Waste Incineration and Public Health (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-11
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A major aspect of the debate is the potential risk to human health that might result from the emission of pollutants generated by the incineration process; some of those pollutants have been found to cause various adverse health effects. Although such effects have generally been observed at much higher ambient concentrations than those usually produced by emissions from an incineration facility, questions persist about the possible effects of smaller amounts of pollutants from incineration facilities, especially when combined with the mix of pollutants emitted from other sources.
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From page 2... ...
The exhaust gases from waste incineration facilities may contain many potentially harmful substances, including particulate matter; oxides of nitrogen; oxides of sulfur; carbon monoxide; dioxins and furans; metals, such as lead and mercury; acid gases; volatile chlorinated organic compounds; and polycyclic aromatic compounds. Some pollutant emissions are formed, in part, by incomplete combustion that may in turn lead to the formation of pollutants such as dioxins and furans.
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From page 3... ...
With current technology, waste incinerators can be designed and operated to produce nearly complete combustion of the combustible portion of waste and to emit low amounts of the pollutants of concern under normal operating conditions. In addition, using well-trained employees can help ensure that an incinerator is operated to its maximal combustion efficiency and that the emissioncontrol devices are operated optimally for pollutant capture or neutralization.
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From page 4... ...
New combustor designs; continuous emission monitors; emissions-control technologies; operating practices; and techniques for source reduction, fuel cleaning, and fuel preparation, including records of demonstrated environmental performance and effects on emissions and ash. Emission and process conditions during startup, shutdown, and upset conditions.
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From page 5... ...
Better material balance information including measurements of source emissions to air and deposition rates to soil, water, and vegetation are needed to determine the contribution of waste-incineration facilities to environmental concentrations of persistent chemicals. The variation of these emissions over time needs to be taken into account: for the short term to determine if any important emission increases occur at an incineration facility, and for the long term to measure changes due to the replacement of less-efficient incinerators with modern, lower-emitting units.
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From page 6... ...
Existing databases should be linked to provide easy access to specific operating conditions of an incinerator, height and diameter of the emission stack, flow rate and temperature of the gases leaving the stack, local meteorological conditions, air-dispersion coefficients as a function of distance from a facility, and precise geographic location of the emission point. Data should be standardized for uniform reporting.
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From page 7... ...
Health risks attributable to emissions resulting from incinerator upset conditions need to be evaluated. Data are needed on the levels of emissions during process upsets as well as the frequency, severity, and causes of accidents and other off-specification performance to enable adequate risk assessments related to these factors.
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From page 8... ...
Recommendations · Technologies used in other countries for combustion, emission control, continuous emission monitoring, and public dissemination of information, as well as optimum operating practices, should be actively studied and considered for adoption in the United States. All regulated medical-waste incinerators and municipal solid-waste combustors should have uniform limits for each pollutant, irrespective of plant size, design, age, or feedstock, as is the case for hazardous-waste combustors.
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From page 9... ...
In future regulatory decision-making, greater consideration should be given to emission levels achieved in actual performance of incinerators, including process upset conditions (described earlier)
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From page 10... ...
If a new or expanded facility is contemplated, local citizens might consider conducting their own assessments of the proposed facility and its effects through various approaches, including, for example, hiring independent consultants that members of the community trust, seeking technical-assistance grants from the government, or finding technical advisers who are acceptable to both sides. Particular attention should be paid to equity issues when a facility is to be placed in a community that is already experiencing disproportionate health, environmental, or socioeconomic burdens.
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From page 11... ...
The committee's evaluation of waste incineration and public health was substantially impaired by the lack of available compilations of the ambient concentrations of pollutants resulting from incinerator emissions. In addition, large variabilities and uncertainties associated with risk-assessment predictions often limit the ability to define risks posed by incinerators.
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