A Citizen’s Guide to

Incineration

What is incineration?

Incineration is the process of burning hazardous materials to destroy harmful chemicals.

Incineration also reduces the amount of material that must be disposed of in a landfill.

Although it destroys a range of chemicals, such as PCBs, solvents, and pesticides, incineration does not destroy metals.

How does it work?

An incinerator is a type of furnace. It burns material, such as polluted soil, at a controlled

temperature, which is high enough to destroy the harmful chemicals. An incinerator can be

brought to the site for cleanup or the material can be trucked from the site to an

incinerator.

The material is placed in the incinerator where it is heated. To increase the amount of

harmful chemicals destroyed, workers control the amount of heat and air in the incinerator.

As the chemicals heat up, they change into gases, which pass through a flame to be heated

? ? EPA uses many methods to clean up pollution at Superfund and other sites. If you live, work, or go to school near

a Superfund site, you may want to learn more about these methods. Perhaps they are being used or are proposed

for use at your site. How do they work? Are they safe? This Citizen’s Guide is one in a series to help answer your

questions.

The Citizen’s Guide Series

incinerator

metals,

acids, and

ash particles

to proper

disposal

material

soil/ash to

landfill or

buried on site

air pollution

control

equipment

steam and

carbon dioxide

stack

gases

gases

United States Office of Solid Waste and EPA 542-F-01-018

Environmental Protection Emergency Response February 2002

Agency (5102G) www.epa.gov/superfund/sites

www.cluin.org
How long will it take?

2

further. The gases become so hot they break down into smaller components that combine

with oxygen to form less harmful gases and steam.

The gases produced in the incinerator pass through air pollution control equipment to remove

any remaining metals, acids, and particles of ash. These wastes are harmful and must be

properly disposed of in a licensed landfill. The other cleaner gases, like steam and carbon

dioxide, are released outside through a stack.

The soil or ash remaining in the incinerator after the burning may be disposed of in a landfill or

buried on site. The amount of material that requires disposal is much less than the initial

amount of waste that was burned.

Is incineration safe?

An incinerator that is properly designed and operated can safely destroy harmful chemicals. It

can also run without producing odors or smoke. EPA tests the incinerator before and during

operation to make sure that gases are not released in harmful amounts.

Why use incineration?

Incineration can destroy some types of chemicals that other methods can’t. It is also quicker

than many other methods. This is important when a site must be cleaned up quickly to prevent

harm to people or the environment. On-site incineration can reduce the amount of material

that must be moved to a landfill. Incinerators have been used to clean up 136 Superfund sites

across the country.

NOTE: This fact sheet is intended solely as general guidance and information to the public. It is not intended, nor can it be relied

upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States, or to endorse the use of products or services

provided by specific vendors. The Agency also reserves the right to change this fact sheet at any time without public notice.

The time it takes for incineration to clean up a site depends on

several factors:

• size and depth of the polluted area

• types and amounts of chemicals present

• whether or not the waste must be trucked to the incinerator

Larger incinerators can clean up several hundred tons of waste each day.

For more

information

write the Technology

Innovation Office at:

U.S. EPA (5102G)

1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,

NW

Washington, DC 20460

or call them at

(703) 603-9910.

Further information also

can be obtained at

www.cluin.org or

www.epa.gov/

superfund/sites.