Evaluation of methane emissions from Palermo municipal landfill: Comparison between field measurements and models

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Waste Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.03.013· OSTI ID:21578459

Viviani, Gaspare ^[1]

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1. Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Aerospaziale, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)

Methane (CH{sub 4}) diffuse emissions from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills represent one of the most important anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas. CH{sub 4} is produced by anaerobic biodegradation of organic matter in landfilled MSW and constitutes a major component of landfill gas (LFG). Gas recovery is a suitable method to effectively control CH{sub 4} emissions from landfill sites and the quantification of CH{sub 4} emissions represents a good tool to evaluate the effectiveness of a gas recovery system in reducing LFG emissions. In particular, LFG emissions can indirectly be evaluated from mass balance equations between LFG production, recovery and oxidation in the landfill, as well as by a direct approach based on LFG emission measurements from the landfill surface. However, up to now few direct measurements of landfill CH{sub 4} diffuse emissions have been reported in the technical literature. In the present study, both modeling and direct emission measuring methodologies have been applied to the case study of Bellolampo landfill located in Palermo, Italy. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate CH{sub 4} diffuse emissions, based on direct measurements carried out with the flux accumulation chamber (static, non-stationary) method, as well as to obtain the CH{sub 4} contoured flux map of the landfill. Such emissions were compared with the estimate achieved by means of CH{sub 4} mass balance equations. The results showed that the emissions obtained by applying the flux chamber method are in good agreement with the ones derived by the application of the mass balance equation, and that the evaluated contoured flux maps represent a reliable tool to locate areas with abnormal emissions in order to optimize the gas recovery system efficiency.

• OSTI ID: 21578459
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Journal Name: Waste Management Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 31; ISSN WAMAE2; ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKANES
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EFFICIENCY
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUATIONS
EUROPE
EVALUATION
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GREENHOUSE GASES
HYDROCARBONS
ITALY
LANDFILL GAS
MANAGEMENT
MASS BALANCE
MATTER
METHANE
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SIMULATION
SOLID WASTES
SURFACES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WESTERN EUROPE