Composition and emission of VOC from biogas produced by illegally managed waste landfills in Giugliano (Campania, Italy) and potential impact on the local population

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 640-641; pp. 377 - 386
• Main Authors: Carriero, Giulia, Neri, Luisa, Famulari, Daniela, Di Lonardo, Sara, Piscitelli, Daniela, Manco, Antonio, Esposito, Andrea, Chirico, Adriano, Facini, Osvaldo, Finardi, Sandro, Tinarelli, Gianni, Prandi, Rossella, Zaldei, Alessandro, Vagnoli, Carolina, Toscano, Piero, Magliulo, Vincenzo, Ciccioli, Paolo, Baraldi, Rita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-11-2018
• Subjects: Adverse health effects; Air Pollutants - analysis; Biofuels; Environmental Monitoring; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Italy; Landfill emission; Refuse Disposal - methods; Refuse Disposal - statistics & numerical data; Toxic VOC; Transport modeling; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Waste Disposal Facilities; Italy; Landfill emission; Adverse health effects; Transport modeling; Toxic VOC; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.318

The composition in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) of the biogas produced by seven landfills of Giugliano (Naples, Campania, Italy) was determined and VOC emission rates assessed to verify if these compounds represent a potential threat to the population living nearby. VOC composition in the biogas could not be predicted, as heterogeneous waste was dumped from the late 1980s to the early 2000s and then underwent biological degradation. No data are available on the amount and composition of VOC in the biogas before the landfills closure as no operational biogas collection system was present. In this study, VOC composition was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), after collecting samples from collection pipes and from soil fractures in cover soil or capping. Individual VOC were quantified and data compared with those collected at two landfills in Latium, when they were still in operation. Relevant differences were observed, mainly due to waste aging, but no specific VOC revealing toxic waste dumping was found, although the concurrent presence of certain compounds suggested that dumping of industrial wastes might have occurred. The average VOC emission was assessed and a dispersion model was run to find out if the emitted plume could affect the health of population. The results suggested that fugitive emissions did not represent a serious danger, since the concentrations simulated at the neighboring cities were below the threshold limits for acute and chronic diseases. However, VOC plume could cause annoyance at night when the steady state conditions of the atmosphere enhance pollutants accumulation in the lower layers. In addition, some of the emitted VOC, such as alkylbenzenes and monoterpenes, can contribute to tropospheric ozone formation.
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•The potential threat to population of VOC emissions from landfills was assessed.•VOC composition of biogas from seven landfills was determined with GC–MS analysis.•Some of the toxic VOC found could be associated with dumping of industrial waste.•Model simulations estimated that VOC plume did not affect local population health.•VOC emission however could contribute to tropospheric ozone and particle formation.