Assessment of PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels in air before and after the start-up of an energy recovery plant in northern Spain

Loreto Santa-Marina; Ziortza Barroeta; Amaia Irizar; Begoña Jiménez; Pilar Gonzalez; Juan Muñoz-Arnanz; Gonzalo García-Baquero; Alba Jimeno-Romero; Miren Begoña Zubero; Nerea Urbieta; Jesús Ibarluzea; Aitana Lertxundi

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127371

Assessment of PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels in air before and after the start-up of an energy recovery plant in northern Spain

Environ Pollut. 2026 Jan 1:388:127371. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127371. Epub 2025 Nov 11.

Affiliations

¹ Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
² Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain; Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain. Electronic address: ziortza.barroeta@ehu.eus.
³ Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
⁴ Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, IQOG-CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
⁵ Department of Chemical Enginery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
⁶ CEADIR. Faculty of Biology, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Avenida Licenciado Menendez Nieto s/n, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.
⁷ Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain.
⁸ Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain; Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
⁹ Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Public Health and Environmental Epidemiology Research group, Paseo Doctor Begiristain S/n, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008, San Sebastian, Spain.

PMID: 41223517
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127371

Abstract

Waste management in the European Union relies on circular economy principles, emphasizing waste reuse and recycling. This study assess whether the implementation of an energy recovery plant (ERP) has affected air quality, and to estimate the extent of this impact. Between 2017 and 2023, concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were analyzed, using 235 air samples collected from two urban-industrial areas (Impact and control) in two periods. To assess the ERP's impact on ΣPCDD/F + dl-PCB levels, the means of the monthly level's medians before and after start of operations were compared. Data were log-transformed, and the mean of the monthly level's medians of the 17 PCDD/Fs congeners and 12 dl-PCBs were compared before and after implementation using a BACI (Before-After Control-Impact) study design. As for the results, the levels of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were significantly higher in impact (11.94 fg TEQ·m^-3) compared to control (5.29 fg TEQ·m^-3). Both zones exhibited a downward trend over the study period. The mean difference in ΣPCDD/Fs + dl-PCBs between zones was 1.09 fg TEQ·m^-3 in the before-period and 0.61 fg TEQ·m^-3 in the after period. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, a progressive and significant decrease in the mean levels of PCDD/Fs + dl-PCBs was observed in both areas, with concentrations converging toward similar values by the end of the period. The impact analysis did not reveal any significant differences in the mean concentrations of ΣPCDD/Fs + dl-PCBs between areas and periods. The similarity in congener composition profile of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs before and after commissioning suggests that atmospheric concentrations are largely influenced by the iron and steel industries.

Keywords: Air quality; BACI study design; Circular economy; Energy recovery plant; PCDD/Fs; Temporal change.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data
Environmental Monitoring*
Polychlorinated Biphenyls* / analysis
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / analysis
Spain
Waste Management

Substances

Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins
Air Pollutants
Polychlorinated Biphenyls