Characterizing emissions from open burning of military food waste and ration packaging compositions

Emissions from open burning of military food waste and ration packaging compositions were characterized in response to health concerns from open burning disposal of waste, such as at military forward operating bases. Emissions from current and prototype Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs), and material options for their associated fiberboard packaging were quantified to assess contributions of the individual components. MREs account for 67–100% of the particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDDs/PCDFs) emissions when burned in unison with the current fiberboard container and liner. The majority of the particles emitted from these burns are of median diameter 2.5 µm (PM_2.5). Metal emission factors were similar regardless of waste composition. Measurements of VOCs and PAHs indicate that targeted replacement of MRE components may be more effective in reducing emissions than variation of fiberboard-packaging types. Despite MRE composition variation, equivalent emission factors for PM, PAH, VOC, and PCDD/PCDF were seen. Similarly, for fiberboard packaging, composition variations exhibited essentially equivalent PM, PAH, VOC, and PCDD/PCDF emission factors amongst themselves. This study demonstrated a composition-specific analysis of waste burn emissions, assessing the impact of waste component substitution using military rations.     

Paper fibers as a carbon source for the de novo formation of polychlorinated dioxins and furans

The formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) from carbon that was produced by the pyrolysis of paper fibers and from wood charcoal was investigated experimentally. Fibers obtained from filter paper were pyrolyzed at 300° and 800°C to produce low- and high-temperature carbon samples. The two types of carbon and wood charcoal were mixed with silica (SiO₂) and trace copper oxide to produce three synthetic fly ash samples. Experiments to measure the formation of PCCDs/Fs from the three ash samples were conducted using a bench-scale reactor. The two carbon samples derived from paper fibers generated more PCDDs/Fs than was generated by the wood charcoal. The PCDDs/Fs generated by the low-temperature carbon and by the wood charcoal were dominated by the lower-chlorinated PCDFs. Such unique homologue distribution patterns are very similar to those generated by the open burning of household waste. The high-temperature carbon generated more highly chlorinated PCDDs/Fs. The effect of pyrolysis temperature on the de novo formation of PCDDs/Fs from residual carbon is discussed. Paper and paper products contained in household waste are likely to be the source of unburned carbon that contributes to high PCDD/F emissions in the open burning of household waste.     

Persistent organic pollutant emissions from medical waste incinerators in China

The huge amount of medical waste (MW) has caused a tough challenge to environmental protection in China because of its serious infectious potential. At present, incineration is the most common technology for MW disposal. Unfortunately, the medical waste incinerator (MWI) is considered one of the major sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study was conducted to investigate the generation and the components of MW; the fingerprint of PCDD/Fs in MWI; and PCDD/F, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and hexachlorobenzene concentrations in residue ash. The estimated annual production of MW was estimated to be 0.97 million tons in China in 2008; in addition, plastic and rubber accounted for 24.5% of MW contents. PCDD/F emissions from MWI could be divided into two main groups according their fingerprints, and the ratio of PCDFs/PCDDs was mostly over 1.5, with a mean value of 3.43. The toxic equivalent of PCDD/Fs was over 30 times that of the value of PCBs in the residue ash, and PCDD/F contents in fly ash accounted for approximately 67% of the total output of PCDD/Fs, which was in line with the UNEP default emission factors for MWI (class 3, 63.7%).     

PCBs,PBDEs and dioxin-related compounds in floor dust from an informal end-of-life vehicle recycling site in northern Vietnam: contamination levels and implications for human exposure

