Is there a strong dioxin: chlorine link in commercial scale systems?

Extensive laboratory, bench and pilot scale research highlights the role chlorine plays under carefully controlled, high concentration conditions. Commercial data, more than 1,900 tests, however, indicate that there is no strong relationship between chlorine feed and flue gas PCDD/. The majority of the data shows no relationship between PCDD/F and chlorine feed rate or its surrogate uncontrolled HCl leaving the combustion chamber. For every case that displays an increase with chlorine, there is a counter-example. Whatever effect chlorine feed has on PCDD/F concentrations is masked by combustor design and operating factors that are more significant.