Air pollution caused by flue gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is becoming increasingly serious. There are many harmful products in flue gas, such as acid gases (SO2, NOx, and HCl, etc.), particulate matter (PM), heavy metals, and organic compounds. For controlling emission of toxic substances, the choice of the flue gas cleaning system plays an important role in the operation of an incinerator plant. In this study, a flue gas cleaning system of a power plant with circulating fluidized bed (CFB) incinerators of MSW located in Shandong Province (eastern China) was evaluated. The investigation included the removal of organic pollutants, PM, acid gases, and heavy metals. According to data of pollutants in the flue gas, the emission level of these items was under control and met the required domestic regulations. In order to comply with relevant international standards and the zero-release project, the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), calcium magnesium acetate (ACM), catalytic filtration (CF), and secondary bag filter systems were suggested to optimize the existing flue gas cleaning system. The application of CFB incinerators with a semi-dry scrubber, activated carbon injection, and a bag filter to small and mid-sized cities in China serves as an example for developing countries in MSW management. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.