Impacts of Waste on Air
​Although it may not sound intuitive, waste has a significant impact on the quality of air. Many waste disposal and management methods such as incineration and open landfills can highly degrade the air quality of a certain region.
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Odors ：
Most people experience unpleasant odors from Food wastes such as: rotten fish, fowl, animals, or shellfish; spoiled milk, vegetables, and fruit; and rancid fat. All of these wastes can decompose quickly and readily and can produce odors that most people consider annoying and unpleasant.
Industrial wastes releasing Sulfur or Nitrogen compounds such as those generated from paper-making processes, wastewater treatment processes, agricultural activities, and food processing also produce similar unpleasant odors.
Most common odor-causing compounds at landfills:
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Hydrogen sulfide
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Sulfur dioxide
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Ammonia
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Methyl mercaptan
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Greenhouse Effect ：
Waste contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide are among the greenhouse gases that are generated during the anaerobic treatment, combustion, and landfilling of wastes.
U.S. landfills release an estimated 163 million tons of CO2 equivalent to the atmosphere annually.
Did you know ?
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Health Effects :
The impact of waste on air pollution must be taken very seriously as it has led to the spread of many diseases and presents some dangerous health effects. One of the cities with major waste management problems has been Naples, where the mafia is accused of dumping toxic waste around the city and thereby causing high rates of cancer, allergies, and birth defects. Another good example of a city suffering from waste was Surat in India, where a pneumonic plague epidemic broke out in 1994, causing 52 deaths
