Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Research Articles

Simulation optimization of the key design parameters of the deodorization system in municipal solid waste transfer station

Simulation optimization of the key design parameters of the deodorization system in municipal solid waste transfer station

Tracking bioaerosol exposure among municipal solid waste workers using hematological and inflammatory biomarkers

High levels of bioaerosols may exist in the air of municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities, constituting a significant occupational hazard for workers. In this study, we investigated the potential association between exposure to bioaerosols and inflammatory biomarkers among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) at both the landfill site and the municipal solid waste transfer station (MSWTS), in comparison to a control group without exposure. Air sampling was conducted at six points around the landfill, two points at the MSWTS, and one point in a public park (as a control area) during the spring and summer of 2019. The results of our study revealed that airborne pathogens were highly prevalent at the sampling points, especially in the active zone and leachate collection pond. Aspergillus species were the predominant fungal species detected in this study, with the highest occurrence observed for Aspergillus flavus (83.3%), Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus (75.0%). Furthermore, Staphylococcus species accounted for over 75% of the total bacterial bioaerosols detected across all study areas. The blood test results of workers revealed a significant increase in platelets (PLT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to the control group. Conversely, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) in the exposed subjects exhibited a decreasing trend compared to the control group. These findings suggest a potential association between exposure to bioaerosols, particularly in the vicinity of open dumpsites, and elevated levels of hematologic and inflammatory markers in circulation. Furthermore, the influence of smoking status and confounding factors appears to be significant in both the control and exposure groups.

Leachate Characterization and Assessment of Soil Pollution Near Some Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Stations in Baghdad City

This study is conducted to determine the extent to which transfer stations in the Karkh neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, contribute to physicochemical and heavy-metal contamination of the soils in the immediate area. The concentrations of physicochemical primary indicators (pH, OC, OM, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, NO3-1, Cl-1, SO4-2) and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Cu) were measured during July 2022 at four investigation sites that were located at distances of 5 m (Site 1), 10 m (Site 2), 15 m (Site 3), and 20 m (Site 4) from the edges of the mentioned transfer stations (Al-Rasheed, Al-Mansour, Al-Shula, and Al-Dora). The concentrations of the physico-chemicals and heavy metals were compared to the standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines (CBSQG). Based on the data collected, it was determined that Site 1 had the greatest physico-chemical and heavy metal concentrations, whereas Site 4 had the lowest. The metals tested were found to accumulate in the following order: Cu > Pb > Cd. Additionally, it was noticed that all the measured concentrations of metals were higher than the limitations of the CBSQG. The presence of Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, Pb, Cd, and Cu in soil suggests that leachate percolation is having a major impact on the soil.

GIS and Multicriteria Analysis Application on Suitable Site Selection for Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station in Greater Monrovia, Liberia

The inability of existing transfer stations in Greater Monrovia, Liberia, to handle municipal solid waste collected daily from designated collection points for temporary storage and final disposal has resulted in a number of issues such as abandonment of overfilled skip buckets and reinforced concrete bins, indiscriminate waste disposal into drainages, along roadside, river banks, and so on. This situation has also resulted in a number of negative consequences, including environmental degradation, public health concerns, depreciation of the value of adjacent properties, and decrease in the quality of life of the population. The local authorities have made relentless efforts to secure funding through its international partners to construct a well-designed municipal solid waste transfer station, However, due to the study area's topographic complexities, it is difficult for them to select an ideal site for a municipal solid waste transfer station to collect waste from designated and illegal collection points on time. To solve this issue, the research will analyze and identify potential sites while keeping the environment and population within the study area in mind. The research employs a comprehensive evaluation of multiple factors, including lithology, slope, drainage density and land use through GIS tool like Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify potential sites that meets sustainable waste management’s requirements. The results showed that 43% of the study area is not suitable, 20% is least suitable, 20% is moderately suitable, 11% is suitable and 6% highly suitable for an environmentally-friendly transfer station. Central Monrovia A and B, and Northwest of Paynesville are areas identified to be suitable for municipal solid waste transfer station.

