The critical factors of landfill fire impact on air quality

Abstract

Simulations show that landfill fires are a serious regional concern. This study presents a three-parameter method for assessing the impact of landfill fires on the atmosphere based on landfill fire data in Poland from 2018. HYSPLIT simulations were performed to assess the spatial impact of the particulate matter (PM) <10 μ m (PM _10 ) emitted during each fire in regions with elevated concentrations of PM _10 . Additionally, for each fire, the population exposed to an increased PM _10 concentration due to the landfill fire was determined. Three parameters, namely the area and range of the PM concentrations and the population affected, were calculated for each additional concentration level and analyzed using geodetic information software. The analysis of these three parameters shows that despite being correlated for concentrations of 10 and 1 μ g m ^−3 , there are no equations that can eliminate any of the three parameters, and all of them are required for the proper assessment of landfill fire impacts on air quality. Choosing the arbitrary reference concentration levels in the assessment shows that our method is adaptable for any law, health regulation, or recommendation.

Keywords

• landfill fires
• environmental impact
• public health
• HYSPLIT
• PM10
• air quality