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Dynamics of PM2.5 pollution in the vicinity of the old municipal solid waste dumpsite

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Abstract

The present study explored the effect of local meteorology on the dispersion of PM2.5 from a 30-year open municipal solid waste (MSW) dumpsite in Chennai, India. The spatial monitoring was conducted in and around the dumpsite to understand the impacts of dumpsite activities on the nearby residential area. Results showed that dumpsite activities are responsible for deteriorating local air quality. The 24-h average PM2.5 concentrations were 50, 43.7, and 34 µg m−3 during stagnation, recirculation, and ventilation events, respectively. Spearman’s correlation showed an inverse relationship between PM2.5 and temperature; wind speed indicated dispersion of fine aerosols. The observed inverse relationship between PM2.5 and relative humidity indicated the hygroscopic growth of fine aerosols in the study area. We used AERMOD to simulate the dispersion of 1-h, 8-h, and 24-h PM2.5 emissions from open waste burning in the dumpsite. The 1-h, 8-h, and 24-h simulated results showed the maximum concentration of 247, 136, and 53.4 µg m−3 in the dumpsite, and concentration levels ranged between 50–60, 30–50, and 10–20 µg m−3 were observed in the nearby residential area. The AERMOD predictions indicated that open waste burning could be a significant contributor to high PM2.5 concentration in an adjacent residential area of the dumpsite.

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Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in the supplementary material. The analysed data of seasonal PM2.5 concentration and meteorological parameters are available in the supplementary information (Table S1 and S2). The raw data of PM spatial monitoring conducted inside and outside the dumpsite is available in the supplementary information (Table S3 and S4). The statistical summary of spatial PM concentrations measured inside and outside the dumpsite is available in the supplementary information (Table S2).

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Acknowledgements

We express gratitude to the Director and staff members of the National Institute of Wind Energy, Pallikaranai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, for their support and help in setting up the air quality monitoring. We thank Dr Jyothi S Menon and Ms Harsha for their help during our research work.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India, 600 036

    Anju Elizbath Peter & S. M. Shiva Nagendra

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  1. Anju Elizbath Peter
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Correspondence to Anju Elizbath Peter.

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Peter, A.E., Nagendra, S.M.S. Dynamics of PM2.5 pollution in the vicinity of the old municipal solid waste dumpsite. Environ Monit Assess 193, 281 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09052-8

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