Abstract
In this study, we investigated the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the ambient air of a small scale municipal waste landfill site. Seasonal sampling was carried out simultaneously at two sites, i.e. one in the center of the landfill area, and the other at a boundary site. Among 38 target VOC, toluene appeared to be the most dominant compound, followed by benzene. and xylenes. The higher levels of BTX imply that paint -containing materials and/or organic solvents are the most significant sources of the VOC in the landfill environment. Seasonal variations for the samples collected at the landfill site indicated that the VOC concentrations tend to be higher in the spring and fall season and lower in the winter season. In addition, night- time concentrations appeared to be generally higher than day-time. Such daily variation might be due to more stabilized atmosphere during the night-time. Similar patterns were also found in samples collected at a boundary site. This study demonstrated that the municipal landfill, although it is small -scaled, could be an important emission source of atmospheric VOC, particularly in the vicinities of the landfill. Thus, an appropriate control strategy is required to prevent any undesirable secondary pollutions from the environmental sanitary facilities such as landfill.
