Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in fly ash and cinders collected from several municipal incinerators in Japan

Determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in fly ash and cinders collected from nine municipal incinerators in Japan was made. The concentrations of PCDDs and PCDFs in this study were generally in the same range as those in Europe and North America. However, the rather different congener composition compared with those published already were found: higher percentages of lower chlorinated (di- and tri-) dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and no or trace levels of the octachloro compounds, O8CDD and O8CDF. One possible explanation for this difference may be the higher incineration temperature in Japan. The same ranges of concentrations of PCDDs and PCDFs were found in cinders as well as fly ash. The volumes of the cinders are much larger than those of fly ash and therefore the fate and impact of PCDDs and PCDFs in dump sites of these cinders should be studied.