Management of classified municipal solid waste should focus on odor pollution and ozone formation potential caused by VOCs

VOCs, generated during municipal solid waste sorting, collection, transportation and treatment, are important causes of odor pollution and ozone formation. Sampling was conducted at 11 sampling sites in Suzhou waste stream 1 (other waste from a residential quarter, a transfer station, and a landfill) and waste stream 2 (kitchen waste from a residential quarter and waste from an anaerobic digestion plant). VOC emissions were mainly from the anaerobic digestion plant (31.8 mg/m3) and transfer station (22.9 mg/m3), while the emissions from the residential quarter and landfill were relatively small (from 113 to 982 μg/m3). Based on the theoretical value of odor potential, the anaerobic digestion plant and transfer station were also major sites of odor pollution, with ethanol, limonene, p-diethylbenzene and dimethyl sulfide as priority odor pollutants in the former and limonene in the transfer station. The anaerobic digestion plant and the transfer station also contributed most of the ozone formation potential. Ethanol, limonene and acetone were the priority pollutants of ozone formation in the anaerobic digestion plant, while it was toluene in the landfill, ethanol and limonene in the transfer station, and limonene in the kitchen waste. Anaerobic digestion plants and transfer stations should become the focus for management to reduce ozone formation potential and odor pollution. The study will provide information for theoretical value odor and ozone control of MSW and has reference value for MSW treatments in other developing areas and countries.