Distribution characteristics and potential risks of bacterial aerosol in waste transfer station

The waste transfer station (WTS) is an important link in the transfer of municipal solid waste (MSW) between the community and disposal terminals. While WTSs facilitate waste collection in communities, odorous gases and bioaerosols can escape from them, thereby negatively affecting their surroundings. In this study, the concentration, particle size distribution, pathogen population, and health risks of bioaerosols were analyzed at different locations in a transfer station. The results showed that the highest viable bacterial aerosol concentration was 10,353 ± 3701 CFU/m3, which was at 5 m from the disposal site. Fifty-three bacterial species, including pathogens, were detected. Of these, 39 were human pathogenic bacteria directly originating from the WTS. Furthermore, health risk assessments indicated unacceptable levels of non-carcinogenic risk for operational workers caused by bacterial aerosols of the WTS work area. In addition, bacterial aerosols may pose a severe health risk to children within a 15 m area of the WTS. The results of this study provide a scientific basis to control and reduce the risk associated with bioaerosol exposure in solid WTSs.

Kinetics evaluation of a pilot scale anaerobic biofilm digester treating leachate from a municipal solid waste transfer station

In this study, leachate from municipal solid waste (MSW) transfer station was treated in a pilot scale anaerobic biofilm digester (ABD) system under 30, 25, 20 and 10-day HRT. The maximum COD concentration entering the reactor was 46,944 mg/L and the reactor was under full operation for 163 days. The results showed that COD removal efficiency was above 95 % throughout the operation and measurement of the average daily biogas production yielded a value of 25 ± 1 m3/day with a composition of 57 ± 12 % methane and 26 ± 6 % carbon dioxide. In comparison to the Monod and modified Stover–Kincannon (MSK) models, the second-order Grau model presented the best fit as a substrate-removal kinetic model for this ABD system with its R2, 0.999; while the MSK model for gas generation was proven to be a better fit than the Van der Meer and Heertjes model in predicting the amount of biogas and methane gas produced from leachate treatment via a pilot scale ABD.

Microplastics and Microrubbers in Soils Around Two Landfills and a Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station in Ahvaz Metropolis, Iran

Background: Microplastics (MPs) and microrubbers (MRs) are a substantial source of pollutants entering the environment and a cause for debate in environmental studies in soils surrounding two landfills and a municipal solid waste transfer station near Ahvaz Metropolis. Since the current information about these particles in Iranian municipal solid waste transfer station and landfill systems is scanty, this study aimed to determine the amounts and abundance of MPs and MRs in soils. Methods: Each of the twelve sites that determined using a systematic grid sampling method had approximately 100 g of soil samples from a depth of 0-10 cm with three replications. The method used for extracting MPs from the soil samples was density separation with saturated zinc chloride solution. The particles were investigated by the size, shape, abundance and colour. A total of 1807 MP and 1872.7 MR particles were detected from the samples. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was used for describing correlations. Results: The highest abundance of MPs was observed at the S5 site (325.9±26.8 items/100 g soil). The particles were categorized into fragments, foams, fibers, films and spheres. Five ranges of particle size were identified (between 1 mm ≤L and L≤100 μm) in nine color categories. The 1 mm ≤L size class was dominant in MPs (54%) and MRs (52%). The majority of the MPs (41.8%) were white/transparent, whereas MRs were identified as black/gray (99.1%). Conclusion: Contamination by MPs and MRs exceeded allowable standards, compared to other transfer stations across the globe.

Collection and transportation system construction of potentially viral municipal solid waste during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

The transmission route of COVID-19 through municipal solid waste (MSW) has been confirmed and receives increasing attention. Potentially viral municipal solid waste (PVMSW) refers to the domestic waste generated by risky areas and epidemic-related populations under a major epidemic in their daily lives or in activities that provide services for their daily lives. For its potential infectivity, PVMSW should be properly collected and transported. This study aimed to standardize the collection and transportation of PVMSW and proposed specific construction schemes of PVMSW collection and transportation systems for three situations which were city-wide lockdown status, medium and high-risk area, and home quarantine separately. In the cases of city-wide lockdown status and home quarantine, PVMSW collection and transportation systems were constructed qualitatively with the examples of Wuhan and Shanghai respectively, and in the case of medium and high-risk area, the systems were constructed quantitatively through the development of a waste collection and transportation costs model. To reduce the risks of virus transmission during the collection and transportation process, the collection and transportation links should be minimized. For the disposal of PVMSW, medical waste treatment facilities and MSW incineration plants should be prioritized. Furthermore, the results showed that the total number of people and the transfer capacity of MSW transfer facility were the two main influencing factors for the selection of PVMSW collection and transportation systems in medium and high-risk area. This article could help manage MSW for preventing virus transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar future epidemics.

Crisp and fuzzy optimization models for sustainable municipal solid waste management

Increasing municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in the city has caused a serious problem to the authority, especially for emerging countries. Improper management of MSW will increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Apart from landfill, there are other options to convert MSW into valuable products or energy, such as recycling and incineration. This paper presents crisp and fuzzy optimization models for designing optimal supply chain networks for sustainable MSW management, considering economic (cost minimization) and environmental objectives (emissions reduction). The crisp model is based on a superstructure and consists of material balances, capacity limits and planning constraints for MSW transfer stations, disposal sites and treatment technologies. Fuzzy optimization with max-min aggregation is then incorporated to handle conflicting economic and environmental objectives, as well as uncertainties in GHG emission factors and cost coefficients of MSW treatment. A case study for the design of an optimal MSW supply chain network in the city of Qingdao, China is presented to illustrate the proposed approach. The conflicting objectives of minimizing the total net cost and GHG emissions for MSW transport and treatment are analyzed using the crisp model, yielding a set of Pareto optimal solutions. A compromise solution achieving a 21.6% cost reduction and a 28.4% emissions reduction is identified using the fuzzy model. An inferior solution is also found with smaller cost (19.1%) and emissions reductions (25.1%) due to the use of conservative estimates of uncertain cost coefficients and emission factors. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models in dealing with the MSW management problem.

Evaluating the efficiency of municipal solid waste collection and disposal in the Yangtze River Delta of China: A DEA-model

ABSTRACT As the “sixth largest city group in the world”, the Yangtze River Delta region is an important economic growth point and core economic area in China. While achieving rapid economic growth, the amount of waste generated is increasing day by day, and the investment in environmental protection is constantly increasing. Among them, MSW collection and disposal funds accounted for 57.40% of the fixed assets investment in environmental sanitation in 2017. To improve the efficiency of existing environmental protection investment, this paper is based on the existing academic research at China and abroad, with the help of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. This paper analyzed the economic indicators of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta for MSW collection, transportation and disposal to measure economic efficiency, identify and improve inefficiencies. The research results show that the average efficiency of the 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta is at a relatively high level. Six cities have the most effective comprehensive technical efficiency. These six cities constitute the effective frontier of the municipal solid waste transfer system. The overall efficiency has a comparative advantage; 9 cities have the best pure technical efficiency, accounting for 33 of all cities. %, the pure technical efficiency of the remaining 18 cities is low, indicating that these cities have not fully utilized their resource input under the current scale, and the efficiency of resource utilization needs to be improved. Finally, this paper proposes suggestions for improvement from the perspective of environmental sustainability. To improve MSW collection and disposal efficiency, differentiated management should be implemented in cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Implications: This paper conducts an empirical analysis on the efficiency of MSW collection and disposal in the Yangtze River Delta in China in 2017. Based on the calculation of the DEA model, our conclusion is that although the collection and disposal system of MSW in the Yangtze River Delta has been significantly improved, the level of collection and disposal of some MSW has not reached the optimal level: (1) Comprehensive technical efficiency is the most effective Cities accounted for 22% of the total number of cities studied. (2) 33% of the cities in the Yangtze River Delta achieve the best pure technical efficiency; (3) Among the 27 cities, 6 cities have the best scale efficiency, and the remaining 21 cities have not reached the best scale efficiency.

Discharge of pharmaceuticals from a municipal solid waste transfer station: Overlooked influence on the contamination of pharmaceuticals in surface waters

