Some hazardous waste comes in liquid form. For a variety of reasons, these liquids can't be sent directly back into to the environment. They might be corrosive, for example, or reactive to water or air—or they might cause odour. And some liquid waste contains chemicals that can harm people, animals or the environment.
While Clean Harbors takes every opportunity to recycle liquid waste whenever possible, there remain some waste that cannot be recycled due to their chemical composition. For these waste streams, incineration provides an efficient and environmentally sound method of destruction.
Liquid waste containing organic components can be destroyed by high temperatures under controlled conditions. At Clean Harbors Lambton facility, our incinerator operates at temperatures above 1,300°C (2,372°F).
After the waste is broken down in the incinerator, the scrubber system further removes the contaminants. A spray dryer neutralizes acid gases (like sulphur dioxide), a powder-activated carbon system removes mercury, dioxins and furans, and a baghouse removes particulate. As a result, emissions from the unit are 50 times cleaner than required by current regulations. Any solid residue collected by the unit is disposed of in the facility's secure landfill.
The incineration process at Lambton reduces the volume of waste requiring final disposal by more than 90 percent. And it does so in a safe, environmentally sound way.