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THERMAL DESTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
Citation:
Oppelt, E. THERMAL DESTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-86/007 (NTIS PB86145505).
Description:
Since 1982, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been conducting performance assessments of hazardous waste thermal destruction facilities in the United States. The principal objective of these tests has been to characterize emissions and determine if these facilities are capable of meeting the waste destruction and control requirements of the current EPA regulations and standards. To date the test program has involved performance assessments at nine incinerators and over twenty high temperature industrial processes employing hazardous waste as a fuel supplement in their operations. The testing has typically involved stack emissions assessment for SOx, NOx, particulate, HCl, CO, CO2, O2, metals, total hydrocarbon, and quantification of specific organic compound emissions. Engineering and other process operating variables (e.g., excess air, steam load, waste to fuel ratio) have also been recorded during the test program in order to examine the potential operating bounds for these facilities. The purpose of the paper is to summarize the extensive results of the testing program which has, in general, indicated that high organic compound destruction and removal efficiencies (99.99 percent) are achievable in these facilities. Effective (99 percent) control of HCl emissions was attained in facilities employing chlorinated organic wastes. The current EPA particulate standard of 180 mg/dry cu m was the most difficult standard to attain for incinerators.