The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	A study of volatile organic compound emissions in the ambient air of a sanitary landfill in Richard W. DeKorte State Park, New Jersey
Author:	Gao, Minsen
View Online:	njit-etd1989-048 ([vii], 101 pages ~ 4.1 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Kebbekus, Barbara B. (Committee chair) Bozzelli, Joseph W. (Committee member) Greenberg, Arthur (Committee member)
Date:	1989-05
Keywords:	Air -- Pollution -- New Jersey Sanitary landfills -- New Jersey Gas chromatography
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	A study was made of 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air emissions of a sanitary landfill located at Richard W. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The samples were collected from July 1986 to September 1987 at 10 designated landfill sites over the selected time period from 4 to 24 hours by drawing the air to be analyzed through a Tenax trap. An average 10 to 15 liters of air sample was collected each time. Sample analysis is done on a Varian Gas Chromatograph (GC) combined with a Tekmar Thermal Desorber. A standard gas mixture of the 15 VOCs and a purchased benzene standard was used to calibrate the accuracy of GC analysis on the beginning and end of each batch procedure and a precision control program was performed on selected duplicate air samples to authenticate the stability of instruments. A comparison of exposure assessment was made on six volatile compounds between several urban cities in the other states and the landfill sample data in this study. Another comparison of exposure assessment were made using the literature data on Elizabeth, New Jersey, and the landfill samples for five high ranked volatile compounds. The daily exposure dose and the carcinogen risk assessment were also calculated to show the significance of the ambient risk posed by these VOCs. An ANOVA statistical method is applied to verify the whole set of data collect and it also shows almost no difference in the data consistency between the all 15 target VOCs. These measurement of the 15 VOCs show that the exposure to the levels of VOCs detected at DeKorte Park would not increase the risk of cancer in individuals residing in the surrounding urban environment.