Application of electron beam for the reduction of PCDD/F emission from Municipal solid waste incinerators

Hirota, Koichi; Hakoda, Teruyuki; Taguchi, Mitsumasa; Takigami, Machiko; Kim, H.; Kojima, Takuji

The electron-beam technology was applied to reduce polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) in flue gases from the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) at a temperature of 200C. More than 90% of PCDD/Fs in a flue gas of 1000 mN/h was decomposed at a dose of 14 kGy. The decomposition of PCDD/Fs was probably initiated through reactions with OH radicals, followed by the dissociation of ether bond (-C-O-C-), the cleavage of aromatic rings, and dichlorination. The dechlorination of the higher dechlorinated PCDF homologues produced the lower chlorinated ones, which led to lower decomposition efficiency of PCDF than that of PCDD.