Odor emission characteristics in solid waste landfills: A review
This paper focuses on methods for quantifying landfill gas emissions, including odor, odor generation mechanisms, odor emission characteristics according to the time of waste deposition, and odor measurement data from landfills. This study analyzed the concentration ranges and median values of 22 odor compounds measured at landfill gas collection wells and various landfill surface locations across both domestic and international landfill sites. These locations included active operational areas, final cover surfaces, and leachate treatment zones. The odor with the highest measured concentration at the landfill gas collection well was H2S (with a median value of 818,616 mg m–3). During landfill operations and on the surface of uncovered landfill layers, the concentrations of NH3 (with a median value of 1,613 mg m–3) and H2S (with a median value of 279.5 mg m–3) were found to be high . Concentrations of toluene, xylene, ketones, and sulfide odors were also high at covered landfill surfaces. Additionally, NH3, styrene, and H2S had high concentrations in the leachate treatment area. The odor intensity, measured on the surface of covered sanitary landfills for domestic waste, ranged from 6 to 2,080 mg m–3 (dilution to threshold). The concentrations of NH3 and H2S were relatively high in domestic sanitary landfills. The odorous compounds that contributed the most to odor intensity were nitrogen-containing odors, sulfur-containing odors, and aldehydes. In order to effectively manage landfill odors in the future, research should be continuously conducted to accurately measure and predict odor emission fluxes from landfills. In addition, it will be necessary to develop emission reduction technologies that take into account landfill odor emission characteristics.