What are the benefits and drawbacks of incinerating trash? How have these problems been dealt with in most developed countries?
What will be an ideal response?
Incinerating waste reduces its weight by up to 75% and its volume by up to 90%. Most North American incinerators today also generate electricity in a process called waste-to-energy (WTE). The remaining ash is generally shipped to hazardous waste landfills; even though high-temperature incineration can destroy certain pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, it does not always eliminate all toxins, and such combustion actually can create new hazardous chemicals. Particulates, acids, dioxins, and heavy metals may be contained in incinerator smoke. Early incinerators did not include mechanisms for mitigating air pollution, and many citizens still fear the health effects of released incinerator gases. Most developed nations now regulate incinerator emissions and some have banned incineration outright. Scrubbers have been installed in some incinerators to remove hazardous combustion by-products and neutralize acidic gases. Baghouse filters have been installed to reduce particulate emissions. Most incinerators are required to test their emissions to ensure that discarded ash meets safety standards.
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