Managing municipal solid waste (MSW) presents many challenges, including the production of methane when MSW biodegrades in landfills. The search for methods to predict methane generation easily and accurately has been ongoing as MSW management improves and the damage presented by greenhouse gases is realized. To study MSW biodegradability, samples of solid waste were collected by sorting trash at four landfills and transfer stations in the southeast United States and transported to laboratories where the MSW was processed and analyzed for methane potential using biochemical methane potential assay, fiber content (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose), total carbon analysis, and elemental analysis. Searches for correlation between these data and methane generation revealed that average cellulose content correlated with methane generation potential (R2 = 0.90). A formula for predicting the methane potential of MSW samples using elemental analysis and 1 of 14 different correction factors, assigned by waste category type, is also presented. The methods presented in this work can help researchers and landfill operators better evaluate the methane potential of the MSW they work with.
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