Emission profiles of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from secondary metallurgy industries in Portugal

This paper reports, for the first time, a study of dioxin emissions from 10 siderurgies and metallurgies, secondary copper, aluminum and lead metallurgies, in Portugal. The study reports the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). The congener patterns were characterized and are discussed. The results showed that the total amount of PCDFs is higher than PCDDs in flue gas of each industrial unit. The toxic equivalent emission factors of pollutants emitted are 3098-3338 ng I-TEQ t−1 for PCDD/Fs and 597-659 ng I-TEQ t−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in siderurgies production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 3.9-4.5 g I-TEQ yr−1), 50-152 ng I-TEQ t−1 for PCDD/Fs and 24-121 ng I-TEQ t−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in ferrous foundries production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.0010-0.0016 g I-TEQ yr−1) and 5.8-5715 ng I-TEQ t−1 for PCDD/Fs and 0.49-259 ng I-TEQ t−1 for dioxin-like PCBs in non-ferrous foundries production (total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.00014-0.12 g I-TEQ yr−1). The HCB emission from siderurgies production is 0.94-3.2 mg t−1 (total estimated emission amounts released 0.94-3.8 g yr−1), being much smaller, residual, in the emissions of the other types of plants (0.0012-0.026 mg t−1 production and total estimated emission amounts released to atmosphere of 0.013-1.7 mg yr−1).

► Atmospheric persistent organic pollutants emissions. ► Secondary metallurgy industry emissions in Portugal. ► Study of emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). ► Congener patterns were characterized and are discussed. ► A brief evaluation of Portuguese citizen's exposure.