Date of Award
3-21-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene
Department
Department of Systems Engineering and Management
First Advisor
Dirk P. Yamamoto, PhD.
Abstract
Exposure assessments of open burn pits are often complicated by a lack of sampling equipment and resources. This research investigated the hypothesis of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a viable surrogate for particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Large-scale solid waste combustion tests resulted in linear trends between mean PM2.5 and CO2 (R2 = 0.964 - 0.989). This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of using CO2 as a surrogate of PM2.5 concentration as CO2 sensors potentially provide a cost-effective solution for monitoring in lieu of expensive PM instruments. It also indicates the potential reduction in particulate matter when using batch-feeding practices with burn boxes (versus open burning).
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENV-13-M-26
DTIC Accession Number
ADA582122
Recommended Citation
Schmidt, Michael A ., "Health Risk Assessments of Waste Combustion Emissions Using Surrogate Analyte Models" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 1009.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/1009