Estimation of appropriate CO 2 concentration sampling cycle for MSW incinerators

Abstract

For this study, the CO₂ concentrations of three municipal solid waste incinerators were measured for a year by using the continuous measurement method, and then the collected monthly, quarterly, and half-yearly samples were compared against the average yearly samples, in order to find out the appropriate CO₂ concentration sampling cycle. The results of the Kruskal–Wallis test showed that the averages of the monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly samples of the three municipal solid waste incinerators were different. Then, the monthly, quarterly, and half-yearly samples were compared to the yearly samples in a post-hoc test. In conclusion, the monthly CO₂ concentrations of incinerator C were different from its yearly samples, and for incinerators A and B, the averages of all of the monthly, quarterly, and half-yearly samples were different from the average of their respective yearly samples. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that monthly samples of the CO₂ concentration of municipal solid waste incinerators, which can be secured in the largest volume and which include the most details, should be secured to investigate the appropriate CO₂ sampling cycle.