Fate and partitioning of heavy metals affected by organic chloride content during a simulated municipal solid waste incineration process

The effects of organic chloride derived from PVC and other possible sources in wastes, on the partitioning and speciation of heavy metals and their compounds, during Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) incineration was studied using a laboratory tube furnace and simulated waste spiked with organic chloride. The results indicated that an increase in the organic chloride content and combustion temperature might increase the volatility of heavy metals and/or their compounds in the wastes, thus, increasing metal partitioning in the fly ash or the flue gases. Metal oxides were the major metal species found in the bottom ash, as identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, regardless of the addition of organic chlorides, while several other metal chlorides were also found when spiked at higher concentrations.