Hospital Incinerator

The disposal of hospital / infectious waste has become an issue of

growing concern. Hospital / Infectious waste has been dumped
indiscriminately, burned uncontrollably, and buried irresponsibly. But
in view of recent awareness and zeal amongst the medical service
community to clean up their act and ensure a cleaner, greener and
safer environment, Incineration of waste has found favour.
Pacific Consultants & Engineers offers user friendly electrically
operated Incinerator to tackle waste disposal problems.
Mini - Incinerator : Pacific Consultants & Engineers has engineered
the concept of single module dual chambered electrically operated
incinerator.
Solid Waste Industrial Incinerator :
Incineration of waste constitutes the final stage and perhaps the
most comprehensive stage after waste reduction, recycling and
clean-up. A typical incinerator is dual chambered refractory lined
furnace. The two chamber work under varying conditions of
temperature, pressure and combustion configuration. The primary
chamber operates under ' Starved Air' or Pyrolysis mode and the
Secondary chamber works under 'Excess Air' mode. The
incineration chambers are lined on the inside with hot face-high
aluminia refractory and cold face-insulation bricks with sturdy steel
frame on the outside. High combination efficiency is ensured by

dedicated chamber temperature interlocked Oil / Natural Gas fired

automatic burners. Every incinerator is provided with a tailor made
flue gas management system to remove gaseous pollutants before
discharge to the atmosphere.

Solid Waste Industrial Incinerator

Hydrocarbon Effects:
Light and Noncyclic Hydrocarbons: Benzene is an established human
carcinogen induces DNA strand breaks and may have no lower
threshold of effect. Chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and many
other PHAHs are carcinogens and liver and kidney toxic. Methylene
chloride, trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethylene are
strongly suspected carcinogens. TCE damages the fatty acid

components of brain cell membranes. Many halogenated alkanes,

alkenes, and alkynes are cytotoxic and/or carcinogenic. Toluene
induces DNA strand breaks and can induce CNS symptoms, including
brain damage, with chronic or acute use. Mixtures of solvents used
industrially often include toluene, methylene chloride and
chloroform and have been implicated in inducing fatigue, loss of
appetite, loss of memory, and other symptoms in chronic use. Recent
work shows that toluene, TCE, and benzene may interact
synergistically with ethanol, and each other, to inhibit or amplify
effects. A 67-fold increase in liver toxicity of carbon tetrachloride
occurs in the presence of chlordecone and a mechanism has been
described. This raises the question: is other chemical damage
similarly multiplied by the presence of small amounts of a second
chemical? We need more data on multiple interactions.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Many of the hundreds of

congeners of PHAHs, PCBs, dioxins, furans, and other PAHs appear
to use the same mechanism to create human cancer and toxicity the
parent binds to a special aromatic hydrocarbon receptor in cell
membranes, and a resulting complex interacts with cell DNA to
cause multiple gene alterations, including genes of drug metabolism
enzymes and cellular growth. The induction of P450 enzymes may be
important in the formation of toxic metabolites. Some toxic
effects, particularly from PCBs, may operate through other

mechanisms. Effects of PAHs reported in humans include: severe

disturbances in Vitamin A metabolism neurological changes including
altering dopamine concentrations in the CNS retarded child
cognitive and motor development lowered birth weight, growth rate,
and child activity levels, poorer child memory cancer bronchial and
liver damage ; and immune changes. Animal studies are reported to
show dermal, immune, and liver toxicity; cancer; and teratogenic and
neurobehavioral effects. According to one review toxic effects of
TCDD, the most toxic dioxin isomer, found to recur in four or more
human studies each are: chlorachne; liver damage; elevated liver
enzymes; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism; cardiovascular
disorders; neurological damage; peripheral neuritis; sensory
impairments (sight, hearing, taste, smell); and depressive
psychological syndromes.
Although amounts of many PAHs found in incinerator emissions are
very small, many PAHs are toxic in tiny quantities; parts per billion
or trillion, as opposed to parts per million for most other toxins
studied . A review of reproductive animal studies on PCB effects
concluded that a No Observable Adverse Effect Level could not be
formulated since effects were present at the lowest levels studied;
the background contamination of the control diets would interfere
with testing of lower amounts. This is especially troubling since many
PAHs are not excreted from the body; they build up in fat tissue;

this is well established in humans, other mammals, fish, and insects.

