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Doesn't burning plastic produce large amounts of toxic off gassing?

by r00fus 4y ago

williamtwild 4y ago
Yes , it does. Burning plastic without somehow accounting for that is a terrible idea.
- MetaWhirledPeas 4y ago
  Is there a way to mitigate this, or make use of the waste gasses?
  - devops_monkey 4y ago
    See my other comment as well as this HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20551946 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20551946
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Mitigated in Japan. After dioxin gate, any incinerator must be run at high temperature. https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2015/winter2015/advanced_waste_disposal_technology.html https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2015/winter2015/advanced_w...
    - andai 4y ago
      >At the plant, the garbage is first mixed with a large crane so that all the different kinds and sizes of items are uniformly distributed for easier burning. Next, the waste is incinerated at extremely high temperatures, over 800°C (1,472°F). This reduces not only the volume to 1/20 of what it was but also the amount of dioxin gases produced by incineration. Multiple provisions are made to prevent gases and harmful substances emitted during incineration, such as sulfur oxide and particulate matter, from being emitted outside the facilities. Chimneys of waste incineration plants emit vapor—not smoke—that does not contain harmful substances. Heat energy produced by the incinerator is used to supply the electricity needs of the entire facility, with any remainder being sold (earning approximately JPY 9.8 billion annually, or USD78.6 million, in income from electricity). High-temperature water is also supplied to neighborhood swimming pools and tropical plant greenhouses. --- See also: Sweden also incinerates waste for heat and electricity, and a few years ago there was a story about how they ran out of trash and had to buy more trash from their neighbors.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
Nydhal 4y ago
My understanding is that incinerators don't just release the output. The exhaust is pumped back into the system and dealt with somehow. The extent to which the release is "dealt with" is the tricky part.
- Workaccount2 4y ago
  I'm going to guess that large amounts of CO2 is a byproduct and is vented.
  - usrusr 4y ago
    CO2 is bad but not toxic at all. It's inert. The toxic ones are toxic because they still have some energy left and the earlier you pull out that energy the better. Preferably in a plant that puts that energy to some form of use.
    - Workaccount2 4y ago
      Have you been under a rock for the last 20 years?
ars 4y ago
No, they produce water and CO2. Nothing toxic, unless you don't give enough air (so obviously make sure to give enough air). This isn't some theory - right now, today, lost of plastic is being burned, and it works just fine. They try to keep is off the radar because of misinformed people thinking it's bad.

Doesn't burning plastic produce large amounts of toxic off gassing?

by r00fus 4y ago

Doesn't burning plastic produce large amounts of toxic off gassing?

williamtwild 4y ago

Yes , it does. Burning plastic without somehow accounting for that is a terrible idea.

MetaWhirledPeas 4y ago
Is there a way to mitigate this, or make use of the waste gasses?
- devops_monkey 4y ago
  See my other comment as well as this HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20551946 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20551946
- fomine3 4y ago
  Mitigated in Japan. After dioxin gate, any incinerator must be run at high temperature. https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2015/winter2015/advanced_waste_disposal_technology.html https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2015/winter2015/advanced_w...
  - andai 4y ago
    >At the plant, the garbage is first mixed with a large crane so that all the different kinds and sizes of items are uniformly distributed for easier burning. Next, the waste is incinerated at extremely high temperatures, over 800°C (1,472°F). This reduces not only the volume to 1/20 of what it was but also the amount of dioxin gases produced by incineration. Multiple provisions are made to prevent gases and harmful substances emitted during incineration, such as sulfur oxide and particulate matter, from being emitted outside the facilities. Chimneys of waste incineration plants emit vapor—not smoke—that does not contain harmful substances. Heat energy produced by the incinerator is used to supply the electricity needs of the entire facility, with any remainder being sold (earning approximately JPY 9.8 billion annually, or USD78.6 million, in income from electricity). High-temperature water is also supplied to neighborhood swimming pools and tropical plant greenhouses. --- See also: Sweden also incinerates waste for heat and electricity, and a few years ago there was a story about how they ran out of trash and had to buy more trash from their neighbors.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

Nydhal 4y ago

My understanding is that incinerators don't just release the output. The exhaust is pumped back into the system and dealt with somehow. The extent to which the release is "dealt with" is the tricky part.

Workaccount2 4y ago
I'm going to guess that large amounts of CO2 is a byproduct and is vented.
- usrusr 4y ago
  CO2 is bad but not toxic at all. It's inert. The toxic ones are toxic because they still have some energy left and the earlier you pull out that energy the better. Preferably in a plant that puts that energy to some form of use.
  - Workaccount2 4y ago
    Have you been under a rock for the last 20 years?

ars 4y ago

No, they produce water and CO2. Nothing toxic, unless you don't give enough air (so obviously make sure to give enough air). This isn't some theory - right now, today, lost of plastic is being burned, and it works just fine. They try to keep is off the radar because of misinformed people thinking it's bad.