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1.0 INTRODUCTIOT'r <br /> The purpose of this study is to summarize available information on air emissions <br /> and potential health impacts from scrap tire combustion. The study addresses <br /> uncontrolled burning, such as from tire fires, and controlled burning, where processed <br /> tires, or tire-derived fuel (TDF) are used as a fuel supplement in a combustion device such <br /> as a boiler or kiln. Controlled burning implies that the system is adequately designed to <br /> effect efficient combustion and may have other add-on air pollution controls, most likely for <br /> particulate control. <br /> Air emissions from open burning of tires include "criteria" pollutants, such as <br /> particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SO, , oxides of nitrogen (NOJ, and <br /> volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They also include "non-criteria" hazardous air <br /> pollutants (HAPs), such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, <br /> hydrogen chloride, benzene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and metals such as arsenic, <br /> cadmium, nickel, zinc, mercury, chromium, and vanadium. In open fire situations, these <br /> emissions can represent significant acute (short term) and chronic (long-term) health <br /> hazards to firefighters and nearby residents. These health effects include irritation of the <br /> skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, central nervous system depression, respiratory effects, <br /> and cancer. <br /> TDF has been used successfully in properly designed combustors with good <br /> combustion control and appropriate add-on controls, particularly particulate controls, such <br /> as electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) or fabric filters. Air emissions characteristic of TDF <br /> combustion are typical of most solid fuels, such as coal and wood. The resultant air <br /> emissions can usually satisfy environmental compliance limits even with TDF representing <br /> up to 10 to 20% of the fuel requirements. Twenty percent supplemental TDF is perceived <br /> as an upper limit in most existing boilers because of boiler limitations on fuel or <br /> performance (Clark et al., 1991). However, dedicated tire-to-energy facilities specifically <br /> designed to burn TDF as their only fuel have been demonstrated to achieve emission rates <br /> much less than most solid fuel combustors. <br /> 1 <br />