During the temporal storage of municipal solid wastes (MSWs), pharmaceutically contained in MSWs may percolate into leachates and migrate into receiving waters via surface runoff. However, knowledge of their intra-event variations during the rainfall is quite limited. To fill in this gap, we collected runoff samples in a typical MSW transfer station over the full length of a rainfall event to comprehensively characterize the pharmaceutical contamination profiles. The results showed that 18 pharmaceuticals were detected in the runoff samples with high frequencies and concentrations ranging from below MQL to 18.6 μg/L. During the rainfall event, pharmaceuticals exhibited discrepant leachabilities as a result of different sorption capacities; two concentration peaks of each pharmaceutical were observed, suggesting the leaching effect by rainwater and the potential influence of human-related rinse. A further sampling campaign for one-week-long runoff samples generated by diurnal rinse water was conducted, and the results indicated comparable mass loads of pharmaceuticals in surface runoff receiving rinse water (0.37–8250 μg) to those in rainfall runoff (0.58–1754 μg), suggesting the similar discharge of pharmaceuticals from MSW transfer stations despite the weather. The estimated per capita discharge load of caffeine, one of the typical Pharmaceuticals, from MSW transfer stations was 4383 ng capita−1 d−1, higher than that in other emission sources, e.g. municipal wastewater effluent, indicating an overlooked influence of MSW transfer stations on its contamination in the surface waters in Shanghai.

Release of airborne antibiotic resistance genes from municipal solid waste transfer stations

With urbanization, municipal solid waste (MSW) transfer station as an important link in the process of refuse collection and transportation is closer to residents’ living areas. At present, studies on airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) generated during MSW management are still few and not comprehensive enough. In this study, metagenomics and high-throughput sequencing methods were used to analyze the composition and content of bioaerosol and airborne ARGs in the waste reception hall and the top vent of three MSW transfer stations. 265 ARG subtypes were detected. The main subtypes were bacA, multidrug_transporter, mexW, sul2 and macB, and the main types were multidrug resistance genes and bacitracin resistance genes. Different microbes and ARGs showed diverse release characteristics, but in general, the concentration of bacteria and ARGs at the top vent of the transfer station was higher than that in the waste reception hall, and fungi were more sensitive than bacteria when passing through the odor treatment system connecting between the top vent and the waste reception hall. For ARGs, daily intake of a worker was calculated to be 1.08 × 1010–2.79 × 1010 copies d− 1 and environmental release was 2.88 × 109–9.49 × 109 copies m− 3. Therefore, control measures for airborne ARGs and pathogenic microorganisms are urgently needed to ensure the health of workers and surrounding residents.

Integrated dynamic municipal solid waste transfer station location decision study based on the dynamic MSW generation

Integrated dynamic municipal solid waste transfer station location decision study based on the dynamic MSW generation

Emission of airborne microplastics from municipal solid waste transfer stations in downtown

With the continuous progress of urbanization, municipal solid waste (MSW) transfer stations, which are key points for garbage collection and transportation, have moved to residential areas than before. The emission characteristics of gas-phase emerging contaminants should be comprehensively assessed in the assessment of health threats to workers and environmental risks. In this study, the emission characteristics of airborne microplastic particles (>50 μm) were analyzed on the roof vent and waste reception hall of four MSW transfer stations in Shanghai during different seasons. The average concentration of airborne microplastic particles was 2.5 ± 1.3 n/m3. The particle sizes of airborne microplastics at the four waste transfer stations were mainly in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm. Microplastics mainly occur as films and fibers. The dominant microplastic type was Rayon, which accounted for 69.4% of the total amount. The rate of microplastic particles emission into the environment for a single transfer station was estimated to be in the range of 41,297 to 82,593 n/h. Compared with the waste reception hall, the concentration of airborne microplastic particles in the roof vent decreased by 25%, which indicated that the odor treatment facility effectively reduces the concentration of microplastic particles.

Kinetics Evaluation of a Pilot Scale Anaerobic Biofilm Digester Treating Leachate from a Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station

Kinetics Evaluation of a Pilot Scale Anaerobic Biofilm Digester Treating Leachate from a Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station

Health risks of odorous compounds during the whole process of municipal solid waste collection and treatment in China

