Trace Elements Emission from the Incineration of Various Plastics Waste

Combustion tests of the synthetic samples of household waste were carried out to investigate emissions of heavy metals and chlorine derived from plastics waste into bottom ash and fly ash. PVC, PP, PS, and PET were focused as typical plastics wastes in this study. Concentration distributions and leachabilities of Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn and Cl in bottom ash and fly ash were confirmed by XRF analyses and leaching tests. Approximately 6% of Cl and 21% of Pb contained in PVC was transferred into the bottom ash. One thirds decrease of Cu, Zn and Mn contents in the bottom ash were found with the presence of PVC and condensed to the fly ash or glue gas. Base on the results obtained in this study, the effects of PS and PET on the selected heavy metals is negligible. However, PP had an evident contribution on Zn and Mn partitioned into MSWI ashes. Meanwhile, the toxicity of the resulting bottom ash and fly ash were impacted with the addition of PVC and PP waste.