Production of toxic equivalents to 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD in municipal-waste incinerators (MWIs)

We have modified the model of Shaub and Tsang to calculate dioxin formation from precursors in the gas phase and on fly ash, by estimating congener-specific parameters from measurements of dioxin production over 2 h time periods on fly ash performed by Vogg et al. The resulting kinetic data have been combined with a previously determined temperature-time history in an MWI and with relative EPA toxicity estimates to determine toxic equivalents to 2,3,7,8-TCDD obtained in a representative MWI. If toxic inputs producing precursors were measured, together with the toxic equivalents of the outputs, then our model could be used to define furnace destruction factors for the inputs.