Seasonal Characterization and Possible Solutions for Municipal Solid Waste Management in the City of Patna, Bihar, India

Abstract

The present study aims to characterize the municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the municipality of Patna, the second-largest city in Eastern India. MSW is heterogeneous and the composition varies with seasons and within the different parts of the city. MSW samples were characterized for the three different seasons Winter (November), Summer (May), and Monsoon (August) to select feasible waste treatment methods. The physical characterization indicates that the major fractions of the MSW were biodegradable (48.83%) and inert (18.26%), which shows variations in different seasons of about ~5%. On a seasonal basis, the chemical characterization of MSW revealed that the moisture content varies between 43.21% to 51.78%, and volatile matter between 20.18% to 29.45%. ash content between 20.20% to 26.23% and fixed carbon between 4.11% to 5.91%. The C/N was found to be between 15.81 to 28.84 and the calorific value lies between 1212 to 2627 kcal.kg-1 during different seasons. The characterization of MSW highlights the virtue of waste segregation at the source and developing an efficient MSW system, including the potential for recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, and production of refuse-derived fuels (RDFs). The outcomes of the present study will be helpful for Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the planning for implementing suitable waste treatment technologies for integrated solid waste management systems (ISWM).

Keywords

• municipal solid waste, characterization, moisture content, calorific value