Temporal Trends and Spatial Variation Characteristics of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emission Inventory from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration in China

Abstract

A multiple-year emission inventory of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), including particulate matter (PM), SO₂, NO_x, CO, HCl, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), discharged from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration in China has been established for the period 2003–2010 by using the best available emission factors and annual activity data. Our results show that the total emissions have rapidly amounted to 28 471.1 t of NO_x, 12 062.1 t of SO₂, 6500.5 t of CO, 4654.6 t of PM, 3609.1 t of HCl, 69.5 t of Sb, 36.7 t of Hg, 9.4 t of Pb, 4.4 t of Cr, 2.8 t of Ni, 926.7 kg of Cd, 231.7 kg of As, and 23.6 g of PCDD/Fs as TEQ (toxic equivalent quantity) by the year 2010. The majority of HAP emissions are concentrated in the eastern central and southeastern areas of China where most MSW incineration plants are built and put into operation. Between 2003 and 2010, provinces always ranking in the top three with largest HAPs emissions are Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu. To better understand the emissions of these HAPs and to adopt effective measures to prevent poisoning risks, more specific field-test data collection is necessary.