Incineration

Incineration is widely used in Canada to reduce the volume of waste. Hundreds of incinerators -- including industrial kilns, boilers, and furnaces -- combust municipal and hazardous waste, while many more are used to burn medical waste. Whether waste incineration poses a health risk to incinerator employees or to people living and working nearby has been the subject of much debate. When operated properly by well-trained employees, modern waste incinerators and incineration pose little risk to public health. But older designs, human error, and equipment failure can result in higher-than-normal, short-term emissions that need to be studied further. Three federal agencies asked the Research Council to assess the relationship between waste incineration and human health.