Dioxin emissions in candidate countries - CYPRUS

Stelios Georghiades

Department of Labour Inspection

Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance

Nicosia, Cyprus

Bratislava 10.3.2003

Dioxins - State of play in Cyprus

• No emissions inventory in Cyprus• Identification of sources of dioxin emissions

not completed yet• No estimations of emissions until now• No reliable data on emissions at the moment• Samples of butter recently sent to lab in

Germany for dioxin analysis

Possible sources of dioxins in Cyprus

• Incineration of clinical waste

• Co-incineration of hazardous waste in cement plants

• Uncontrolled burning of: – municipal waste in landfills

– plastic film (LDPE) used for greenhouses

– car tyres

– Agricultural waste (straw and prunings from vineyards)

Location of incinerators

Emission Measurements

• No emission measurements by authorities– measurements (sampling only) as from 2004

• Measurements by private company in cement factory (co-incineration trials), June 2002– emissions <0,02 ng/m3 TEQ

• Emissions from existing clinical waste incinerators estimated at 10 - 50 ng/m3 TEQ

Emission factors

• Emissions from clinical waste incinerators estimated (Haskoning) at 10-50 ng/m3 TEQ

• Emissions from all 5 incinerators estimated at 0,15 g / year

• Emissions from open burning of plastic film (CORINAIR) 0,005 g / year

• No estimation made for co-incineration in cement factories because trials are not on a continuous basis and have not finished yet.

Legislative Harmonisation with EU Acquis

• All relevant EU Directives concerning incineration have been transposed into Cyprus Legislation

• Permits issued for co-incineration and a new incinerator impose emission limit for dioxins 0,1 ng/m3 TEQ as specified in above Directives.

Future Plans

• Purchase instruments for sampling dioxins by end 2003

• May need assistance to start carrying out emissions measurements

• Need co-operation with laboratory abroad for analysing samples

• Need assistance and co-operation to investigate amount of dioxins already in the environment in Cyprus