The Dioxin Situation in West Germany

by Karlheinz Ballschmiter, Univ of Ulm, Ulm, West Ger, Univ of Ulm, Ulm, West Ger,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Dioxin and Resource Recovery

Abstract:

The public discussion in Germany of the 'dioxin problem' has recently become more rational than it was three years ago. Emotions and hard facts are in a balance now. Two reasons are responsible for this: (1) It has become obvious that there is a detectable environmental baseline pollution of dioxins which has to be assigned to various sources. Finding 'dioxins' in environmental samples mainly demonstrates the professional skill of the laboratory involved. (2) There are PCDD/PCDF emissions not only from municipal waste incineration plants but as well from cars and trucks and other sources. This has to be considered in all overall assessment of relevance and minimization of input into the environment related to known sources. Particularly 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzodioxin, often specifically assigned to emissions from municipal waste burning when discovered in human samples is also found in traffic-related emissions.

Subject Headings: Municipal wastes | Emissions | Chemical compounds | Air pollution | Waste disposal | Human and behavioral factors | Trucks | Germany | Europe

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search