Exploring the presence of BTEX compounds in municipal solid waste management facilities as the toxic reality: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION

Exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) can lead to various health issues. Despite the proven health effects, there are limited studies on the presence of BTEX compounds in municipal solid waste management facilities (MSWMFs). This study aims to evaluate the presence, sampling methods, and detection of BTEX in MSWMFs.

CONTENT: In the present study, the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were combined by selected keywords using Boolean operators for published articles until March 30th, 2025. Finally, statistical analyses and comparisons were performed to make management decisions to reduce health impacts.

SUMMARY: After the systematic search, 2,794 articles were found that matched with search strategy; 20 of them were used for data extraction. Results show that the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in MSWMFs were 0.479-271 μg/m3, 0.25-514 μg/m3, 0.13-565.9 μg/m3 and 0.43-362.925 μg/m3, respectively.

OUTLOOK: The present study can provide crucial new insights for governments to make a management decision for environmental and occupational pollutions associated with BTEX emissions in MSWMFs. So, future research and monitoring will be essential to control and reduce the health issues that are related to BTEX exposure.