Abstract
Despite incineration being an important emission source of toxic pollutants, such as heavy metals and polychlorinated dibenzo_-p-_dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), it is still one of the most widely used methods for the management of municipal solid waste. The current paper summarizes the results of a follow-up study of the emissions of PCDD/Fs by the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) of Sant Adrià de Besòs (Catalonia, Spain), which was conducted in our laboratory for 20 years. Samples of air, soils, and herbage were periodically collected near the facility, and the content of PCDD/Fs was analyzed. In our last (2017) survey, mean levels in soil were 3.60 ng WHO-TEQ/kg (range: 0.40-10.6), considerably higher than the mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs in soil samples collected near other MSWIs in Catalonia. Moreover, air PCDD/F concentrations were even higher than those found in a previous (2014) survey, as they increased from 0.026 to 0.044 pg WHO-TEQ/m3. Ultimately, the PCDD/F exposure would be associated with a cancer risk (2.5 x 10-6) for the population living in the surrounding area. Globally, this information indicates that the MSWI of Sant Adrià de Besòs could have had a negative impact on the environment and also potentially on public health, being an example of possible inappropriate management for years.