Incidence and spread of additives from co-combustion of plastic waste in domestic boilers in indoor and outdoor environments around the family house

Abstract

The additives released from plastic waste during co-combustion significantly influence indoor air quality. It was found that the unauthorised burning of plastics in households increased the additive concentrations in the indoor air of living spaces by an average of 5 μg/m3. This effect was observed from the difference between background concentrations (indoor quality during combustion of wood) and concentrations during the co-combustion of plastics. The one-way ANOVA analysis shows that indoor air quality is affected not only by the migration of pollutants from the boiler room within the indoor environment (infiltration) but also by air exchange with emissions and outdoor air. The highest concentrations of released additives in the boiler room were found for polystyrene > polypropylene > polyethylene terephthalate > polyethylene (low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene). Phthalates from polystyrene (21.16 ± 3.15 μg/m3) were released at the highest concentration, while phthalates from other plastics reached approximately half of this value. During the combustion of high-density polyethylene with softwood, chemical compounds from the residuals of content in plastic packaging were identified in the air (6.26 ± 0.31 μg/m3). Almost all these compounds show significant adverse health effects (irritation of the skin and the respiratory system), and some are carcinogenic.