Environmental assessment of atmospheric dioxin dispersion from a Municipal Wastes Power Plant (MWPP), Indonesia

Abstract

We assess the environmental effect of the dioxin dispersion from the municipal waste power plant (MWPP) covering, characteristics of the dispersion, and health risk in Indonesia. The dispersion studies through modelling which is done with the following steps: 1) estimate dioxin emissions from incinerator processing, 2) design the dioxin dispersion by literature review, 3) calculate health risk of communities based on the dispersion modelling. The results show that the dispersion of dioxin is represented in the form of a non-Gaussian solution of the advectiondiffusion equation with taking into account the settling and deposition velocity. In the case of MWPP with capacity, 80 tonnes per day produce a concentration of 0.04 pg TEQ/Nm3 in residential areas, which are located 200 m from a chimney. Inhalation exposure resulting is 5.28 pg 1-TEQ/(kgday) to adults and 6.95 pg 1-TEQ/(kg-day) to children. The strategy took to adjust by WHO environmental quality standard 4 pg 1-TEQ/(kg-day), we increase the reduction of Air Pollution Control (APC) 25%. The calculation of emissions based on combustion processes shows that the dioxin concentration of MWPP is still below the WHO's threshold.