Novel Low-Temperature Plasma-Catalyst Control of Dioxin & Furan Emissions from Waste Incinerators

在英国，每年有超过1000万吨的垃圾被焚烧，这对英国的能源需求做出了相当大的贡献。废物焚化炉的排放由环境署通过《环境许可条例》进行监管，该条例为一系列污染物设定了严格的排放限值，包括微粒、挥发性有机化合物、一氧化碳、盐酸、氟化氢、二氧化硫、氮氧化物、重金属和二恶英/呋喃。废物焚化炉的排放控制系统占资本和营运成本的很大一部分。废物焚化炉向大气排放二恶英和呋喃引起了公众、政治和科学界的极大关注。二恶英/呋喃的问题与它们的高毒性、严重的健康危害和在环境中不易降解有关。二恶英/呋喃对人体免疫系统、神经系统和生殖系统造成损害，也被怀疑是致癌物。因此，人们对长期接触即使是极少量的二恶英/呋喃也会对人类健康和环境产生负面影响感到关切。欧盟工业排放指令下即将实施的立法将通过环境许可条例转化为英国法律，该指令为垃圾焚烧厂设定了强制性严格的新每日排放限值。大多数焚化炉装置的二恶英/呋喃排放限值由0.1毫微克/立方米降至0.01毫微克/立方米。目前控制二恶英/呋喃排放的最常用方法是使用添加的活性炭试剂吸附烟气中的二恶英/呋喃，然后使用织物过滤袋进行捕集。使用活性炭是一种高成本的方法，只是将二恶英/呋喃转移到烟气控制残留物，随后处置到高成本的危险废物填埋场。本研究计划的目的是开发一种新颖、低成本、低温（~150℃）、非热等离子体催化剂工艺，在模拟典型垃圾焚烧烟气的烟道条件下分解二恶英/呋喃。利用模型氯化芳香族模型化合物进行的补充研究将有助于在非热等离子体催化条件下解释二恶英/呋喃分解的机理，有助于二恶英/呋喃控制系统的发展。

More than 10 million tonnes of UK waste is incinerated in energy from waste plants each year, making a considerable contribution to UK energy demand. The emissions from waste incinerators are regulated by the Environment Agency through the Environmental Permitting Regulations which sets stringent emission limit values for a wide range of pollutants, including, particulate, VOCs, CO, HCl, HF, SO2, NOx, heavy metals and dioxins/furans. The emissions control system for waste incinerators represents a major proportion of the capital and operational costs. The emissions of dioxins and furans from waste incinerators into the atmosphere are of considerable public, political and scientific concern. The issue around dioxins/furans is associated with their high toxicity, significant health hazard and resistance to degradation in the environment. Dioxins/furans cause damage to the human immune, nervous and reproductive systems and are also suspected carcinogens. There is consequently concern over the negative effects on human health and the environment of long-term exposure to even very small amounts of dioxins/furans. Impending legislation under the EC Industrial Emissions Directive that will be transposed into UK Law via the Environmental Permitting Regulations has set mandatory stringent new Daily Emission Limit values for waste incinerators. Dioxin/furan emission limits are to reduced from 0.1 ng m-3 to 0.01 ng m-3 for most incinerator installations. The current most common method for control of dioxin/furan emissions uses added activated carbon reagent for the adsorption of the dioxins/furans from the flue gas followed by capture using fabric filter bags. The use of activated carbon is a high cost method and merely transfers the dioxins/furans to the flue gas control residue and subsequent disposal to high cost hazardous waste landfill. The aim of this research proposal is to develop a novel, low cost, low temperature (~150 C), non-thermal plasma-catalyst process to decompose dioxins/furans under flue duct conditions simulating those of typical waste incineration flue gases. A complementary study using model chlorinated aromatic model compounds will aid a mechanistic interpretation of the decomposition of dioxins/furans under non-thermal plasma-catalysis conditions, aiding the development of the dioxin/furan control system.