Floor dusts from Vietnamese end-of-life vehicle (ELV)-processing households were investigated to elucidate the contamination levels and exposure risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dioxin-related compounds (DRCs). The concentrations were in order of PBDEs (260–11,000, median 280 ng/g overall) > PCBs (19–2200, median 140 ng/g) > dioxin-like PCBs (8.8–450, median 22 ng/g) ? polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs, 2000–28,000, median 8500 pg/g) > polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, 440–4100, median 1800 pg/g) > MoBPCDD/Fs (1.9–1200, median 250 pg/g). Concentrations of PCBs and DRCs were higher than those reported for Vietnamese urban houses, indicating ELV processing as a significant source of these contaminants. Higher concentrations of PCBs relative to PBDEs suggest the abundance of old electrical capacitors/transformers in ELVs. The PBDD/F and PCDD/F profiles were indicative of DecaBDE-containing materials and combustion sources, respectively. PBDFs, PCDFs and DL-PCBs were the most important dioxin-like toxic equivalent (TEQ) contributors. The estimated PCB and TEQ intake doses from dust ingestion approached or exceeded the reference doses for children living in some ELV-processing households, indicating potential health risk. More comprehensive risk assessment of the exposure to PCBs and DRCs is required for residents of informal ELV recycling sites.     

Characterization of air emissions and residual ash from open burning of electronic wastes during simulated rudimentary recycling operations

Air emissions and residual ash samples were collected and analyzed during experiments of open, uncontrolled combustion of electronic waste (e-waste), simulating practices associated with rudimentary e-waste recycling operations. Circuit boards and insulated wires were handled separately to simulate processes associated with metal recovery. The average emissions of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) were 92 ng toxic equivalency (TEQ)/kg [n = 2, relative standard deviation (RSD) = 98%] and 11 900 ng TEQ/kg (n = 3, RSD = 50%) of the initial mass of the circuit boards and insulated wire, respectively. The value for the insulated wire is about 100 times higher than that for backyard barrel burning of domestic waste. The emission concentrations of polybrominated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/PBDFs) from the combustion of circuit boards were 100 times higher than for their polychlorinated counterparts. Particulate matter (PM) sampling of the fly ash emissions indicated PM emission factors of approximately 15 and 17 g/kg of the initial mass for the circuit boards and insulated wire, respectively. Fly ash samples from both types of e-waste contained considerable amounts of several metallic elements and halogens; lead concentrations were more than 200 times the United States regulatory limits for municipal waste combustors and 20 times those for secondary lead smelters. Leaching tests of the residual bottom ash showed that lead concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency landfill limits, designating this ash as a hazardous waste.     

Pilot-scale studies on the effect of bromine addition on the emissions of chlorinated organic combustion by-products

The addition of brominated organic compounds to the feed of a pilot-scale incinerator burning chlorinated waste has been found previously, under some circumstances, to enhance emissions of volatile and semivolatile organic chlorinated products of incomplete combustion (PICs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs). This phenomenon appears to be sensitive to temperature and combustion conditions. This paper reports on a study to evaluate the emissions of organic combustion by-products while varying amounts of bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) are being fed into a pilot-scale incinerator burning surrogate waste materials. The surrogate waste was fed at a constant molar halogen input rate, with varying Br/Cl molar ratios. In these tests, an approximately 30% decrease in the total PCDD/F concentrations due to the addition of Br was observed. This decrease appears to be a decrease only in the chlorinated dioxin and furan species; other halogenated dioxins and furans were formed instead. PCDD/F homologue distribution shifted towards the higher chlorinated species. Perhalogenated or nearly perhalogenated mixed bromo-chloro furans were also observed in quantities that could potentially account for the observed decrease in PCDDs/Fs. This research illustrates the need for careful trial burn planning if Br will be present in the facility's feed-stock during normal operation.     

