Uncontrolled combustion of shredded tires in a landfill – Part 1: Characterization of gaseous and particulate emissions

Jared Downard; Ashish Singh; Robert Bullard; Thilina Jayarathne; Chathurika M Rathnayake; Donald L Simmons; Brian R Wels; Scott N Spak; Thomas Peters; Douglas Beardsley; Charles O Stanier; Elizabeth A Stone

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.12.059

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Uncontrolled combustion of shredded tires in a landfill – Part 1: Characterization of gaseous and particulate emissions

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Uncontrolled combustion of shredded tires in a landfill – Part 1: Characterization of gaseous and particulate emissions

Jared Downard, Ashish Singh, Robert Bullard, Thilina Jayarathne, Chathurika M Rathnayake, Donald L Simmons, Brian R Wels, Scott N Spak, Thomas Peters, Douglas Beardsley, …

Atmospheric environment (1994), Vol.104, pp.195-204

03/2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.12.059

PMCID: PMC4316387

PMID: 25663800

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Abstract

In summer 2012, a landfill liner comprising an estimated 1.3 million shredded tires burned in Iowa City, Iowa. During the fire, continuous monitoring and laboratory measurements were used to characterize the gaseous and particulate emissions and to provide new insights into the qualitative nature of the smoke and the quantity of pollutants emitted. Significant enrichments in ambient concentrations of CO, CO2, SO2, particle number (PN), fine particulate (PM2.5) mass, elemental carbon (EC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were observed. For the first time, PM2.5 from tire combustion was shown to contain PAH with nitrogen heteroatoms (a.k.a. azaarenes) and picene, a compound previously suggested to be unique to coal-burning. Despite prior laboratory studies' findings, metals used in manufacturing tires (i.e. Zn, Pb, Fe) were not detected in coarse particulate matter (PM10) at a distance of 4.2 km downwind. Ambient measurements were used to derive the first in situ fuel-based emission factors (EF) for the uncontrolled open burning of tires, revealing substantial emissions of SO2 (7.1 g kg−1), particle number (3.5 × 1016 kg−1), PM2.5 (5.3 g kg−1), EC (2.37 g kg−1), and 19 individual PAH (totaling 56 mg kg−1). A large degree of variability was observed in day-to-day EF, reflecting a range of flaming and smoldering conditions of the large-scale fire, for which the modified combustion efficiency ranged from 0.85 to 0.98. Recommendations for future research on this under-characterized source are also provided. [Display omitted] •Emissions from uncontrolled, open-burning of tires were characterized.•Emission factors for SO2, particle number, PM2.5, EC, and 19 PAH were determined.•Metals (Zn, Fe, Pb) were not enhanced in PM10 4.2 km downwind of the fire.

Azaarenes

Iowa city

Emission factor

Particle size distribution

Tire fire

PAH

Details

Title: Subtitle: Uncontrolled combustion of shredded tires in a landfill – Part 1: Characterization of gaseous and particulate emissions
Creators: Jared Downard - Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Ashish Singh - Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Robert Bullard - Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Thilina Jayarathne - Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Chathurika M Rathnayake - Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Donald L Simmons - State Hygienic Laboratory-Ankeny, The University of Iowa, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA
Brian R Wels - State Hygienic Laboratory-Ankeny, The University of Iowa, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA
Scott N Spak - Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Thomas Peters - Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Douglas Beardsley - Johnson County Department of Public Health, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA
Charles O Stanier - Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Elizabeth A Stone - Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Atmospheric environment (1994), Vol.104, pp.195-204
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.12.059
PMID: 25663800
PMCID: PMC4316387
NLM abbreviation: Atmos Environ (1994)
ISSN: 1352-2310
eISSN: 1873-2844
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health, award: NIH, P30 ES05605
Language: English
Date published: 03/2015
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Health Management and Policy; Public Policy Center (Archive); Chemistry; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; School of Planning and Public Affairs
Record Identifier: 9983992001402771

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