Analysis of household waste and measurement of thermal emissions

Abstract

Chemical analysis of household waste and measuring of pollutants emitted by waste treatment processes are both supplying fundamental data necessary for planning and operating of waste disposal systems, as well as for the development of strategies to reduce the dissipation of anthropogenic substances into the environment. The large variety of natural and man made products ending up as household waste contributes significantly to the extreme heterogeneous composition of the material under investigation. Thus, sampling and sample preparation may be considered to be the crucial step of any analysis of waste. To meet the statistical requirements as well as the existing possibilities of the investigating laboratory, a practicable approach has to be found. It is shown that the reported preparation technique, including sorting and classifying of the bulk sample into material categories followed by a three step crushing and grinding procedure, is a reasonable solution. Frequently used analyses methods for heavy metals, such as atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) are reported after the description of wet decomposition techniques as well as plasma dry-ashing of the sample. For the determination of chlorine, fluorine and sulphur in waste, the Wickbold oxygen-hydrogen-flame decomposition technique is recommend in combination with ionchromatography. Additionally, basic principles and methods for emissions measurements are summarized. To illustrate the broad range of analytical tools applied, a newly developed dust emission monitor is reported as well as the use of IR-LASER-spectrometry for continuous measuring of HF in the flue gas. Finally, the determination of polychlorinated dioxins (PCDD) in fly ash is mentioned as a prominent example of complex ultra trace analysis.