Scaling methane oxidation: From laboratory incubation experiments to landfill cover field conditions

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Waste Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2010.12.002· OSTI ID:21550365

Abichou, Tarek ^[1]; Mahieu, Koenraad; Chanton, Jeff ^[1]; Romdhane, Mehrez; Mansouri, Imane ^[2]

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1. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32311 (United States)
2. Unite de Recherche M.A.C.S., Ecole Nationale d'Ingenieurs de Gabes, Route de Medenine, 6029 Gabes (Tunisia)

Evaluating field-scale methane oxidation in landfill cover soils using numerical models is gaining interest in the solid waste industry as research has made it clear that methane oxidation in the field is a complex function of climatic conditions, soil type, cover design, and incoming flux of landfill gas from the waste mass. Numerical models can account for these parameters as they change with time and space under field conditions. In this study, we developed temperature, and water content correction factors for methane oxidation parameters. We also introduced a possible correction to account for the different soil structure under field conditions. These parameters were defined in laboratory incubation experiments performed on homogenized soil specimens and were used to predict the actual methane oxidation rates to be expected under field conditions. Water content and temperature corrections factors were obtained for the methane oxidation rate parameter to be used when modeling methane oxidation in the field. To predict in situ measured rates of methane with the model it was necessary to set the half saturation constant of methane and oxygen, K{sub m}, to 5%, approximately five times larger than laboratory measured values. We hypothesize that this discrepancy reflects differences in soil structure between homogenized soil conditions in the lab and actual aggregated soil structure in the field. When all of these correction factors were re-introduced into the oxidation module of our model, it was able to reproduce surface emissions (as measured by static flux chambers) and percent oxidation (as measured by stable isotope techniques) within the range measured in the field.

• OSTI ID: 21550365
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Vol. 31, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.12.002; PII: S0956-053X(10)00596-9; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CLIMATES
CORRECTIONS
EMISSION
GREENHOUSE GASES
INCUBATION
LANDFILL GAS
METHANE
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SIMULATION
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACES
ALKANES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES