<p>The open burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) remains a significant environmental and public health challenge, particularly in developing regions where waste management systems are insufficiently regulated. This study investigates the integration of emission inventories with advanced dispersion modelling to characterize the atmospheric dynamics of pollutants released during MSW open burning. Detailed emission inventories, including particulate matters (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, were utilized to inform models like the American Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory air-dispersion model (AERMOD) and the weather research and forecasting model with chemistry (WRF-Chem). These models simulated the spatial and temporal distributions of contaminants, enabling the quantification of exposure risks and the identification of emission hotspots. The results revealed that pollutant concentrations, particularly in communities near waste dump sites, frequently exceed national air quality standards, with PM_2.5 and VOCs posing the greatest health risks. The findings emphasize the necessity for high-resolution emission inventories to enhance the predictive accuracy of dispersion models and provide actionable insights into mitigating pollutant impacts. This study presents a comprehensive framework for integrating emission and dispersion analyses, providing policymakers and stakeholders with a critical tool for developing evidence-based waste management strategies, regulatory interventions, and air quality control measures to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of MSW burning.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>