Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what procedure is used when waste incinerators are tested for the emission of dioxins and furans.

Emissions of dioxins and furans from waste incinerators are tested according to the method specified in Annex VI of the European Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the technical requirements of the European monitoring standard (BS EN 1948). This involves passing the exhaust gases from the chimney through a filter and some absorbent material for a period of 6-8 hours. The filter and absorbent material are then analysed in a laboratory where the total amount of dioxins and furans on them is measured, and from this the concentration of dioxins and furans in the exhaust gases is calculated.

Testing is done in this way on a quarterly basis in the first year of the incinerator’s operation and twice a year thereafter (in line with IED requirements). The monitoring contractors and equipment that they use must be approved or certified under the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme to ensure reliable results.