Occurrence and Profiles of Chlorinated and Brominated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Waste Incinerators

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Abstract
Chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs) have been reported to occur in urban air. Nevertheless, sources of ClPAHs in urban air have not been studied, due to the lack of appropriate analytical methods and standards. In this study, we measured concentrations of 20 ClPAHs and 11 brominated PAHs (BrPAHs) in fly ash and bottom ash from 11 municipal/hazardous/industrial waste incinerators, using analytical standards synthesized in our laboratory. Concentrations of total ClPAHs and BrPAHs in ash samples ranged from 2Phe, 9-ClAnt, and 6-BrBaP in fly ash were significantly correlated with the corresponding parent PAH concentrations. Significant correlation between ΣClPAH and ΣPAH concentrations suggests that direct chlorination of parent PAHs is the mechanism of formation of ClPAHs during incineration of wastes; nevertheless, a comparable correlation was not found for BrPAHs. There was no significant correlation between the capacity and temperature of an incinerator and the concentrations of ΣCl-/BrPAHs in ash samples, although lower concentrations of all halogenated PAHs were found in stoker-type incinerators than in fixed grate-type incinerators. Toxicity equivalency quotients (TEQs) for ClPAHs in ash samples were calculated with ClPAH potencies. Average TEQ concentrations of ClPAHs in fly ash and bottom ash were15800 pg-TEQ/g and 67 pg-TEQ/g, respectively. Our results suggest that the extent of dioxin-like toxicity contributed by ClPAHs in ash generated during waste incineration is similar to that reported previously for dioxins. Waste incineration is an important source of Cl-/BrPAHs in the urban atmosphere.

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