Virtually all humans are now carrying a load of TCDD at more than 3
parts per trillion; in the U.S.A. the range is from 1.4 to 20.2 ppt for
non-occupationally exposed individuals. Human and animal studies
show that, in PCBs, the unmetabolized body burden can be passed in
mothers milk to the infant . Particularly troubling are two
independent studies showing PCB-related developmental impairment
in children at levels now encountered in the general population.

Metals and Heavy Metals: Over thirty-five metals are reported

from MSW incineration; most are found in all of bottom ash, fly ash,
and suspended particulate, and undergo enrichment in the fine ash.
Several are reported as possible human carcinogens or toxins,
including Cd Cr, Ni, Pb, Hg, As, Ba, and Be . Aluminum, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ti
and Zn are found largely in slag, while more volatile elements such as
Cd, Pb, Sb, Se and Sn are vaporized and condense on fine particles,
which are either trapped or escape to the atmosphere as suspended
particulates. Volatile chlorides of elements including As, Cd, Ni, Pb,
Sb, and Zn are formed, which greatly increases their presence in fly
ash and suspended particulates. Over 80% of inputed Hg, largely
from Hg batteries, is estimated to be released into gas phase as
halides. Other metals are also used in batteries and deserve
attention. Small boilers employing hazardous waste as a fuel,

including waste oil, are a serious concern since 50 to 60% of the

inputted Pb is emitted from the stack.
The emissions of Cadmium and Mercury may be serious cause for
concern since Cd and Hg both preferentially displace Zinc in human
metallo-enzymes Cd 10,000-fold. Zn is increasingly known as crucial
for many living processes including enzyme DNA transcription
immune system activation and membrane stabilization and the
average western diet is deficient in it . Cd body burdens are rising
and Cd has a 30-year half-life in the human body
Data for metal emissions and for air pollution control device
effectiveness for metals are limited and incomplete. And more than
half of the 221 hazardous waste incinerators in the United States
are reported as employing no pollution control equipment at all .

Gases: Among others (HCL, CO, HF, Bromine), S02 and nitrogen
oxides are reported released from incinerators. S02 and N02 have
been studied extensively due to their release from other sources
and their toxic effects on the human respiration system; both are
now known to reduce the bodys ability to fight lung infection.
Ozone, also toxic to the human lung anti-bacterial system, is not
reported released from incinerators per se but is formed in the
presence of sunlight on oxides of nitrogen. Mouse studies with ozone
at concentrations corresponding to the ppm measured in the suburbs
of Los Angeles 1) show impairment of bacterial killing in the lung in

only 3 to 4 hours . No incinerator real-time monitors exist for

measuring destruction and removal efficiency of these or other
stack emissions.

Bottom Ash and Washwater Pollutants: Cd, Pb, and Mn, among 20odd metals, and a variety of organics including chlorinated benzenes,
alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, amines, amides,
hydrocarbons, and dioxins and furans also appear in wastewater and
bottom ash. Wastewater, and to an increasing extent under EPA
regulations, ash are considered hazardous waste. Storage in
ordinary land-fills carries an undetermined level of threat of
leaching into the water table.

Effects On Fish: Data specifically incinerator-linked are scarce.

The 1,2,8,9-TCDD isomer has been found as a contaminant in fly ash,
river water, and sediments surrounding several MSW and industrial
incinerators. Several studies are reported establishing that fish
retain the most toxic dioxins and furans preferentially when
exposed to them from fly ash. Effect levels were observed as low as
38 parts per trillion (rainbow trout) for TCDD. An EPA study is
reported to state that TCDD is bioaccumulating in fish and low-level
contamination of fish is widespread. A recent study correlates
human levels of Pb and Se with fish consumption both Pb and Se are
incinerator emissions.

