Hiroshi Takatsuki

Environment Preservation Center, Kyoto University, Professor
(Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-01 Japan)

Abstract

Eleven years ago, an accidental explosion occured at a dust bunker in a certain municipal incinerator. Recently the court case concerning this accident reached a verdict. It was determined that the explosion was probably caused by hydrogen gas generated from the collected dust. In such dust, metal phase aluminum, reacting with alkali and water, generates hydrogen gas and its concentration easily reaches the explosive range if stored for just one day. On the other hand, the collected dust consumes oxygen rapidly when water is added. This phenomenon may cause accidents due to lack of oxygen. In this sense, collected dust should be more carefully dealt with when it is kept in humid condition in a closed container.

Key words: collected dust, explosion, hydrogen gas, metal phase aluminum, lack of oxygen