Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428384
Research Project: Strategies to Manage Feed Nutrients, Reduce Gas Emissions, and Promote Soil Health for Beef and Dairy Cattle Production Systems of the Southern Great Plains

Location: Livestock Nutrient Management Research

Title: Release of volatile organic compounds from raw and torrefied polymeric components of refuse-derived fuel: Characterization and implications

Author
item HEJNA, MALGORZATA - Wroclaw University Of Environmental And Life Sciences
item LYCZKO, JACEK - Wroclaw University Of Environmental And Life Sciences
item Koziel, Jacek
item ARMSTRONG, EMMA - Suny College
item NIRI, VADOUD - Suny College
item HADDADI, SHOKOUH - Suny College
item ANYSZKIEWICZ, JACEK - Lukasiewicz Research Network – Institute Of Non-Ferrous Metals
item BIALOWIEC, ANDRZEJ - Wroclaw Medical University

Submitted to: Waste Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/28/2026
Publication Date: 4/4/2026
Citation: Hejna, M., Lyczko, J., Koziel, J.A., Armstrong, E., Niri, V., Haddadi, S., Anyszkiewicz, J., Bialowiec, A. 2026. Release of volatile organic compounds from raw and torrefied polymeric components of refuse-derived fuel: Characterization and implications. Waste Management. 217. Paper no. 115506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2026.115506.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2026.115506

Interpretive Summary: Agricultural operations in the Southern High Plains utilize plastics for harvesting, packaging, storage, transport, and waste collection. The plastic waste is an abundant organic material of relatively low value once discarded. Adding value to abundant waste materials has been widely proposed to improve economic well-being. Technologies converting waste to energy can be part of the solution. Thermal treatment (roasting at low temperatures) of common plastic waste can be used to produce fuel called RDF. Yet, the RDF production itself carries the risk of emitting harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unfortunately, safety of RDF production is poorly understood. Accordingly, researchers from ARS (Bushland, Texas), SUNY Oswego, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences and the Lukasiewicz Research Network (Poland) demonstrated a release of hazardous VOC emissions during RDF production. The team identified toxic compounds of potential greatest impact on the occupational and end-user exposure to VOCs; and they made suggestions to mitigate VOC emissions. These findings help to move this technology from lab to industry.

Technical Abstract: The torrefaction of plastic waste to produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and carbonized solid fuel (CSF) offers a promising route for waste utilization and valorization, yet the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during this process raises concerns for environmental and occupational safety. This study systematically investigates VOC emissions from five polymeric RDF components, torrefied at 200–300'°C under inert conditions. VOC release varied depending on feedstock and treatment temperature, with aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated compounds being dominant. Although torrefaction reduces moisture and improves fuel quality, residual VOC release from CSF remains a concern. This work highlights the need for post-treatment assessment of RDF-derived CSF and provides a foundation for evaluating storage safety, environmental and health impact, and future regulatory considerations.