Relationships between emitted volatile organic compounds and their concentration in the pile during municipal solid waste composting.

Graphical abstract Highlights • The chemical family distribution of VOC in pile was homogeneous during composting. • Concentrations of emitted VOC was not dependent on their concentrations in the pile. • Amount and chemical distribution of emitted VOC were driven by microbial activity. • Anaerobic conditions altered the chemical family distribution of emitted VOC. Abstract Composting operations taking place at municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plants represent a source of volatile organic compounds (VOC) to the atmosphere. Understanding the variables governing the release of VOC at these facilities is crucial to assess potential health risks for site workers and local residents. In this work the changes in the VOC composition of a composting pile were monitored and compared to the VOC emmited from the same pile in order to understand the impact of composting operations on the release of VOC. More than one hundred VOC were indentified in the solid phase of the composting piles, which were dominated by terpenes (about 50% of the total amount of VOC) and in a lower quantity alcohols, volatile fatty acids and aromatic compounds. There was a reduction in the total concentration of VOC in the pile during composting, from 45 to 35 mg/kg, but the compostion and distribution of VOC families remained stable in the pile even in the mature compost. However, there was no correlation between the emitted VOC and their concentration in the composting pile. The VOC emission pattern was affected by the biological activity in the pile (measured by temperature, CO 2 evolution and the presence of CH 4 emissions). The highest VOC emissions were detected at early stages of the process, alongside with the generation of CH 4 in the pile, and then decreased sharply in the mature compost as a consequence of biodegradation and volatilisation. These results pointed to the importance of composting operation rather than the composition of the raw materials on the release of VOC in composting plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]