The high moisture content and perishable organic waste of municipal solid waste (MSW) in China have caused the severe odor nuisance to be one of the crucial reasons for resident complaints. Understanding the environmental risks of odorous compounds lays the foundations for resolving the problems. This study collected concentration data of 86 odorous compounds in five types of MSW processing facilities/equipment which can well represent the whole process of MSW stream, including waste bins and transfer stations for collection, compost plants and anaerobic digestion plants for utilization, and landfills for final disposal. The results revealed that the occupational health risks of odorants were not fully consistent with the compound concentrations and olfactory annoyance. Higher odorous compound concentrations and more severe olfactory annoyance can be found in the MSW utilization and disposal facilities, but the occupational carcinogenic risk (2.79 × 10−5–1.12 × 10−3) was non-negligible along the whole MSW stream. Aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons were crucial contributors to the carcinogenic risk of odorous compounds emission from these facilities. Particularly for estimating the adverse impact range of MSW facilities, the carcinogenic risk was the most critical factor, implying impact distance of ∼1.5 km for MSW transfer station and ∼5 km for landfill, and even higher for the regions (such as southwest China) with lower wind speed and higher atmospheric stability. In addition to current regulations, another 5 compounds (acetaldehyde, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, acrolein, and benzyl chloride) that displayed high carcinogenic risks were suggested to be concerned. This study provided insights for the policymakers regarding MSW odors management, especially underscoring the importance of considering the health risks of odorous compounds.

Integration of rapid impact assessment matrix method and sustainability modeling for management of municipal solid waste transfer stations in cold regions

Integration of rapid impact assessment matrix method and sustainability modeling for management of municipal solid waste transfer stations in cold regions

Assessment of the Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Stations Suitability in Harare, Zimbabwe

Assessment of the Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Stations Suitability in Harare, Zimbabwe

Municipal solid waste transfer station planning through vehicle routing problem-based scenario analysis.

Collection, transfer and transport of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most challenging tasks of local municipalities and occupies a significant portion of the municipal expenses. Appropriately planned transfer stations (TSs) can increase system performance and reduce costs. Therefore, this study aims to develop a spatial modelling approach for investigating the optimum siting and economic impacts of MSW TSs. A geographic information system-based land suitability analysis was conducted to identify potential TS sites followed by a scenario analysis to determine optimum TS sites and waste collection routes for various collection vehicle capacities through vehicle routing problem modelling. The approach was implemented in the southeastern region of İzmir where a new landfill is to be built to serve three district municipalities. The addition of a TS in the study area reduced the collection time and number of shifts by 9%. Similarly, collection with large vehicles decreased the collection time and number of shifts by 25% and 17%, respectively. However, the unit cost of the system increased from 17.52 to 18.60 US$ metric tonnes-1 waste with the TS addition because of the additional costs of the TS. The results indicated that TS addition is not economically feasible in the study area because of the small collection vehicle fleet (eight collection vehicles), proximity of landfill to areas with high waste density and district level collection. On the other hand, TS addition resulted in lower fuel consumption which may help reduce fuel-induced air pollution.

Investigation of seasonal variation and probabilistic risk assessment of BTEX emission in municipal solid waste transfer station

ABSTRACT The municipal solid waste transfer stations (MSWTSs) affects both the environment and human health. The present study aimed to investigatethe Concentrations of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) the important group of VOCs, in the ambient air of municipal solid waste transfer station (MSWTS) of Hamadan city and to estimate stochastic cancer and non-cancer risk for inhalation exposure to BTEX compounds by Crystal Ball software. The average produced amount of solid waste in Hamadan in 2109 has been estimated to be over 150,000 tons. The solid waste mostly consisted of a complex mixture containing kitchen/food waste (56.85%), consumed plastics (11.33%), paper (2.88%), glass (1.20%) and other materials (27.74%), which collected from households and commercial areas. The findings revealed that BETX concentration in the ambient air of MSWTS in summer is higher as compared to the spring season. The 95% percentile lifetime cancer risk (LCR) value for benzene was estimated to be 8 × 10−4, which is higher than the recommended standards (10−6). The obtained 95% percentile hazard quotient (HQ) value for xylene was found to be higher than the suggested value of 1. Also, the total cumulative value of the 95th percentile HQs for (toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) TEX was obtained to be about 3.39, which is higher than the acceptable value of HQ. The results of sensitivity analysis for LCR of benzene and HQs of TEX disclosed that the parameter of pollutants concentration has the highest effect on risk’s variance. According to the values of cancer and non-cancer risk assessment, that were higher than safe levels and the major contribution of pollutant concentration in sensitivity analysis, it is concluded that the implementation and development of technical and engineering control measures must be regarded as an essential target to reduce workers exposure to the pollutants and to decrease the concentration of the pollutant in the ambient air of MSWTS.