Potential new tracers and their mass fraction in the emitted PM10 from the burning of household waste in stoves

The production and use of plastics is increasing rapidly as they are widely used in packaging, construction materials, furniture, foils, etc. As a consequence of their widespread use and often disposable nature, vast streams of plastic waste are continuously generated, a considerable fraction of which are combusted in households worldwide. In this paper, various types of commonly used plastics (PE, PET, PP, PU, PVC, PS, ABS) as well as treated wood samples (LDF, low-density fibreboard) and firewood were combusted separately in a test stove under controlled conditions. The particulates emitted during the combustion test were collected on filters, potential tracers for each waste type were identified by GC-MS, and their relative abundances were determined. The emission factor of 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene was found to be higher for polymers containing aromatic rings in their structure. The application of terphenyls and quaterphenyls as tracer compounds has also been investigated. The trimer of styrene was found to be a potential tracer for the combustion of polystyrene and/or styrene-containing copolymers. Novel tracers were proposed for the burning of PET and furniture plates (LDF), which are among the most widely used waste types burned in households.

Automated summary

Plastics are increasingly used in various industries and their combustion results in the generation of vast amounts of waste, some of which are burned in households worldwide. This study examined the combustion of different types of plastics and wood samples in a controlled environment, identifying potential tracer compounds and their emission factors. Results showed that certain aromatic polymers emitted higher levels of 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, and new tracers were proposed for specific waste types such as PET and furniture plates.