Characterization and influence of odorous gases on the working surface of a typical landfill site: A case study in a Chinese megacity

Abstract

Odor pollutants from a landfill can have serious impacts on the surrounding environment and nearby residents. Moreover, the variety and complexity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) along with the landfill odor makes sampling and identifying compounds challenging. In this study, the authors monitored municipal solid waste (MSW)-related areas, sludge-related areas and waste coverage with the most malodorous compounds. In terms of all 120 VOCs, 67 malodorous VOCs with significant variations were categorized into six classes of compounds under all test conditions. Among the concentration characteristics, Site B concentrations were the highest. For the odor index (OI), the OI values of Site B were higher than those on other sites. The organic sulfides, organic acids and amine were the major malodorous pollutants emitted from landfill and influenced the residential area. Through a coefficient of divergence analysis, the CDjk values of Sites A (0.66) and B (0.69) were lower than others, indicating the effects of odor emission on the surrounding residential area were slightly more severe than on the other sites because of the meteorological condition during the study period. The results of this study can provide essential information to enhance understanding the actual odor emission intensity and characteristics of landfill and the migration, transportation and influence of odorant emissions on the working surface of the landfill.