Emissions from landfill fires and fires in storage of waste

Abstract

Recent restrictions regarding landfills and handling of waste, have led to a new storagesituation for a number of different types of storages of waste, ranging from existing landfillsto temporary storages. This also means that new fire risks have evolved. The fires meanseveral different problems: economic losses, stop in operation (which in addition to economiceffects can affect other parties), risk for fire spread to other premises, etc. Other importantissues are health and environmental effects of waste fires.In this paper, a number of fires and fire tests involving different types of stored waste arepresented and discussed. Measured or estimated yields of emissions are presented andcompared. A series of fire tests involving electrical and electronics waste (EE waste) and usedtyres, performed in varied configurations, is described in more detail with example of resultsfrom gas analysis and analysis of runoff water. Clearly, as restrictions on emissions fromcontrolled combustion are regulated and reduced, emissions from fires will becomeincreasingly important from an environmental point of view.