Characterization of the volatile compounds emitted from municipal solid waste and identification of the key volatile pollutants

•Key volatile pollutants in the gaseous emissions of MSW were assessed.•Ethanol, methyl mercaptan and H2S were key pollutants during airtight storage stage.•DMDS, 1,2-dichloroethane and trichloroethylene were key pollutants during ventilation. Gaseous emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) have raised many concerns and complaints. Identifying the key volatile pollutants in the complex gaseous emissions from MSW is significant for the efficient mitigation of their odor nuisances and health risks. For this purpose, we present an integrated investigation of the key volatile pollutants in the gaseous emissions of MSW from the perspectives of emission patterns, odor concentrations and health risks. Air samples were collected during four different emission stages of the waste matrix for both chemical and olfactometric analyses. The total chemical concentrations of the volatile compounds in the air samples were in the range of 21.49 mg m−3 to 295.61 mg m−3, and the odor concentrations varied from 1122 ouE m−3 to 17,782 ouE m−3. The odor concentrations in the air samples were well correlated with the odor activity values (OAVs) of sulfur compounds, oxygenated compounds and ammonia (r = 0.922, 0.879 and 0.780, respectively, for n = 17 and p