Air Pollution Emissions from the Incineration of Hospital Waste

Since 1981, hospitals in Illinois have been prohibited from depositing hazardous infectious waste in landfills without first rendering the waste innocuous. The Illinois Pollution Control Board has adopted regulations indicating that incineration is an acceptable method for disposal of this waste. Emissions from incineration of the plastic-rich hospital waste are not well documented. Stack emissions of particles, hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide, ethane, ethylene, propane and propylene were measured from a hospital incinerator where all of the hospital's waste (including hazardous infectious waste) was burned. Emission factors developed for each emission component were: particles 1.0–1.6 g/kg waste; hydrochloric acid 3.3–5.3 g/kg; carbon monoxide 1.4–1.8g/kg; ethane <0.002g/kg; ethylene <0.010g/kg; propane <0.012 g/kg; and propylene <0.011 g/kg