Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Post-combustion syntheses of PCDD/F and PBDD/F from halogen-rich fuel is suppressed by a pebble heater technology

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Goal, Scope and Background

Changes in German and European legislation shifted processing of polymer-rich shredding residues (SR) from landfill to thermal treatment. However, when waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the source of SR, thermal treatment is complicated by halogens as well as the presence of polybrominated dioxins and furans (PBDD/F) and brominated flame retardants (BFR). Hence, WEEE requires high temperature incineration with sufficient residence times. Post-combustion synthesis of polyhalogenated dioxins and furans (PXDD/F) is dominant in the temperature range between 250–450°C. Thus, a very rapid gas cooling from 450° to 250°C is important for proper raw gas treatment. The pebble heater technology developed by ATZ Entwicklungszentrum (Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany) might serve as an alternative to the state-of-the-art quench cooling. It is based on the application of a pebble bed of natural bulk material, which the exhaust gases flows through radially. It provides an excellent heat transfer and a temperature gradient in the range of 1,500–2,000 K/m. The paper presents data of a pilot application of the pebble heater technology for the treatment of raw gas derived from the incineration of polymeric materials from WEEE.

Methods

A liquid fuel was chosen in order to minimise technical modifications of the plant. It was analysed for halogens by x-ray fluorescence, for brominated flame retardants by HPLC-UV/MS and for PXDD/F by GC-HRMS. Combustion gases were rapidly cooled down to temperatures below 200°C and emissions of PBDD/F and PCDD/F were estimated without further off-gas treatment. PBDD/F emissions were computed as PCDD/F toxicity equivalents applying two different calculation approaches.

Results and Discussion

PCDD/F emissions accounted for 0.04 ng I-TEQ/Nm3 and are in compliance with European emission limits. Calculated PBDD/F toxicity equivalents exceeded the emission limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/Nm3 by factors of 75 and 208 depending on the calculation approach.

A mass balance of PBDD/F and PCDD/F congeners revealed an efficient elimination of more than 95% in most cases. Lower reduction rates (76% for 2,3,7,8-TeBDF and 82% for 1,2,3,7,8-PeBDF) were attributed to incomplete combustion. An intended recovery of halogens by one-stage scrubbing downstream of the pebble heater was ineffective, recovering 28% of the applied chlorine and 9% of the bromine, only.

Conclusions

Our pilot incineration test indicates that the pebble heater technology can effectively suppress a post-combustion synthesis of PCDD/F and PBDD/F, resulting in low PCDD/F emission levels without further off-gas treatment. The presented data state, that WEEE is sensible to incomplete combustion, will lead to increased PBDD/F emissions without increasing PCDD/F emission limits. This finding is especially relevant for small and low-technical incineration appliances, which have been reported to treat WEEE in developing countries and are considered to serve as A significant source of PXDD/F these days.

Recommendations and Perspectives

Monitoring of PCDD/F emissions only might considerably underestimate the total emission of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. It is therefore an ineffective means for assessing resulting health risks, at least for those waste treatment plants which are considered to handle the increasing amounts of PBDD/F-containing polymers from WEEE in future. Consequently, it is recommended to initiate a screening programme for PXDD/F emissions in large scale incineration facilities which are capable of treating WEEE shredder residues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vehlow J, Bergfeldt B, Jay K, Hunsinger H, Mark FE (2000): Thermal treatment of electrical and electronic waste plastics. Waste Manag Res 18, 131–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Riess M, Ernst T, Popp R, Müller B, Thoma H, Vierle O, Wolf M, van Eldik R (2000): Analysis of flame retarded polymers and recycling materials. Chemosphere 40, 937–941

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schlummer M, Gruber L, Mäurer A, Wolz G, van Eldik R (2006): Characterisation of polymer fractions from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) and implications for waste management. (Submitted to Chemosphere)

  4. Ebert J, Bahadir M (2003): Formation of PBDD/F from flame retarded plastic materials under thermal stress. Environ Int 29, 711–716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Weber R, Kuch B (2003): Relevance of BFRs and thermal conditions on the formation pathways of brominated and brominated-chlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. Environ Int 29, 699–710

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McKay G (2002): Dioxin characterisation, formation and minimisation during municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration: Review. Chem Eng J 86, 343–368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sakai S, Watanabe J, Honda Y, Takatsuki H, Aoki I, Futamatsu M, Shiozaki K (2001): Combustion of brominated flame retardants and behaviour of its byproducts. Chemosphere 42, 519–531

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Schüler D, Jager J (2004): Formation of chlorinated and brominated dioxins and other organohalogen compounds at the pilot incineration plant VERONA. Chemosphere 45, 49–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. ATZ-Entwicklungszentrum (2004): German Patent application 10 2004 026 646.8-23 (2004). Verfahren zur thermischen Entsorgung schadstoffhaltiger Substanzen

  10. Stevanovic D, Kapp R, Rüskamp B (2001): Regenerative Thermische Abluftreinigung über Pebble-Heater-Technologie. Umweltpraxis, Bd. 5, pp 28–32

    Google Scholar 

  11. European Commission (2000): Directive 2000/76/EC. Official Journal L332, 91–111

    Google Scholar 

  12. Schlummer M, Brandl F, Mäurer A (2005): Analysis of flame retardant additives in polymer fractions of waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) by means of HPLC-UV/MS and GPC-HPLV-UV. J Chromatogr A 1064, 39–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ebert J, Lorenz W, Bahadir M (1999): Optimization of the analytical performance of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/F). Chemosphere 39, 977–986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chemikalienverbotsverordnung (1996): Verordnung über Verbote und Beschränkungen des Inverkehrbringens gefährlicher Stoffe, Zubereitungen und Erzeugnisse nach dem Chemikaliengesetz (Chem Verbots V). Bundesgesetzblatt I, July 19th, 1996, 1151

  15. Weber L, Greim H (1997): The toxicity of brominated and mixed-halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans: an overview. J Toxicol Environ Health 50, 195–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Behnisch PA, Hosoe K, Sakai S (2003): Brominated dioxinlike compounds: In vitro assessment in comparison to classical dioxin-like compounds and other polyaromatic compounds. Environ Int 29, 861–877

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Watanabe I, Sakai S (2001): Environmental release and behaviour of brominated flame retardants — An overview. Organohalog Compd 52, 1–4

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Vehlow J, Bergfeldt B, Hunsinger H, Seifert H, Mark FE (2003): Bromine in waste incineration. Environ Sci Pollut Res 10, 329–334

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Basel Action Network (2003): Exporting harm — The Hightech trashing of Asia. 〈 http://www.ban.org 〉

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Product Safety and Analysis, Fraunhofer-Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging, Giggenhauser Str. 35, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Martin Schlummer & Andreas Mäurer

  2. Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstr. 1, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Rudi van Eldik

  3. ATZ Entwicklungszentrum, Kropfersrichter Straße 6-10, 92237, Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany

    Peter Quicker, Werner Fischer & Martin Faulstich

Authors
  1. Martin Schlummer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andreas Mäurer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rudi van Eldik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peter Quicker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Werner Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Martin Faulstich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Schlummer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schlummer, M., Mäurer, A., van Eldik, R. et al. Post-combustion syntheses of PCDD/F and PBDD/F from halogen-rich fuel is suppressed by a pebble heater technology. Env Sci Poll Res Int 14, 414–420 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.11.362

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.11.362

Keywords

Search

Navigation