Comparative study on pollutant emission characteristics of rural solid waste and its typical components during different combustion processes

Rural solid waste (RSW) treatment is a key part in waste management. Current research on pollutant emissions from the thermal treatment of RSW is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different thermal treatments on the pollutant emission characteristics of RSW in Guangdong, China. Rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and food waste (FW) were selected as the source enriched materials for SO2, HCl, and NOx, respectively. Firstly, the impact of combustion and gasification-combustion on pollutant formation characteristics was compared. With the application of gasification-combustion, total NO and NO2 emissions from FW reduced by 60.3% and 40%, respectively. In contrast, SO2 and HCl emissions increased slightly by 1.67% and 5.49% for rubber and PVC, respectively. Besides, the reaction temperature and atmosphere of gasification-combustion were investigated. When the temperature exceeded 700 degrees C with proportion of air (PA) fixed at 0.5 no NO2 was detected. The synergy among the components and the catalytic contribution of ash had been identified as important factors influencing the pollutant emission characteristics, and the application of gasification-combustion can effectively improve NOx emission characteristic.