Halogenated aromatics from steel production: results of a pilot-scale investigation

The potential environmental impact of emissions of halogenated aromatics from the steel industry is of growing concern. It has been suggested that electric arc furnaces are the only industrial source with constant or increasing emissions of dioxins to air. Here the results are reported from a pilot plant study on how scrap composition and various treatment alternatives affect the formation and release of chlorinated and brominated aromatics. The experiments were conducted with a statistical mixture design, and it is shown that scrap composition has a significant impact on the outcome. In contrast, the various treatment schemes examined––shredding, disassembly, and briquetting––did not affect the formation and release of halogenated aromatics. Parallel experiments with injection of adsorbents showed that it is possible to reduce emissions without substantial investments, and this option is recommended as a low-cost solution.