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Cost Effectiveness of PCB Waste Destruction Projects Using PCB Exposure as a Risk Index
Yasuhiro Hirai* and Shin-ichi Sakai*
* Research Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management,
National Institute for Environmental Studies
ő Correspondence should be addressed to Yasuhiro Hirai:
i16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506 Japanj

Abstract
The cost-effectiveness of PCB waste destruction projects were compared with those of dioxin reduction measures for municipal solid waste incineratorsiMSWIj. An environmental fate and exposure model was consistently applied to both of the projects to calculate the unit costs of reducing dioxin exposure. Project costs were taken from previous studies. Project effectsireduced exposure to dioxin-like compoundsjwere estimated by using an environmental fate and exposure model coupled with estimates for reduced emissions from previous studies. Cumulative reduction of exposure up to 30 years was selected as the time frame to evaluate the cost-effectiveness for the current generation, which will pay the project costs. The estimated reductions of exposure by PCB waste destruction projects were 0.8g-TEQ, 5.7g-TEQ and 1.6g-TEQ for air, water and soil emissions, respectively, and that by dioxin reduction measures for MSWI facilities was 3.5-11g-TEQ. Unit costs of reducing exposure to dioxin like compounds for PCB waste destruction projects was 27-190 million yen/mg-TEQ and that for dioxin reduction measures for MSWI facilities was 67-210 million yen/mg-TEQ. The PCB waste destruction projects were shown to have about the same cost-effectiveness as dioxin reduction measures for MSWI facilities.
Key words: risk, PCB management, dioxins, waste incineration, project assessment, destruction cost, exposure model