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<p>Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in rural regions remains a challenge due to limited collection and disposal infrastructure. This study assessed the composition of MSW in the Sierra Norte of Puebla and estimated the environmental impacts of its combustion under different scenarios using simulation approaches. The methodology involved four steps: (1) waste characterization by the quartering method; (2) estimation of pollutant emissions with established emission factors; (3) dispersion and deposition modeling with a Gaussian plume approach; and (4) calculation of the carbon footprint. Results showed that organics were the dominant fraction (57.3%), followed by glass (12.1%), rigid plastics (4.4%), and disposable diapers (5.2%). Incomplete combustion produced the highest pollutant loads, particularly dioxins and furans (805,514&#xa0;µg TEQ annually, about five times higher than controlled incineration). Open burning was also estimated to release 6,200 t CO₂ per year. Dispersion simulations indicated pollutant transport by prevailing winds, with deposition in soil and water that may threaten agriculture and biodiversity. The total carbon footprint was 876,148&#xa0;kg CO₂-eq yr⁻¹. These findings underscore the environmental risks of open burning in rural Mexico and the urgent need for alternatives such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and recycling adapted to local conditions.</p>

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Environmental consequences of waste burning in rural mexico: A Simulation-Based case study from the Sierra Norte of Puebla

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月27日

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  • P. E. Escamilla-García,
  • Z. Rivera-Bonilla,
  • C. C. Caire-Alfaro,
  • M. G. Aguilera-Arreola,
  • E. J. Coronel-Ayala

摘要

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in rural regions remains a challenge due to limited collection and disposal infrastructure. This study assessed the composition of MSW in the Sierra Norte of Puebla and estimated the environmental impacts of its combustion under different scenarios using simulation approaches. The methodology involved four steps: (1) waste characterization by the quartering method; (2) estimation of pollutant emissions with established emission factors; (3) dispersion and deposition modeling with a Gaussian plume approach; and (4) calculation of the carbon footprint. Results showed that organics were the dominant fraction (57.3%), followed by glass (12.1%), rigid plastics (4.4%), and disposable diapers (5.2%). Incomplete combustion produced the highest pollutant loads, particularly dioxins and furans (805,514 µg TEQ annually, about five times higher than controlled incineration). Open burning was also estimated to release 6,200 t CO₂ per year. Dispersion simulations indicated pollutant transport by prevailing winds, with deposition in soil and water that may threaten agriculture and biodiversity. The total carbon footprint was 876,148 kg CO₂-eq yr⁻¹. These findings underscore the environmental risks of open burning in rural Mexico and the urgent need for alternatives such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and recycling adapted to local conditions.