of 2012 is mainly attributed to sulfur compounds; though samples
taken in the winter of 2013 presented more diversity in odorous
compounds than those in 2012, no compounds turned out to be
the main odor contributor (Fig. 4).
Aldehydes, ketones, esters, and sulfur compounds are widely
recognized as major odorants in landfills (Dincer et al., 2006;
Kim et al., 2005; Kim, 2006). Particular attention needs to be paid
to sulfur compounds that have extremely low odor thresholds. The
high odor concentrations that appeared in spring and autumn in
the current study were usually caused by high concentrations of
sulfur compounds. The olfactory systems of humans seem to be
more tolerant of oxygenated compounds as evidenced by their
higher odor thresholds. Hence, although high concentrations of
oxygenated compounds were emitted from the working surface
in summer, the odor concentrations detected by triangle odor
bag method tended to be lower than those in the other seasons.