Problems with Burning Tires in an Incinerator
Burning Tires Generate:
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Toxic air emissions including volatile organic compounds (VOCs); polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs); specific rubber components such as butadiene and styrene; metals such
as lead, chromium and mercury; and dioxins. Dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals ever
tested. Tires typically contain about 20 metals that can have adverse effects on human health,
aquatic life and animals, as well as the environment.
Other emissions including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), nitrogen oxides,
sulfur oxides, particulates, and hydrocarbons.
Products of Incomplete Combustion (PICs) – Chemicals that were not in the original waste and
are new chemicals formed as a result of the burning process. Dioxins and furans are examples of
PICs.
Toxic ash – Waste left in the bottom of the incinerator after the burning process is complete;
and in the fly ash – particulate waste emissions captured by the Air Pollution Control (APC)
equipment.
Toxic waste water used to cool the bottom ash and in some APC equipment.
Other concerns:
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No form of incineration is 100% effective. Whatever chemicals exist in the tires will end up in
the emissions.
Little data is available on air emissions from existing tire burning plants.
Air pollution control equipment is not 100% effective no matter how new or improved. Like any
machine, incinerator equipment wears out with time and the burning becomes less efficient.
Less efficient means more air emissions.
Upset or failure conditions exist with all incinerators. Failures can result from loss of power,
poor mixing, equipment failure and burning waste with inconsistent heat value or moisture
content. Upsets occur regularly and cannot be avoided. Emissions generated by upset conditions
by-pass the air pollution control equipment.
Storage problems – Where do you store the tires before they are burned? Usually, the tires are
kept in huge lots near the incinerator. These stored tires can catch fire spontaneously and will
release many of the same toxic emissions discussed above including dioxins.
Stored tires are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and often have to be sprayed with pesticides
to control the mosquitoes. These pesticides end up on the tires and when they are burned, they
add to the toxic emissions.
Truck traffic delivering tires to the facility and taking the toxic ash for disposal.
Prepared by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, Falls Church, VA, www.chej. org, August 2013