Odour impact assessment of a large municipal solid waste landfill under different working phases

Abstract

Odours are among the main causes of complaints in regards to environmental issues for a variety of plants, including landfills. The emissions from landfills can affect the quality of life and negatively influence the area nearby. To protect people living in the surroundings from excessive odour exposures, different environmental protection practices may be implemented. In order to optimize technical and economic aspects, various configurations should be taken into account. In this view, the odour dispersion modelling represents a suitable tool to simulate different scenarios. In the present study, the odour impact from a large landfill located in Borgo Montello (Lazio Region, Italy) has been assessed by a dispersion model. Different operating conditions were simulated, in view of minimizing the odour annoyance during the phase of temporary closure of an area of the investigated plant. The Calpuff model was selected as it is well recognized among the preferred models for assessing the long range transport of pollutants. The Odour Emission Rates, inputs to the model, were calculated based on the results of dynamic olfactometry. The outputs from the dispersion model were investigated to define the best measures for the control of the odour emissions during the most impactful operations.