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CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF PCDD/F INDICATORS
Citation:
Touati, A., B K. Gullett*, J E. Oh**, AND S Ryan*. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF PCDD/F INDICATORS. Presented at 23rd International Conference on Incineration and Thermal Treatment Technologies, Phoenix, AZ, September 10 - 14, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Emission samples from a simulated hazardous waste-fired North American Package Boiler (NAPB) and a refuse-derived fuel incineration facility (RDFF) were analyzed separately and combined in order to identify single polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F), chlorinated benzene (ClBz), and chlorinated phenol (ClPh) cogeners whose concentrations can indicate the PCDD, PCDF, and PCDD/F total and toxic equivalent (TEQ) emission measures. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to compare homologue distributions and intra-homologue isomer patterns between these compound groups as a function of sampling location (NAPB) and facility type (NAPB and RDFF) and to determine the implications for identifying site-specific and universal indicator correlations with the emission measures.
Results showed distinctive PCDF homologue distributions in the three tube-passes of the NAPB during variation of operating conditions, suggesting that the distributions are dependent on the soot deposit condition of the boiler tubes, gas temperatures, and residence time. In contrast, the PCDF intro-homologue isomer patterns, with the exception of the mono-CDFs and di-CDFs, were similar throughout the boiler, suggesting a common, dominant formation mechanism at all three temperatures (sampling locations) despite variation of operating conditions. The NAPB homologue distributions of the mono-CDD/F, -CP, and -CBz groups and, to a lesser extent, their di-chlorinated counterparts, were interrelated and correlated to the PCDD/F total emissions, but were not associated with PCDD/F TEQ.