Reduction of dioxin-like compound emissions from a Waelz plant with adsorbent injection and a dual baghouse filter system

Previous study indicates that the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and -dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) concentration measured in the stack gas of the Waelz plant investigated reached 194 ng-TEQ/(N m(3)) (TEQ = toxic equivalence), due to the relatively high potential of PCDD/F formation and a low PCDD/F removal efficiency (<70%) achieved with the baghouse filter (BF). In September 2006, the Taiwan government set the PCDD/F emission limit for existing Waelz plants as 1.0 ng-I-TEQ/(N m(3)). The retrofit technology for reducing PCDD/F emissions from the existing Waelz plant was evaluated at the same time. Carbon-type adsorbent injection technology was adopted in early 2006 to reduce the emission of dioxin-like compounds at the Waelz plant investigated. Flue gases and ambient air samplings were conducted during the two stages of retrofit to evaluate the removal efficiency of dioxin-like compounds at the Waelz plant investigated. At stage 1, by applying adsorbent injection + single baghouse filter (SBF), the PCDD/F and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations measured in the stack gas at the Waelz plant were 4.62 ng-TEQ/(N m(3)) and 0.08 ng-TEQ(WHO)/(N m(3)) (TEQ(WHO) = World Health Organization TEQ), respectively, as the adsorbent injection rate was controlled at 40 kg/h (or540mg/(N m(3))). At stage 2, the PCDD/F and PCB concentration measured at stack gas, achieved with adsorbent injection + dual baghouse filter (DBF) system, were further reduced to 0.235 +/- 0.04 ng-I-TEQ/(N m(3)) (I-TEQ = International TEQ) and 0.004 * 0.002 ng-TEQ(WHO)/(N m(3)) with the adsorbent injection rate at 16 kg/h (or 215 mg/(Nm(3))). In the meantime, the atmospheric PCDD/F concentrations measured in the vicinity area of the Waelz plant were greatly reduced from 568-1465 to 48.9-130 fg-I-TEQ/m(3). Higher removal efficiency (>99.8%) achieved at a lower adsorbent injection rate (16 kg/h) of the adsorbent injection + DBF system also significantly reduced the total PCDD/-F and PCB emission flows (per kg of electric arc furnace dust treated) to 1925 ng-I-TEQ and 30.5 ng-TEQ(WHO), respectively.