"Validation of modeling approach to evaluate congener-specific concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in air and soil near a solid waste incinerator" 

Kikuo Yoshida¹, Shino Ikeda², Junko Nakanishi¹, Nobuyuki Tsuzuki³

¹National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
²Fujitsu FIP Corporation
³Ministry of the Environment

Chemosphere, Vol.45 pp.1209-1217 (2001)

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Abstract

A concise modeling approach using long-term averaged meteorological data was developed to estimate site-specific concentrations of congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) near a solid waste incinerator. This approach consists of calculation of atmospheric dispersion, dry and wet deposition of gaseous and particle-bound congeners, and non-steady-state concentrations in soil. 

The predictability of this approach was evaluated by comparison of calculated concentrations of congeners in soil with those measured at eight locations near a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI). The variation of these concentrations due to variability of meteorological parameters is small. A considerable number of mean values show good agreement with measured concentrations within a factor of three. 

The reasonable agreement between calculated and measured concentrations indicates that algorithms for the calculation of vapor-phase deposition and non-steady-state concentrations in soil must be included in the modeling approach for an accurate estimation of the concentrations of congeners of PCDD/Fs emitted from MSWIs to the atmosphere. For a detailed estimation of site-specific concentrations, it is important to specify the bulk density of soil in the evaluated area, together with meteorological parameters.

Keywords

Atmospheric dispersion; Deposition; Non-steady-state; Site-specific