Release of Harmful Air Pollutants from Open Burning of Domestic Municipal Solid Wastes in a Metropolitan Area of Korea

Abstract

Open burning of solid wastes, a potential nonpoint emission source, has recently become a topic of interests, particularly in the metropolitan area of Seoul, Korea. To estimate the effects of irregular open burning on local air quality, we evaluated the emission levels of harmful substances from test combustion of individual types of domestic municipal solid waste (MSW), including paper, wood, and plastics. The emission factors of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , PAHs, and heavy metals obtained from laboratory tests differed depending on the combustion material. A brief survey of residents and local government officials showed that more than 10.6% of homes in the metropolitan area have eliminated waste by irregular burning. Based on the public survey in the test area, the average annual emissions of hazardous materials from frequent open burning was estimated to be 71 tons for PM 10 , 46.6 tons for PM 2.5 , 914 kg for heavy metals, and 67 kg for PAHs. Open burning creates nearly 0.44% of regional air pollution from PM 10 .

Emission factors for PM<sub>10</sub> and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from illegal burning of different types of municipal waste in households

“…Emissions from wood burning were estimated to contribute to about 30 % of the PM 2.5 fraction in Portugal (Goncalves et al, 2012). In Lombardy somewhat lower contributions (5 %-25 % to PM 10 ) were estimated (Pastorello et al, 2011), even in the city of Milan (Piazzalunga et al, 2011). Based on recent studies fine particles from wood combustion may cause severe health effects such as lung cancer, chronic lung and heart diseases (Rafael et al, 2015;Bai et al, 2015); contribute to visibility reduction (Pipal and Satsangi, 2015); and even modify synoptic conditions (Tiwari et al, 2015).…”

Environmental Impact of Open Burning of Municipal Solid Wastes Dumps in Parts of Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

“…Some studies carried out to assess the effect of open burning of municipal solid wastes on air quality have shown that the types of air pollutants and the levels of pollution are dependent on the composition of the solid wastes burnt. In a survey carried out by [33] in Korea to evaluate the emission levels of harmful substances from test combustion of individual types of domestic municipal solid waste, it was estimated that the average annual emissions of hazardous materials from frequent open burning were 71 tons for PM10, 46.6 tons for PM2.5, 914 kg for heavy metals, and 67 kg for PAHs with open burning creating nearly 0.44% of regional air pollution from PM10.Similarly, [34] estimated annual levels of the pollutants from the open burning of MSW in Nigerian cities and found that wide varieties of both inorganic and organic air pollutants were released with associated human health and environmental impacts. [35] carried out an investigation to assess the amount of air pollution emitted from household solid waste open burning in Thailand and discovered that a total of 4.09 Mt/year of wastes were burnt in open areas.…”

Size-specific PAHs and Associated Health Risks over a Tropical Urban Metropolis: Role of Long-range Transport and Meteorology

“…The solid wastes include mainly paper, plastics, rubber products, wood and agricultural residue. Several studies reported release of ANT, PHE, FLT, PYR, BaA, BaP, BghiP and IP from municipal solid waste incineration, plastic burning and fly ash from agricultural residue burning (Li et al, 2001;Mi et al, 2001;Kakareka and Kukharchyk, 2003;Park et al, 2013). Therefore, the profile composed of mainly 3,4-PAHs like PHE, PYR, BaA, CHRY and 5,6-PAHs like BaP, IP and BghiP indicates factor-4 as the possible PAH source from municipal solid waste incineration, wood, and BB.…”