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Long-term monitoring and modeling of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from municipal solid waste incinerators and surrounding area in northern Taiwan

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Abstract

Municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) have long been the major contributors of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) to ambient air in Taiwan. After stringent MSWI emission standards were introduced in 2001, the long-term continuous monitoring of flue gas and ambient air quality became necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the related control strategies. Three MSWIs and the surrounding ambient air were investigated in the current study for PCDD/F characteristics during 2006 to 2011. The average concentrations in the flue gas ranged from 0.008 ~ 0.0488 ng I-TEQ/Nm3, which is much less than the emission standard in Taiwan (0.1 ng I-TEQ/Nm3) (I-TEQ is the abbreviation of International Toxic Equivalent). This led to extremely low levels in the ambient air, 0.0255 pg I-TEQ/Nm3, much less than the levels seen in most urban areas around the world. Additionally, the results obtained using the Industrial Source Complex Short-Term Dispersion Model (ISCST3) indicate that the PCDD/F contributions from the three MSWIs to the ambient air were only in the range from 0.164 ~ 0.723 %. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the PCDD/Fs in the air samples had very similar characteristics to those from mobile sources. The results thus show that stringent regulations have been an effective control strategy, especially for urban areas, such as Taipei City.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their sincere appreciation to Professor Wen-Jhy Lee for consultation on this work and the Air Toxic Laboratory at the Department of Environmental Engineering at Cheng Kung University for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, No. 60, Sec. 1, Erren Rd., Tainan, 71710, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hsiao-Hsuan Mi

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Wan-Ju Wang & John Kennedy Mwangi

  3. Super Micro Mass Research and Technology Center, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Kaohsiung, 83347, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Sheng-Lun Lin, Yi-Chieh Lai & Guo-Ping Chang-Chien

  4. Center for General Education, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Kaohsiung, 83347, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Sheng-Lun Lin & Yi-Chieh Lai

  5. Sustainable Environment Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan, Republic of China

    John Kennedy Mwangi

  6. Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Informatics, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Kaohsiung, 83347, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Lin Chi Wang

  7. Department of Cosmetic and Fashion Styling, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Kaohsiung, 83347, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Guo-Ping Chang-Chien

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  1. Hsiao-Hsuan Mi
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Mi, HH., Wang, WJ., Lin, SL. et al. Long-term monitoring and modeling of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from municipal solid waste incinerators and surrounding area in northern Taiwan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 10751–10764 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3019-0

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