Effect of backyard burning on dioxin deposition and air concentrations

The influence from open burning of garden and household waste on locally measured dioxin deposition and air concentrations was evaluated in three sets of experiments: the combustion of garden waste in barrels and in open fires, and the incineration of household waste in an empty oil drum. Each set was composed of eight individual experiments over 4 h. Deposition gauges were located 20 m NE, SE, SW and NW with respect to the source and on a background location at 400 m SW. Air samples were taken in the plume with a medium volume sampler equipped with a quartz filter and a polyurethane plug. The results illustrate deposition increments in the wind direction at a distance of 20 m from the source of 0.8 pg TEQ/m2 day for garden waste and 2.5 pg TEQ/m2 day for household waste. Concentrations in the plume were increased by 160-580 fg TEQ/m3 over a period of 12 and 31 h respectively. Expressed at a reference CO2 concentration of 9% this corresponds with a range from 0.8 to 3.6 ng TEQ/m3, which is comparable with a poorly controlled MSWI. Emission factors in the order of magnitude of 4.5 ng TEQ/kg combusted garden waste and 35 ng TEQ/kg burned municipal waste were determined.