Particulate matter incineration

Incineration is a well-known process that involves the conversion of toxic and hazardous waste into a less or nontoxic waste by heating at a very high temperature to convert them into gaseous and particulate matter. Incineration is considered an attractive option after source reduction, and recycling. This method is sometimes preferred over the other treatment methods because it destroys permanently the hazardous components in the waste material. 

Temperature. The temperature for combustion processes must be balanced between the minimum temperature required to combust the original contaminants and any intermediate by-products completely and the maximum temperature at which the ash becomes molten. Typical operating temperatures for thermal processes are incineration (750—1650°C), catalytic incineration (315—550°C), pyrolysis (475—815°C), and wet air oxidation (150—260°C at 10,350 kPa) (15). Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen or with less than the stoichiometric amount of oxygen required. Because exhaust gases from pyrolytic operations are somewhat "dirty" with particulate matter and organics, pyrolysis is not often used for hazardous wastes. 

Optimized modern dry scrubbing systems for incinerator gas cleaning are much more effective (and expensive) than their counterparts used so far for utility boiler flue gas cleaning. Brinckman and Maresca [ASME Med. Waste Symp. (1992)] describe the use of dry hydrated lime or sodium bicarbonate injection followed by membrane filtration as preferred treatment technology for control of acid gas and particulate matter emissions from modular medical waste incinerators, which have especially high dioxin emissions. 

Particulate matter Boilers, catalyst regenerators, coking operations, heaters, incinerators... 

For the NSPS for incinerators, only particulate matter emissions are covered. Devise a standard which would also include POM, CO, and NO, for large municipal incinerators,... 

Many compounds can cause problems in pollutant-control equipment. Particulate matter, liquids, or solids in the waste stream can plug the adsorber beds, heat-recovery beds in regenerative thermal incinerator systems and biofilters. Conventional filtration systems are used to remove particulate matter before or after the process. 

In catalytic incineration, there are limitations concerning the effluent streams to be treated. Waste gases with organic compound contents higher than 20% of LET (lower explosion limit) are not suitable, as the heat content released in the oxidation process increases the catalyst bed temperature above 650 °C. This is normally the maximum permissible temperature to which a catalyst bed can be continuously exposed. The problem is solved by dilution-, this method increases the furnace volume and hence the investment and operation costs. Concentrations between 2% and 20% of LET are optimal, The catalytic incinerator is not recommended without prefiltration for waste gases containing particulate matter or liquids which cannot be vaporized. The waste gas must not contain catalyst poisons, such as phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, lead, zinc, mercury, tin, sulfur, or iron oxide.(see Table 1.3.111... 

To control the emission of organics, these units must comply with similar DRE requirements to the other hazardous waste combustion units. Owners or operators of MACT combustion units must select POHCs and demonstrate a DRE of 99.99% for each POHC in the hazardous wastestream. Sources that bum hazardous waste have a required DRE of 99.9999% for each POHC designated. Additionally, for dioxins and furans, U.S. EPA promulgated more stringent standards under MACT. For example, MACT incinerators and cement kilns that bum waste with dioxins and furans must not exceed an emission limitation of either 0.2 ng of toxicity equivalence per dry standard cubic meter (TEQ/m3) or 0.4 ng TEQ/m3 at the inlet to the dry particulate matter control device. This unit of measure is based on a method for assessing risks associated with exposures to dioxins and furans. 

Spark arrestors are provided on the exhaust of source or fire where a hot particulate might be released (i.e., internal combustion engines, chimneys, incinerator stacks, etc ). The spark arrestor consist of a fine metal screen to prevent the particulate matter from being released from the exhaust mechanism. 

Significant dispersion of hexachlorobutadiene has been confirmed by the detection of hexachlorobutadiene at areas which are far removed from release sources (Class and Ballschmiter 1987). A high partition coefficient (log Ko=) value of 3.67 (Montgomery and Welkom 1990) for hexachlorobutadiene indicates that adsorption to soils with high organic carbon content can occur. Wind erosion of contaminated surface soils can then lead to airborne hexachlorobutadiene-containing particulate matter. Levels of hexachlorobutadiene have been detected in fly ash from the incineration of hexachlorobutadiene-containing hazardous waste (Junk... 

Source Tracers. The principal anthropogenic sources of primary suspended particulate matter in New York City are transportation, fuel, oil combustion for power and space heating, and incineration (, 15). From approximately November through... 

In developing a multiple regression model for apportioning sources of TSP in New York City, Kleinman, et al.(2) selected Pb, Mn, Cu, V and SO, as tracers for automotive sources, soil-related sources, incineration, oil-burning and secondary particulate matter, respectively. These were chosen on the basis of the results of factor analysis and a qualitative knowledge of the principal types of sources in New York City and the trace metals present in emissions from these types of sources. Secondary TSP, automotive sources and soil resuspension were found to be the principal sources of TSP in 1974 and 1975 ( ). 

In the pure form, CDDs are colorless solids or crystals. CDDs enter the environment as mixtures containing a variety of individual components and impurities. In the environment they tend to be associated with ash, soil, or any surface with a high organic content, such as plant leaves. In air and water, a portion of the CDDs may be found in the vapor or dissolved state, depending on the amount of particulate matter, temperature, and other environmental factors. 2,3,7,8-TCDD is odorless. The odors of the other CDDs are not known. CDDs are known to occur naturally, and are also produced by human activities. They are naturally produced from the incomplete combustion of organic material by forest fires or volcanic activity. CDDs are not intentionally manufactured by industry, except in small amounts for research purposes. They are unintentionally produced by industrial, municipal, and domestic incineration and combustion processes. Currently, it is believed that CDD emissions associated with human incineration and combustion activities are the predominant environmental source. 

Materials that enter the incinerator in large sludge droplets may be cooled by evaporation for long times, thereby limiting the exposure to the hot oxidizing environment. The apparent stabilization of dioxins bound to particulate matter at temperatures significantly higher than that which the pure compound would not survive illustrates the need to understand the role of the physical form of the material in its destruction by incineration. 

To improve energy efficiency, refractories with superior K factors are used in lining the kiln, thus reducing radiant heat losses. Moreover, kiln mounted blowers now inject combustion air into the kilns in the zone where the volatiles evolve from the coke, thus permitting utilization of the Btu content in these previously wasted gases. In modern calciners, most of the energy required is obtained by burning the coke volatiles and fine particulate matter in the kiln. In some instances, rotary kilns equipped with kiln mounted blowers actually operate without external fuel (except for start-up). When these units are also equipped with incinerators (to combust the unburned volatiles and emitted coke fines) and waste... 

The presence of heavy metals in the atmospheric particulate matter in Antarctica can be attributed to different sources, both natural and anthropogenic. Some authors state that almost all natural sources of heavy metals in Antarctica are generally situated in the southern hemisphere (4, 14, 15). The natural sources are normally volcanic activities, erosive processes, continental dusts, marine spray from the ocean, low-temperature biological processes, etc. (7, 10, 16-18). Important local human sources of heavy metal emissions into the Antarctic atmosphere are presumed to be the Antarctic stations and their activities, especially all kinds of transport, power plants, waste burning (incinerators), etc. (10, 12, 15, 19). 

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