SETTING DIOXIN EMISSION LIMITS FOR MSW INCINERATORS: A MULTIMEDIA EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are emitted in trace amounts from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators. The exposure to PCDD/Fs experienced by an individual is dominated by the food chain pathway, which accounts for over 98% of the total uptake. Defining a target daily intake (the World Health Organization TDI of 10 pg I-TEQ kg.bw⁻¹day⁻¹) exposure assessment algorithms were then applied to arrive at the corresponding PCDD/F levels in air, soil, plants, food products, etc., which would allow the target intake to be met while retaining the balance of intake between the various exposure pathways. These concentrations were converted to an ambient air concentration of PCDD/Fs and ultimately, by defining criteria for acceptability, to a guide value for PCDD/F concentration in emissions from the MSW incinerator. This strategy was applied to PCDD/F emissions from MSW incinerators of various sizes against two illustrative criteria for acceptability: an “insignificant” release and a threshold above which the release may require further assessment for environmental effects and for control. Using the criteria developed in this paper, the current PCDD/F emission limit of 0.1 ng I-TEQ m⁻³results in an emission that is classed as “insignificant” for all plant sizes. However, higher emission concentrations can also be accommodated below the threshold for further assessment and control.     

Sludge as dioxins suppressant in hospital waste incineration

Nitrogen containing compounds such as ammonia, urea and amines can effectively inhibit the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Sewage sludge accumulates both sulfur and nitrogen during wastewater treatment so it could be used to reduce PCDD/Fs formation. Indeed, it is observed in this study that the gas evolving from the sludge drying process can significantly suppress chlorobenzene (CBz) and PCDD/Fs formation from fly ash collected from a hospital waste incinerator. For instance, the reduction of hexachlorobenzene (HxCBz) and PCDD/Fs amount was 92.1% and 78.7%, respectively, when the drying gas evolving from 2g sludge flew through 2g fly ash. These tests were conducted in the frame of projects devoted to hospital waste incineration. The disposal technology for hospital waste (HW), developed in this institute, features rotary kiln pyrolysis combined with post-combustion followed by flue gas cleaning. Hence, some preliminary tests were devoted to investigate dioxins suppression by co-pyrolysis and co-combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and sludge in lab scale. More experimental research will be conducted to appropriately assess these effects of sludge on PCDD/Fs emissions during co-pyrolysis/combustion of HW and sludge.     

Environmental contamination from electronic waste recycling at Guiyu, southeast China

The disposal, recycling, and part salvaging of discarded electronic devices such as computers, printers, televisions, and toys are now creating a new set of waste problems. This study is aimed at identifying the sources and quantifying the pollution levels generated from electronic waste (e-waste) activities at Guiyu, Guangdong Province, China, and their potential impacts on the environment and human health. The preliminary results indicate that total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil obtained from a printer roller dump site was 593 μg/kg dry weight (dry wt.) and in sediment from a duck pond, the PAH concentration was 514 μg/kg (dry wt.). Sediment from the Lianjiang River was found to be contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (743 μg/kg) at a level approaching three times the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines probable effect level of 277 μg/kg. Total mono- to hepta-brominated diphenyl ether homologue concentrations (1140 and 1169 μg/kg dry wt.) in soils near dumping sites were approximately 10–60 times those reported for other polybrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated locations in the world. In-house study on the open burning of cable wires showed extremely high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans resulting in 12419 ng toxic equivalents (TEQ)/kg of waste input and 15 610 ng TEQ/kg for two separate tests, respectively, which were about three orders of magnitude higher than those for the open burning of household waste. High levels of Cu (712, 528, and 496 mg/kg), exceeding the new Dutch list action value, were determined for soil near the printer roller dumping area, sediment from Lianjiang River, and soil from a plastic burn site, respectively. A more thorough study is underway to elucidate the extent of contamination of toxic pollutants in different ecological compartments to establish whether these pollutants are bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food chains. Assessments of human health impacts from oral intake, inhalation, and dermal contact will be subsequently investigated. An erratum to this article is available at.     

