Health risk impacts analysis of fugitive aromatic compounds emissions from the working face of a municipal solid waste landfill in China. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Yanjun; Liu, Yanting; Li, Hao; Fu, Xindi; Guo, Hanwen; Meng, Ruihong; Lu, Wenjing; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Hongtao
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 97(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 15
• Page End: 27
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Landfill -- Aromatics -- Emission factor -- Uncertainty -- Health risk assessment; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.10.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Aromatic compounds (ACs) emitted from landfills have attracted a lot of attention of the public due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health. This study assessed the health risk impacts of the fugitive ACs emitted from the working face of a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in China. The emission data was acquired by long-term in-situ samplings using a modified wind tunnel system. The uncertainty of aromatic emissions is determined by means of statistics and the emission factors were thus developed. Two scenarios, i.e. ' normal-case ' and ' worst-case ', were presented to evaluate the potential health risk in different weather conditions. For this typical large anaerobic landfill, toluene was the dominant species owing to its highest releasing rate (3.40 ± 3.79 g·m − 2 ·d − 1 ). Despite being of negligible non-carcinogenic risk, the ACs might bring carcinogenic risks to human in the nearby area. Ethylbenzene was the major health threat substance. The cumulative carcinogenic risk impact area is as far as ~ 1.5 km at downwind direction for the normal-case scenario, and even nearly 4 km for the worst-case scenario. Health risks of fugitive ACs emissions from active landfills should be concerned, especially for landfills which still receiving mixed MSW. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Aromatics emitted from working face pose no significant carcinogenic risk. Toluene is the major species but ethylbenzene offers most of the carcinogenic risk. Non-carcinogenic risk of aromatic emissions from the working face is negligible. Health impact zone of the landfill is determined in this work. The uncertainty of aromatic emissions is determined by means of statistics.