Can anyone tell me whethter dioxin is given off in the burining of coal? We heat our home with anthrocite coal and I was told this was giving off dioxin. I looked on the net and could find no such information about the relationship to coal and dioxin.

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), February 04, 2001

Answers

Response to dioxin

isnt that the stuff that leaches out from when they bleach paper? Dont know where it could be in coal

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 04, 2001.

Response to dioxin

I have never heard of dioxin in coal. Both are organic compounds and I expect it is possible, but not probable, that there might be a extreamly small trace present (probably unmeasureable). If you want to worry, the Sulfur and Radon released from burning coal is a much greater concern.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), February 04, 2001.

Response to dioxin

I believe Dioxin can be formed from incomplete combustion. I have heard of it being given off by BBQ grills with charcoal. With a good chimney (good draft) and plentiful oxygen supply it should not be a problem in the house.

-- david c. (fleece@eritter.net), February 04, 2001.

Coal and charcoal are nowhere near the same item - charcoal is generally made from all sorts of scrap materials from the wood industry that you would never dream of burning in your fireplace, like plywood and the like (and yet people continue to roast their food over it - YUCK). The impression that I was given was that anyone who had ever worked in a charcoal plant never cooked over it again. It would then make sense that dioxin could be detected in charcoal.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), February 05, 2001.

I don't know this to be a fact, but have been told Henry Ford basically invented charcoal brickettes. Production of the Model T's produced a lot of scrap wood and sawdust. He wanted to promote his cars with the idea of country picnics, so formed sawdust and powdered coal together for a picnic heat source. Today I believe they are basically coal, clay and a binder.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 05, 2001.