Level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission in the ambient air and residual ash from a typical municipal solid waste open burning site in Nigeria

Open burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a common practice in Nigeria. Emission of compounds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) in ambient air and ash residues from burning of these wastes pose a great danger to the environment. This study investigated the contribution of open burning of MSW to the levels of PAHs in ambient air and ash residues from the burning site. Ash samples were obtained from six sampling locations at a MSW burning site. Polyurethane foam passive samplers were used in collecting ambient air samples. Quantification of PAHs was carried out using GC–MS operated in selected ion monitoring mode. The trend of ambient concentration of PAHs was; ∑ PAHs AS-A (4.023) > AS-B (3.798) > AS-D (3.468) > AS-C (3.288), while average concentration of PAHs in the ash was 6.12 mg/kg. Concentrations of PAHs in ash samples ranged from 5.69–6.34 mg/kg. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most of the PAHs in the ambient were from MSW combustion. The results obtained suggest that concerted effort of the government and the relevant stakeholders is required to safeguard the environment and humans from PAH pollution from open burning of MSW.