Level of BTEX in the Areas of Domestic Waste Incinerators in Northern Vietnam: A Comprehensive Assessment of Contamination, Composition and Human Health Risk

The trend of the treatment of solid domestic waste by the domestic waste incinerator system is an option to improve waste management and to reduce the negative impacts on the environment and human health. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (o-, m- and p-) (BTEX) are toxic chemical environmental contaminants that are released from different sources such as the domestic waste incinerator system. To determine the concentration of BTEX in the ambient air from these incinerator areas, the research team conducted four sampling campaigns in April, June, September, and November 2021, with a total of 80 samples collected. Concentrations of benzene, toluene, (m,p)-xylenes, o- xylenes and ethylbenzene ranged from 4.53 to 36.75 µg/m³, from 16.29 µg/m³ to 125.36 µg/m³, from 2.82 µg/m³ to 31.45 µg/m³, from 1.42 µg/m³ to 25.61 µg/m³, from 1.32 µg/m³ to 10.79 µg/m³, respectively. As a result of the risk assessment, it was determined that the incinerator's exhaust gas caused secondary environmental damage, impacting the health of not only workers but also people living in nearby communities. On that basis, the article recommends applying a number of management measures to minimize the negative impacts of the operation of the solid waste incinerator on the environment and the health of the workers operating the incinerator.