• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.8-18
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• 2006

The aim of this study is to evaluate the emission characteristics of mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium from medium size municipal solid waste incinerators(MSWIs) in Korea. The concentrations of mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium emitted from medium size MSWI stack were $2.67\;{\mu}g/Sm^3,\;0.38\;mg/Sm^3,\;1.33\;{\mu}g/Sm^3,\;0.28\;{\mu}g/Sm^3$, respectively. The concentration levels of mercury, lead, arsenic in flue gas from medium size MSW incinerator stacks selected were nearly detected under the Korea criteria level. Removal efficiencies of mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium in waste heat boiler(WHE) and cooling tower(CT) were $90.36\%,\;69.76\%,\;43.04\%,\;40.64\%$, respectively. In general, the removal efficiencies of mercury and lead in WHE were higher than those of arsenic and selenium in WHE. Emission gas temperature reduction from waste heat boiler(WHB) and cooling tower(CT) can control mercury and lead of medium size MSWIs. To evaluate the relationship between mercury, lead, arsenic, selenium of fly ash and those of flue gas, it was carried out to correlation analysis of each metal concentration in the fly ash and in the flue gas from medium size MSWIs. From the correlation analysis, the coefficients of mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium were 0.61, -0.38, 0.87, 0.28, respectively. The results of correlation analysis revealed that it should be highly positive to the correlation coefficients of mercury and arsenic in the fly ash and those of the flue gas emitted from medium size MSWIs. As it were, the concentrations of mercury and arsenic of flue gas from medium size MSWIs are high unless mercury and arsenic in fly ash are properly controlled in dust collection step in medium size MSWIs. It was also concluded that mercury, lead, arsenic, and selenium from MSWIs stacks could be controlled by waste heat boiler(WHE) and dust collecting step in medium size MSWIs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1205-1214
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the emission characteristics of volatile metals(Hg, As, Se) and semi volatile metals such as Pb from small and medium size municipal solid waste incinerators(MSWIs). The concentrations of Hg, Pb, As and Se in emission gas from small size waste incinerators were higher than those of medium size waste incinerators. This is probably due to less air pollutant control devices and high emission gas temperature of the small size waste incinerators relative to the medium size waste incinerators. Emission gas temperature from small and medium size waste incinerators were divided into 2 groups. The first group was about $100^{\circ}C$ and the second roup in the range of $400{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. The concentrations of emission gas at the second group were Hg $70.43\;{\mu}g/Sm^3$, Pb $0.94\;{\mu}g/Sm^3$, As $9.83\;{\mu}g/Sm^3$ and Se $5.05\;{\mu}g/Sm^3$. The concentrations of Hg, Pb, As and Se at the first group were lower than those found at the second group. Besides, the removal efficiencies of Hg in medium size waste incinerators were $55.2{\sim}95.9%$. Emission gas temperature reduction from waste heat boiler(WHB) contribute to control of Hg. Based on above results, we postulate that the temperature of flue gas should play a very important role in volatile metal control in small and medium size MSWIs. In order to improve the volatile metals removal efficiency, the temperature of cooling system must be controlled and the air pollution control device should be operated properly.