The research on the influence of municipal waste combustion to the emission of heavy metals

Abstract

Approximately 1,3 millions tones of municipal waste comprises in Lithuania every year. 90 percent of such waste is thrown away to the rubbish dumps. A much smaller part of municipal rubbish reaches rubbish dumps in many EU countries. By implementing the requirements for the state strategic waste management plan, the country should decrease quantities of municipal waste getting to the rubbish dumps. One of the ways to solve the problem – burning of municipal waste and receipt of energy through this process. As long as many pollutants emit during the combustion of municipal waste, and one of the most dangerous is heavy metals – researches were made to identify how the composition of municipal waste influences emission of heavy metals. During the experiment, samples of municipal waste were burned. Every of such sample had a changing percentage of paper/cardboard, resin, combined packaging and textile waste. Wood was used to maintain burning processes. Heavy metal samples and ash samples were taken from the smoke coming from burning of samples, and heavy metal concentration was identified. According to the experimental researches, dependability of heavy metal quantities in the emitted smoke and ash from the composition of combusted municipal waste was determined.