ABSTRACT
Since the enactment of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976, incineration technologies for the destruction of solid, liquid, and gaseous hazardous wastes have become increasingly sophisticated and effective. Aerobic thermal processes detoxify a wide range of organic compounds such as chlorinated pesticides, munitions wastes, chemical warfare agents, polymer residues, and petrochemical wastes. Incineration can be used for the destruction of contaminated soil and water; thus, the technology is not limited strictly to treatment of organic residuals from a single production process. Furthermore, hazardous waste destruction under RCRA is not limited solely to dedicated incineration facilities; for example, thermal destruction of certain hazardous wastes is permitted in industrial boilers and furnaces, with the resultant recovery of heat.
