Characterization of Air Pollutants Emitted from a Simulated Scrap Tire Fire

Discarded automobile tires have become a concern to the general public, largely because the growing number of stockpile fires has focused attention on the potentially harmful combustion products as well as products of incomplete combustion (PICs) emitted into the atmosphere from uncontrolled burning of scrap tires. This paper describes a small-scale combustion study that was designed to collect, identify, and quantify the products emitted during the simulated open combustion of scrap tires. During the study, it was found that total estimated emissions of semivolatile organics ranged from 10 to 50 g/kg of tire material burned. Alkyl-substituted mono- and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were the predominant emission products identified. Elevated levels of zinc and lead were also measured.