Chemical and Microbiological Air Quality in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill and Its Surroundings, in South-Eastern Romania

Mirel Pop, Iulia Bucur, Dan Zoldan, Kálmán Imre, Ileana Nichita, Gașpar Cristina, Andreea Tîrziu and Emil Tîrziu
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Mirel Pop: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Iulia Bucur: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Dan Zoldan: Vidra Landfill, 077186 Ilfov County, Romania
Kálmán Imre: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Ileana Nichita: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Gașpar Cristina: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Andreea Tîrziu: Ophtalmology Department, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Piața Eftimie Murgu 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Emil Tîrziu: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological and chemical air quality in a municipal solid waste landfill and its inhabited surroundings, in a particular context in which Romania struggles with the incapacity to comply with its environmental commitments. The research was conducted on a landfill near the capital Bucharest between November 2018 and September 2019. To evaluate the chemical (oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and carbon monoxide–MX6 iBrid™ Détector multigas) and microbiological (airborne bacteria and fungi–aspiration method) parameters, eight sampling points were established, located both on the perimeter of the landfill and within its surroundings. CO and CH 4 were not detected in any of the sampling points, during the study period; O 2 was in normal values 20.09–21.05%; CO 2 had a maximum average concentration of 620 ± 215; H 2 S had values between 0.1 and 5.0 ppm only in the sampling points inside the landfill; NH 3 was present only once in a single sampling point with values between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm. The microbiological results provide an overview of the total plate count and total fungal count, with no significant differences between the level of contamination inside the landfill and within its surroundings ( p > 0.05). Ten bacterial species and fungi from six genera have been identified. It was also found that the number of microorganisms in the air was significantly lower during the winter, spring and early summer months compared with the late summer and autumn months ( p < 0.05).

Keywords: landfill; air quality; chemical and microbiological contaminants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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