Catalytic detoxification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in fly ash

An efficient catalytic detoxification method for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in fly ash produced by municipal waste incinerator has been studied using palladium on carbon (Pd/C) catalyst. As one of the trace components in fly ash, the detoxification of PCDD/Fs is very difficult because of the interferences of other persistent components with higher concentrations. However, the detoxification reaction of PCDD/Fs shows higher activity in water/isopropanol solution using commercial Pd/C catalyst at 40 degrees C under normal pressure. The results indicated that the catalytic degradation of PCDFs has been found to be easier than that of PCDDs. Moreover, the dechlorination ratios were higher for octa- and hepta-chlorinated congeners than those for tetra- and penta-chlorinated ones. The detoxification process worked well in water. The dechlorination efficiencies of almost all of the PCDD/Fs congeners can reach over 99% within a shorter reaction time.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from biogenic waste treatment: options and uncertainty

A simplified life cycle assessment was conducted to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy production from each component of biogenic waste treated in an open dumping site, and by composting, anaerobic digestion, and incineration employed with additional options. The impact of uncertainties and sensitivities of the parameters in the treatment methods were investigated. We conducted a sensitivity analysis to identify the most sensitive parameters, and we discussed the relationship between uncertainty and sensitivity. Our results revealed that the moisture content of food waste and the biomass-derived carbon and methane concentration of the landfill gas of biogenic waste subjected to open dumping are the most sensitive parameters across all the treatment methods. The net GHG emissions from food waste treated in an open dumping site ranged over ten times (0.30 ? 3.67 Gg CO₂ eq/Gg). In addition, by employing additional options for the open dumping site, including soil cover, a landfill gas collection system, shifting to a semi-aerobic condition, and energy conservation by using a gas engine, we found that the net GHG emissions could be reduced by 10, 27.9, 37.4 %, and up to 56.7 %, respectively. Shifting to a semi-aerobic system is the most effective method for reducing GHG emissions, followed by landfill gas collection.     

Treatment of Sydney N.S. tar pond sludge in a pilot‐scale rotary kiln

Tar pond wastes from Sydney, Nova Scotia, containing 50 ppm or more of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were treated in a pilot‐scale rotary kiln. In order to use the existing feed system attached to the rotary kiln, the wastes were first oven‐dried. Stack gas sampling was conducted during the test, which included measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), semi‐volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), HCl, and metals. The purpose of this study was to determine emissions from treatment of the tar pond waste using rotary kiln technology. It was found that the dried sludge could sustain combustion in the kiln without any supporting fuel. The emissions of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) were higher than the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) air emissions guidelines, and the reasons for this are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Hydrodechlorination/detoxification of PCDDs,PCDFs, and co-PCBs in fly ash by using calcium polysulfide

Dioxins like polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCSDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are mainly emitted from waste incinerators (WIs) and have become an international research focus because of its serious concerns over the adverse health effects. The detoxification of PCCDs/Fs and PCBs is very difficult because of their stable chemical structure. A significant hydrodechlorination/detoxification of polychlorinated 1-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were achieved in fly ash by using an aqueous mixture of calcium hydroxide and sulfur. Two different fly ashes were studied: originating from municipal waste incinerator (FA1) and industrial waste incinerator (FA2). They were heated with the aqueous mixture at 150 °C for 30 or 60 min with agitation. Higher decomposition (87%) and detoxification (87.7%) of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were achieved at 150 °C with two runs; every run was for 30 min, compared to one run for 60 min. FA2 gave higher decomposition and detoxification as compared to FA1, which might be due to higher metal content that played a catalytic role to decompose and detoxify the PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs. The decomposition and detoxification of PCDFs in fly ash was higher than PCDDs and was augmented with increasing number of chlorides on aromatic compounds. As the highly significant decomposition and detoxification of higher concentration of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were achieved in 1 hour without additive catalyst and at low temperature of 150 °C, therefore, the developed method is cost effective and most suitable to apply on commercial/industrial level. The detail results of hydrodechlorination/detoxification of PCDD, PCDFs at different conditions are described and its mechanism is discussed.     

