An Assessment of Air Quality within Facilities of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) Sites in Lahore, Pakistan

The pollutants emission during the process of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is of great concern due to its hazardous effect on the environment and living organisms. An assessment of the air quality of MSWM sites was made after having 16 repetitive visits at solid waste disposal sites and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Syed Turab Raza, Sana Hafeez, Zulfiqar Ali, Zaheer Ahmad Nasir, Muhammad Moeen Butt, Irfan Saleem, Jianping Wu, Zhe Chen, Yunjian Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Processes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/9/9/1604
Description
Summary:The pollutants emission during the process of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is of great concern due to its hazardous effect on the environment and living organisms. An assessment of the air quality of MSWM sites was made after having 16 repetitive visits at solid waste disposal sites and transfer stations of Lahore during wet and dry seasons. Pollution parameters such as fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and greenhouse gases (GHG) were measured along with meteorological parameters. PM<sub>2.5</sub> measurement was made by using particle counter Dylos and TSI’s Dust Trak. Both of these instruments were positioned simultaneously at the source site and downwind (50 m). CH<sub>4</sub> and meteorological parameters were measured by Aeroqual 500 series, while the Extech CO220 monitor was used to measure CO<sub>2</sub> concentration. An assessment of air quality showed the levels of their mean values as CH<sub>4</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> ranged between 1.5–13.7 ppm and 443.4–515.7 ppm, respectively. The PM<sub>2.5</sub> ranged between 127.1 and 307.1 µg/m<sup>3</sup> at sources and 172.3 and 403.8 µg/m<sup>3</sup> downwind (50 m). GHG showed lower levels than the proposed limit value, which could not cause any health issues, while PM<sub>2.5</sub> was 6–10 times higher than the Pak-EPA established standards. Higher pollutant concentration was recorded in the dry season than the wet season. Regression analysis was performed to predict correlation of PM<sub>2.5</sub> with GHG and meteorological parameters. GHG as well as meteorological parameters also exhibited a correlation with PM<sub>2.5</sub>. It was estimated that the ambient air of such sites is not safe for public health. So, it is necessary to use safe practices for MSWM and its emission control to prevent nearby communities and the environment.
ISSN:2227-9717