4 ppm of total dioxins, pri-
marily hepta and octa isomers. Stack
gas concentrations of dioxins were
highest for the creosote wood-fired
stoker at about 75 ng/m3. Other PCDD
results indicate concentrations ranging
from below detection levels «0.08
ng/m3) to a maximum of 1.1 ng/m3.
PCDF concentrations were generally
higher with total furan levels up to 5.5
ng/m3. No 2,3,7,8-tetra dibenzo-p-
dioxins were detected in any waste fuel
or stack gas emission samples. The
2,3,7,8-TCDF isomer was detected in
stack gas at three sites with the highest
concentration of 0.24 ng/m3.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to
announce key findings of the research
protect that Is fully documented In a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering Information at
back).
The full report documents the results
of laboratory analyses for polychlorinated
dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlori-
nated dibenzo-furans (PCDF) in liquid
waste fuels and stack gas emission
samples from five industrial boiler test
sites cofiring hazardous waste fuels. The
objective of these analyses was to deter-
mine whether any PCDD or PCDF emis-
sions could be attributed to waste fuels
or products of combustion of waste fuels.
This work was sponsored by the EPA's
Office of Solid Waste (OSW-Washington)
and the Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory (HWERL-Cincinnati).
Table 1 summarizes the mass f lowrates
of dioxin and furans for the five test sites.
PCDD and PCDF isomers (tetra through
octa) were not detected in any of the
waste fuels with the exception of the
creosote sludge at Site A, which was
found to contain 7.4 ppm of PCDD pri-
marily hepta and octa isomers. The total
dioxins emissions from the Site A boiler
were measured at about 75 ng/m3 cor-
responding to 240 ng/s, primarily tetra
and penta isomers. The ORE for total
PCDD at Site A was 99.94 percent. ORE
data for individual homologs indicate
that higher homologs (hepta- and octa-
CDD) detected in the creosote may have
been reduced to lower homologs (tetra-
and penta-CDD) and emitted with the
flue gas. In fact, the ORE for TCDD was
negative, indicating the formation of
TCDD during combustion of the creosote/
wood mixture.
Emissions for the other test sites were
generally below 22 ng/s (0.8 ng/m3) for
total PCDD and below 150 ng/s (5.5
ng/m3) for total PCDF; that is, one to two
orders of magnitude less than flue gas
concentrations measured at Site A. PCDD
and PCDF DRE's for Sites D, E, H, and L
were not computed because waste fuel
concentrations were less than detection
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Table 1. DRE's Of Total Dioxins And Furans
Total PCDD
Total PCDF
Site Boiler
identification description
A
D
Wood-fired stoker
Watertube boiler burning
no. 6 oil
Waste fuel
Creosote sludge
Methanol and
tetrachloroethylene
Input Emission
rate rate
(ng/s) ng/s
370.000
ND (2,400)
240
22
Input Emission
ORE rate rate
(percent) dig) (ng/s)
99.94 NAa NAa
NA ND (2,500) 150
ORE
(percent)
NA
NA
Package single-burner
watertube burning
no. 6 oil
H Pulverized coal-
fired boiler
Package single-
burner watertube
burning natural
gas
Toluene and bis
(2-chloroethyl) ether
Methylmethacrylate
byproduct waste
spiked with carbon
tetrachloride,
chlorobenzene, and
trichloroethylene
Methyl acetate
spiked with carbon
tetrachloride,
chlorobenzene, and
1,1,1-trichloroethane
Methylmethacrylate
spiked with carbon
tetrachloride and
chlorobenzene
ND (3,600) 12 NA ND(1,80O) 4.4 NA
ND (5,100) ND(4.2) NA ND (3,300) 7.4 NA
ND(20) ND(2.7) NA ND(17) 27 NA
ND(560) 7.4 NA ND(570) 17 NA
PCDF analysis not performed on Site A flue gas samples.
Note
NA — not applicable. ORE cannot be computed because concentrations in both waste fuels and or flue gas streams were below the detection limit.
ND — not detected. Numbers in parenthesis indicate flowrates calculated based on detection limits.
limits. The possible formation of dioxins
and furans during the combustion of
hazardous waste fuels at these sites
cannot be stated with certainty because
input rates were not necessarily below
the measured flue gas emission rates.
No 2,3,7,8-TCDD emissions were de-
tected in flue gas samples from these five
test boilers at concentrations above the
detection limit range of 0.0022 to 0.019
ng/m3. Flue gas emissions of 2,3,7,8-
TCDF were detected at Sites D, E, and L
with concentrations in the range of 0.014
to 0.24 ng/m3.
C. Castaldini is-with Acurex Corporation, Mountain View, CA 94039; the EPA
author R. Olexsey (also the EPA Project Officer, see below) is with the
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268.
The complete report, entitled "Dioxin Emissions from Industrial Boilers Burning
Hazardous Materials," (Order No. PB 86-150 620/AS; Cost: $9.95, subject to
change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA2216J
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati. OH 45268 UNOFFICIAL MAI
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S2-85.QQ00329
CHICAGO
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