Emission estimation and congener-specific characterization of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from various stationary and mobile sources.
Here we show that combustion sources, including waste incinerators, metallurgical processes, power-heating systems and so on, are also important emitters of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to the atmosphere. Geometric mean PBDE concentrations in the stack flue gases of the combustion sources ranged from 8.07 to 469 ng/Nm3. The sinter plants (24.7 mg/h), electric arc furnaces (EAFs) (11.3 mg/h) and power plants (50.8 mg/h) possessed the largest PBDE emission rates, which were several orders higher than those of the other reported sources. The occurrences of the PBDEs in the flue gases of the power plants and vehicles, as well as their PBDE concentrations statistically highly correlated with combustion-originated PCDD/Fs, revealing that PBDEs should be the products of combustion. The ranking of major PBDE emission sources in Taiwanese PBDE inventory for combustion sources was power plants (30.85 kg/year), vehicles (14.9 kg/year) and metallurgical processes (5.88 kg/year).
Wang
Lin-Chi
LC
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, 840, Chengching Road, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, ROC. lcwang@csu.edu.tw
Lee
Wen-Jhy
WJ
Lee
Wei-Shan
WS
Chang-Chien
Guo-Ping
GP
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001572:Benzofurans; D004147:Dioxins; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; C023614:dibenzofuran; C020887:dibenzo(1,4)dioxin