Methane emissions at nine landfill sites in the northeastern United States

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es981044z· OSTI ID:6317828

Mosher, B W; Czepiel, P M; Harriss, R C ^[1]; Shorter, J H; Kolb, C E; McManus, J B ^[2]; Allwine, E; Lamb, B K ^[3]

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1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States). Complex Systems Research Center
2. Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, MA (United States). Center for Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry
3. Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)

Methane emissions were measured at nine US landfill sites using chamber and/or tracer flux techniques. These flux measurement methodologies were compared at two sites, and excellent agreement was observed. Total methane emissions ranged from 540 to 30 100 L min[sup [minus]1]. Expressed on an area basis, methane fluxes ranged from a low of 9.1 g of CH[sub 4] m[sup [minus]2] d[sup [minus]1] at a closed 20-ha site with active gas recovery to 130 g of CH[sub 4] m[sup [minus]2] d[sup [minus]1] at a 23-ha active site with no gas recovery. Methane emission factors were calculated for seven of the nine sites. The two sites with no active gas recovery exhibited the highest emission factors of 4.8 and 5.1. Values were significantly lower at three sites with partial gas recovery, ranging from 1.6 to 3.7. At the two closed sites with active gas recovery, emission factors were much lower still. It is evident that even partial gas recovery at active landfill sites can significantly reduce methane emissions, and gas recovery at closed, covered sites reduces methane emissions to the atmosphere by as much as a factor of 10.

• OSTI ID: 6317828
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 33:12; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
09 BIOMASS FUELS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EMISSION
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METHANE
SANITARY LANDFILLS
ALKANES
CONTROL
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
PROCESSING
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
090900 - Biomass Fuels- Processing- (1990-)