Brominated dioxin and furan stack gas emissions during different stages of the secondary copper smelting process

Abstract Secondary copper smelting processes (SeCu) have previously been identified as an important source of brominated dioxins and furans (PBDD/Fs). Identifying the major stages responsible for PBDD/F formation and emissions is crucial for developing technology to reduce PBDD/F emissions from SeCu, but nothing is currently known in this regard. In this study, stack gas samples from three smelting stages (feeding–fusion, oxidation and deoxidization) were collected and analyzed for PBDD/Fs to identify the stage most responsible for PBDD/F emissions. The results indicated that PBDD/F emissions mainly occurred during the feeding–fusion stage. Overall, PBDF emissions were much higher than PBDD emissions throughout the smelting process. Higher–brominated PBDD/F congeners were the most dominant contributors. The emission factors of PBDD/Fs during the feeding–fusion, oxidation and deoxidization stages were calculated to be 715, 119 and 31 ng t −1 , respectively. The results of this study are important for identifying the stages most responsible for PBDD/F emissions and developing techniques for reducing PBDD/F emissions from SeCu processes.