Background: The aim of the project was to measure the actual emissions of PCDD/F, PCBs and HCB from 20 selected metallurgical installations in Poland, in order to update the national inventory of dioxin emission from metallurgical industry for developing a strategy for dioxins and furans emission abatement from the subject facilities (UNEP 2005).
Methods: Sampling methodology used in this work was developed at the Cracow University of Technology because of the complexity of simultaneous sampling and determining PCDFs, PCDDs, PCB and HCB. For the determination a GC-MS/MS system was used.
Results and discussion: Results from the work indicate that the highest dioxins and PCB concentrations were recorded for iron ore sintering plants at 1.10-1.32 ng total1 TEQ/Nm3 followed by aluminium scrap melting at 0.03-0.66 ng total TEQ/Nm3. The highest HCB concentrations at 613-1491 ng/Nm3 were also recorded fo iron ore sintering plants, whereas at aluminium plants the HCB concentrations were in the range of only 10.1-22.7 ng/Nm3.
Conclusions: The above investigations indicate that secondary aluminium production is the most significant dioxins source, if calculated as emission factor values. However, iron ore sintering plants are operating at much higher production capacity, causing this process to become the major source of dioxins, PCB and HCB pollution to the atmosphere in Poland.
Recommendations and perspectives: Based on the performed tests and the environmental reviews of selected plants several recommendations were formulated for the reduction of generation or of emission of these pollutants from iron ore sintering plants, electric arc furnace steel production processes, hot-blast furnace operations, secondary aluminium smelting and primary zinc production from zinc cathodes.