A multi-methodological approach to determine CO2 and CH4 fluxes and concentrations in solid waste disposal

The municipal solid waste （MSW） landfills are the significant sources of atmospheric contamination, due to biogas production by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter via bacterial activity. Biogas released from landfills is commonly composed of a mixture of methane （55%-60%） and carbon dioxide （40%-45%）, with minor contents of N2, H2, CO and traces of toxic and bad smelling inorganic and organic compounds. Particular attention has to be paid to CH4 and CO2 because of their liability for the greenhouse effect. Presently, the U.S. methane emission from landfills is considered to be about 25% of the total methane released to the atmosphere. Accordingly, field measurements should be planned in order to verify and, eventually, optimize the amount of gases released from waste disposals to the atmosphere. Simultaneous measurements of methane and carbon dioxide fluxes are an effective tool to better evaluate： （1） the amount of biogas released, （2） the real efficiency of the impervious cover, and （3） the presence of anomalous degassing zones or of newly formed fractures. Static closed-chamber methods for CH4 and CO2 flux measurements have been developed and used in both natural and artificial systems. Furthermore, portable gas-chromatographers equipped with flame ionization detector （FID） and accumulation chamber connected to infrared detectors （IR） .have been utilized for measuring CH4 and CO2 fluxes, respectively. This paper deals with a detailed investigation that combines （1） CH4 and CO2 flux measurements from solid waste disposal and surrounding areas （determined by an accumulation chamber equipped with two IR detectors, respectively）, （2） chemical composition of soil and piezometer gases （collected in pre-evacuated glass tubes and analyzed by gas-chromatography）, and （3） CO2 linear concentration measurements on optical air paths with IR laser devices. This multi-methodological approach was successfully applied to an active MSW in Tuscany （Central Italy）. The analytical results have shown that the CO2/CH4 ratios of the piezometer gases have large variations, likely related to the different stage of decomposition processes affecting the heterogeneous solid material of the waste landfill. Significant contents of light hydrocarbons and BTX were also detected.

A multi-methodological approach to determine CO2 and CH4 fluxes and concentrations in solid waste disposal