Dioxin emissions from industrial boilers burning hazardous materials

Laboratory analyses for polychlorinated 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 wastes. Analytical results indicate that, apart from creosote sludge, chlorinated wastes were void of PCDD and PCDF compounds at detection limits in the range of 0.045 to 4.17 ppb. Creosote sludge cofired with wood waste in a stoker boiler was found to contain 7.4 ppm of total dioxins, primarily hepta and octa homologs.