Effects On Soils and Plants: A Finnish study reportedly found 11

elements on birch leaf samples, including Pb, Ni, Pb, Zn, Ti, Cl, and
Cd, showing a strong correlation between concentration and
closeness to an incinerator. Experiments using incinerator fly ash as
a partial soil additive report increased uptake of a number of heavy
metals, including Cd and Pb. Cabbage grown on 20% ash-amended soil
contained 146 times the concentration of Cd of controls. The
concentration of TCDD on fruits and vegetables consumed by
humans has been estimated to be 60% from air-to-leaf transfer,
33% deposition, and 8% root uptake. The main mode of human intake
of dioxin is by food. Multiple studies are reported showing
incinerator and other acid gas contributions to acid rain.
DISCUSSION

Toxic Burden: A study is reported in which human fat concentration

of the most toxic isomer of TCDD increases directly proportionally
with age. Another reported study shows levels of dioxins and furans
higher in cows milk sampled near an incinerator than elsewhere. If
this pattern of body-burden increase holds for even a fraction of
the other organic contaminants such as PCBs and for metals such as
Cd and Hg emitted from incinerators, the detrimental effect of an
incinerator on human health may outweigh its benefits in energy
retrieval and waste-stream reduction. In addition, the synergistic
effects of combinations of chemicals are only beginning to be

explored. Although one review calculates, using a theoretical

dispersion model, that only 4% of the total all-source emissions of
TCDD into the U.S. environment comes from MSW incinerators
their total from known sources accounts for only 11% of total allsource emissions. As a result, in the data they present, MSW
incinerators can equally well be said to account for 36% of the
known sources of TCDD; or 45% if hospital incinerators are
included.

Regulatory Control: Even if technology can be shown to exist that

could curb all avenues of toxic effluent from incinerators (gas,
particulate, water and ash) are there sufficient political and
regulatory safeguards in place to assure that such an incinerator will
operate at this level on a daily basis? Its been reported that after
recent confidential EPA tests conducted for a report to Congress,
involving samples from 15 of the 114 cement kilns in the United
States eight that burn hazardous waste and seven that do not
the EPA expressed great concern over unacceptably high levels of
As, Cr, Pb, dioxins and furans, as well as a variety of radioactive
compounds, it found in the waste dust. Both concrete products and
kiln emissions were affected.
Although the EPA has standards in place for some emissions, and has
done some testing to see if those standards are met no satisfactory
explanation has been demonstrated for the effects of the unknown

products of incineration, nor for the rationale behind a particular

level being set as a standard. Risk assessment studies have been
performed, but the EPA Science Advisory Board has criticized their
data base and recommended a more complete assessment.
Meanwhile, waste generators, faced with the Hazardous and Solid
Waste Amendments Act and with possible future environmental
damage settlements over contaminated groundwater, look to
incineration as a viable alternative. In 1981 figures, industrial
boilers and furnaces disposed of twice as much hazardous waste as
incinerators did. A principal attraction to this approach is exemption
from incineration emissions performance standards.
In Canada, St. Lawrence Cement, in densely populated Mississauga
near Toronto, disposes of about 3.5 million litres a year of highly
chlorinated waste solvents and plastic residues drawn from
industries in Ontario and the United States, and the plant has never
been required to test for toxic residues. Several years ago the
Ontario Environment Ministry, responsible for control of St.
Lawrence Cement, was the target of an intense many-year struggle
of a group of concerned Toronto citizens who asked, then legally
forced, the Ministry to take action concerning Pb emissions from
Toronto Pb smelters. A lawyer involved who later wrote a
description of the social and legal battles observed that the common
law has traditionally favoured after-the-fact compensation of

victims and has never developed adequate concern for prevention of

harm. He speculates that in environmental health the burden of
proof ought to be removed from the shoulders of the potential
victim and placed upon the alleged polluter.

Concluding Opinion: Incinerators take waste that is concentrated

and partly toxic, destroy some of it, produce new waste that is
partly toxic, and spread the product extremely thinly throughout
the environment. That the effects are hard to measure is
understandable; perhaps that is one reason, even in some cases the
most important reason, why incineration is done. Although an
efficiently-operating, technologically-advanced incinerator is
theoretically capable of destroying complex hydrocarbons, it would
still produce metals, sometimes conjugated with other elements, in
ash and gas. And to what degree such an incinerator has been
successfully built or is operating is an open question, due to our poor
regulatory policies. Until a major change in the political organization
of incinerator control is clearly established, the building of any
further incinerators would seem unwise. An appropriate course
might be to begin careful monitoring of the existing units, and
combine this with continued exploration of other options of waste
disposal, such as reduction of waste generation at source and re-use
of materials.

Reference
http://www.pacificincinerators.com/incinerators.htm
http://www.pacificincinerators.com/hospital_incinerators.htm