DOMESTIC COAL COMBUSTION AS A SOURCE OF PCDDS AND PCDFS IN THE BRITISH ENVIRONMENT

Samples of coal soot from UK domestic coal fires have been analysed for PCDDs and PCDFs together with samples of fly ash from UK MSWIs. The results indicate that both domestic coal combustion and household waste incineration are major sources of PCDDs and PCDFs. The significance of coal combustion is further implicated by the analysis of a historical UK soil (1927) which pre-dates recognised sources like large-scale waste incineration and widespread manufacture of organochlorine compounds but not the use of coal for domestic heating.