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Re: Tires burning and Dioxin?
At 10:32 AM 09/18/1999 -0400, you wrote:
><!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
><html>
>I have heard diametrically opposed views of whether tires, burned
>as a substitute fuel in Portland cement kilns result in higher dioxin emissions
>than the normal fuel, assuming that fuel is coal from eastern US sources
>(that is "dirty" coal).
><p>Experts at the EPA assure me that their review of the literature confirms
>that the composition of tires is similar to coal with some exceptions,
>depending on the source of the fuel, and the ratio of tires to regular
>fuel. As a result, there may be minor differences in trace
>metal emissions, (more lead) but essentially no difference in the production
>of dioxins.
><p>I have also heard rumors of other studies showing that dioxin production
>is raised during tire burning. Views, anyone? And citations?
><p>Dian Deevey</html>
>
I have seen stack tests at different facilities showing both increases and
decreases in
chlorinated dibenzo-dioxins/furans during tire/tire chip burning compared to
traditional fuels.
With cement kiln combustion emissions will depend on where in the kilns
the tires/tire chips are fired, whether there is an alkali bypass stack in the
kiln, whether it is a pre-heater/pre-calciner type kiln, and many other
factors. Emissions will be highly dependant on the process equipment used.
Expect more problems when such kilns are firing whole tires dropped in
the center of kilns because of poor combustion characteristics associated
with transient reductions in oxygen. Also, expect to find problems with
kilns where tire combustion takes place not far from alkali or other bypass
stacks.
Expect more problems with chrome and zinc with combustion of whole
tires as opposed to tire chips.
It is important to understand that cement kilns burning ordinary fuels (i.e.
coal and petroleum coke) can be significant emitters of both PCDD/PCDF and
toxic metals, as well as hydrochloric acid, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxides, aldehyde compounds and particulate matter.
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