Comparative toxicological and ecotoxicological valuation of volatile emissions from sanitary landfills and waste combustion plants

This work makes a comparative valuation of nuisance concentrations of selected pollutants in the vicinity of disposal sites for hazardous waste and near a municipal waste combustion plant, taking the background nuisance situation into account. The focus is, particularly, on gaseous contaminants with concerogenous potential. Contrary to older waste combustion plants, i.e., plants of the previous generation with obsolete flue gas cleaning systems, modern waste combustion plants release only minute amounts of pollutants into the environment. The resulting nuisances are not hazardous to health and mostly are lower than background nuisance levels in rural areas. Residents near sanitary landfills or disposal sites for hazardous work are exposed to higher emissions and bear a higher additional risk of developing cancer than those near a modern waste combustion plant. (orig.)