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Characterizing Emissions from Open Burning of Military Food Waste and Packaging from Forward Operating Bases Thomas Dominguez

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Characterizing Emissions from Open Burning of Military Food Waste and Packaging from Forward Operating Bases Thomas Dominguez Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 3-24-2016 Characterizing Emissions from Open Burning of Military Food Waste and Packaging from Forward Operating Bases Thomas Dominguez Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Environmental Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Dominguez, Thomas, "Characterizing Emissions from Open Burning of Military Food Waste and Packaging from Forward Operating Bases" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 390. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/390 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHARACTERIZING EMISSIONS FROM OPEN BURNING OF MILITARY FOOD WASTE AND PACKAGING FROM FORWARD OPERATING BASES THESIS Thomas Dominguez, Captain, USAF AFIT-ENV-MS-16-M-145 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENV-MS-16-M-145 CHARACTERIZING EMISSIONS FROM OPEN BURNING OF MILITARY FOOD WASTE AND PACKAGING FROM FORWARD OPERATING BASES THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Systems Engineering and Management Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene Thomas Dominguez, BS Captain, USAF March 2016 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENV-MS-16-M-145 CHARACTERIZING EMISSIONS FROM OPEN BURNING OF MILITARY FOOD WASTE AND PACKAGING FROM FORWARD OPERATING BASES Thomas Dominguez, BS Captain, USAF Committee Membership: Lt Col R. M. Eninger, PhD Chair Lt Col D. M. Kempisty, PhD Member Dr. E. D. White, PhD Member AFIT-ENV-MS-16-M-145 Abstract Emissions from open burning of Meals, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) and MRE packaging were characterized in response to inhalation concerns at military forward operating bases. Emissions from four compositions of MREs and four types of packaging were determined and compared to assess contributions of individual components. Measurements of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and metals showed that MREs account for 70 to 90 percent of PM emissions when burned in unison with the current fiberboard container and liner, PM2.5 constitutes a vast majority of the particulates emitted from both MREs and their fiberboard packaging, and that metal emission factors were similar regardless of material tested. Measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicate that the targeted replacement of MRE constituents may be more effective in reducing PAH and VOC emissions than variation of fiberboard packaging designs, while polychlorinated dibenzo- dioxin and -furan (PCDD/PCDF) emissions are believed to be more closely related to other components of a military waste stream. MRE compositions and fiberboard types each respectively produced essentially equivalent PM, PAH, VOC, and PCDD/F emission factors. This study provides the first representative characterization of open burning emissions associated with military rations separate from comprehensive military waste streams. iv Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere gratitude to both academic advisors I was blessed with the opportunity to work with, Lt Col Robert Eninger and Lt Col(ret) Dirk Yamamoto, as well as my committee members. You challenged me to grow in ways I did not know was possible and I thank you for it. To the wonderful folks at the EPA, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with each and every one of you and I wish you the best in all that you do. Thank you to the US Army NATICK for the incredible opportunity to influence the future of US military rations. A very special thank you to my family and friends for keeping me sane and your constant support. And lastly, to my amazing wife: I could not have done this without your endless love and support. You grow more beautiful every single day both inside and out, and I am so blessed and grateful to share this life with you by my side. Thomas Dominguez v Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................. xiii I. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 General Issue ................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement........................................................................................................4 Research Questions ......................................................................................................4 Scope and Approach .....................................................................................................5 Significance ..................................................................................................................5 Preview .........................................................................................................................6 II. Scholarly Article ............................................................................................................8 Abstract.........................................................................................................................8 Introduction ..................................................................................................................9 Methodology...............................................................................................................11 Results and Discussion ...............................................................................................20 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................33 Supporting Information ..............................................................................................33 Corresponding Author ................................................................................................33 References ..................................................................................................................34 III. Human Health Perspectives ........................................................................................35 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................35 Pollutant Determination..............................................................................................35 Toxicity of Pollutants .................................................................................................38 Framing Emission Factors in a Health Context ..........................................................44 Summary.....................................................................................................................47 IV. Conclusions.................................................................................................................48 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................48 Review of Findings.....................................................................................................48 Limitations ..................................................................................................................55 Significance of Research ............................................................................................58 Recommendations for Action .....................................................................................59 Recommendations for Future Research......................................................................59 vi Appendix A: Scholarly Article Supplemental Information ...............................................61 Appendix B: Material Composition ...................................................................................89 Overview ....................................................................................................................89 Levels of Packaging ...................................................................................................89 MREs ..........................................................................................................................90
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