Repartition of PCDD and PCDF in the emissions of municipal solid waste incinerators between the particulate and volatile phases

The present paper refers to the results of a research project on the polychlorinated dibenzyil-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans repartition in particulate and volatile phase in emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators. The distribution of such micropollutants between the different phases is analyzed in terms of absolute weights and in terms of 2, 3, 7, 8 TCDD Equivalents. This paper shows that more than half of the total content of PCDD/Fs emitted are adsorbed in the fly ash, with the remaining part in the volatile phase. Such repartition is inverted if the PCDD/Fs are expressed in terms of 2, 3, 7, 8 TCDD Equivalent.     

Generation and distribution of PAHs in the process of medical waste incineration

After the deadly earthquake on May 12, 2008 in Wenchuan county of China, several different incineration approaches were used for medical waste disposal. This paper investigates the generation properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the incineration. Samples were collected from the bottom ash in an open burning slash site, surface soil at the open burning site, bottom ash from a simple incinerator, bottom ash generated from the municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator used for medical waste disposal, and bottom ash and fly ash from an incinerator exclusively used for medical waste. The species of PAHs were analyzed, and the toxicity equivalency quantities (TEQs) of samples calculated. Analysis results indicate that the content of total PAHs in fly ash was 1.8 × 10³ times higher than that in bottom ash, and that the strongly carcinogenic PAHs with four or more rings accumulated sensitively in fly ash. The test results of samples gathered from open burning site demonstrate that Acenaphthylene (ACY), Acenaphthene (ACE), Fluorene (FLU), Phenanthrene (PHE), Anthracene (ANT) and other PAHs were inclined to migrate into surrounding environment along air and surface watershed corridors, while 4- to 6-ring PAHs accumulated more likely in soil. Being consistent with other studies, it has also been confirmed that increases in both free oxygen molecules and combustion temperatures could promote the decomposition of polycyclic PAHs. In addition, without the influence of combustion conditions, there is a positive correlation between total PCDD/Fs and total PAHs, although no such relationship has been found for TEQ.     

Characterization of PCDD/Fs and heavy metals from MSW incineration plant in Harbin

The characterization of PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in the flue gas and fly ash of Harbin municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant, located in the northeast of China, was investigated in this study. The MSW was treated in a twin internal fluidized (TIF) bed incinerator. The results indicate that the emission of PCDD/Fs into the environment is 0.02 ng I-TEQ/m3 and the level of PCDD/Fs in the fabric filter fly ash is 0.7982 ng I-TEQ/g. The leachability levels of Pb, Cd and Hg in the fly ash are below the limits of environmental protection standard in China. However, the contents of Cu, Zn, and Hg are high in the fly ash. This suggests that the fly ash is a hazardous waste that requires special treatment and disposal. The practice of more than four years of operation shows that the TIF bed incinerator is very suitable and practical for China.     

Decreased PCDD/F formation when co-firing a waste fuel and biomass in a CFB boiler by addition of sulphates or municipal sewage sludge

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are formed during waste incineration and in waste-to-energy boilers. Incomplete combustion, too short residence times at low combustion temperatures (<700 °C), incineration of electronic waste and plastic waste containing chlorine are all factors influencing the formation of PCDD/Fs in boilers. The impact of chlorine and catalysing metals (such as copper and iron) in the fuel on PCDD/F formation was studied in a 12 MW_th circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boiler. The PCDD/F concentrations in the raw gas after the convection pass of the boiler and in the fly ashes were compared. The fuel types were a so-called clean biomass with low content of chlorine, biomass with enhanced content of chlorine from supply of PVC, and solid recovered fuel (SRF) which is a waste fuel containing higher concentrations of both chlorine, and catalysing metals. The PCDD/F formation increased for the biomass with enhanced chlorine content and it was significantly reduced in the raw gas as well as in the fly ashes by injection of ammonium sulphate. A link, the alkali chloride track, is demonstrated between the level of alkali chlorides in the gas phase, the chlorine content in the deposits in the convection pass and finally the PCDD/F formation. The formation of PCDD/Fs was also significantly reduced during co-combustion of SRF with municipal sewage sludge (MSS) compared to when SRF was fired without MSS as additional fuel.     

Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) test of dioxin emission monitors

The performance of four dioxin emission monitors, including two long-term sampling devices, the Dioxin-MonitoringSystem (DMS) and AMESA (the adsorption method for sampling dioxins and furans), and two semireal-time continuous monitors, the resonance ionization with multimirror photon accumulation time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RIMMPA-TOFMS) and the jet resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (jet-REMPI) system were tested. A package boiler burning a simulated chlorinated hazardous waste was used for a total of nine tests. Reference samples were collected during each test and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The PCDD/F concentrations of the reference samples measured by EPA Method 23 ranged from 0.9 to 6.0 ng toxic equivalence (TEQ)/dry standard cubic meter. The relative accuracies achieved by DMS, AMESA, and jet-REMPI varied from 22.6% to 78.2%, with 100% data completeness. The RIMMPA-TOFMS produced no quantifiable results due to various difficulties associated with the instrument during the testing. The two long-term samplers were easy to install and operate and provided a cumulative, averaged emission for the sampling period. The operations of the two semi-real-time continuous monitors were relatively complex, but one of them provided on-site, real-time data for PCDD/F emissions from measurement of a TEQ correlative indicator compound. This article summarizes results from the individual Environmental Technology Verification reports for the four dioxin monitors. This work was presented, in part, at the Fourth International Conference on Combustion, Incineration/Pyrolysis and Emission Control (i-CIPEC)     

Formation of persistent chlorinated aromatic compounds in simulated and real fly ash from iron ore sintering

Effects of carbon concentration and Cu additive in simulated fly ash (SFA) and real fly ash (RFA) on the formation of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), chlorobenzenes, and polychlorinated biphenyls which were all regarded as persistent chlorinated aromatics in iron ore sintering were investigated. In the annealing process of SFA with various carbon contents, the yield of chlorinated aromatics and the I-TEQ obtained their maximum at 10 wt% carbon content. Active carbon in SFA acted as the carbon source as well as an adsorbent which led to higher production of PCDD/F in solid phase at 10 wt% carbon content. The increase of carbon content will be beneficial on the formation of 2,3,7,8-Chloro-substituted PCDF compared with 2,3,7,8-Chloro-substituted PCDD. In addition, the CuCl₂·2H₂O was a much more powerful catalyst in the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds compared with elementary Cu, since it served as both a catalyst and a chlorine donor. However, the RFA behaved similarly with SFA with elementary Cu in the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds. The effect of carbon content and copper additives on formation of 2,3,7,8-chloro-substituted congeners displayed similar characteristics with the tetra- to octa-PCDD/F isomers and even the total PCDD/Fs.     

Removal of carbon constituents from hospital solid waste incinerator fly ash by column flotation

Hospital solid waste incinerator (HSWI) fly ash contains a large number of carbon constituents including powder activated carbon and unburned carbon, which are the major source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in fly ash. Therefore, the removal of carbon constituents could reduce PCDD/Fs in fly ash greatly. In this study, the effects of the main flotation parameters on the removal of carbon constituents were investigated, and the characteristics of the final product were evaluated. The results showed that loss on ignition (LOI) of fly ash increased from 11.1% to 31.6% during conditioning process. By optimizing the flotation parameters at slurry concentration 0.05 kg/l, kerosene dosage 12 kg/t, frother dosage 3 kg/t and air flow rate 0.06 m³/h, 92.7% of the carbon constituents were removed from the raw fly ash. Under these conditions, the froth product has LOI of 56.35% and calorific values of 12.5 MJ/kg, LOI in the tailings was below 5%, and the total toxic equivalent (TEQ) of PCDD/Fs decreased from 5.61 ng-TEQ/g in the raw fly ash to 1.47 ng-TEQ/g in the tailings. The results show that column flotation is a potential technology for simultaneous separation of carbon constituents and PCDD/Fs from HSWI fly ash.