CO2 Emission from municipal solid waste incinerator: IPCC formula estimation and flue gas measurement

Abstract

Although most of the air pollutants can be removed with air pollution control facilities, the greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) is unavoidably released into the atmosphere from the flue gas during waste incineration. The amounts of CO2 emitted from municipal solid waste incinerators are usually estimated following the guidelines set down by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, there is lack of studies investigating the difference between IPCC estimation and actually measured values from the waste incinerators. In this study, the substantial CO2 emissions from Taipei City’s three incinerators were compared with the estimated figures with IPCC Guidelines. In both cases, the seasonal emission data exhibit non-normal distribution. Statistical analysis depicts a significant difference of 71% in the 95% confidence interval between the emission estimated from the IPCC Guidelines and the flue gas measurements. The correlation between the waste components and the emissions was evaluated as well. The results of the correlation analysis for the components of waste material and CO2 emissions show that there is a significant correlation between plastics and the IPCC estimated emission and there is a significant correlation with garden trimmings for the measured CO2 emissions. © 2012, (Chinese Institute of Environmental Engineering). All rights reserved.