Methane and leachate pollutant emission potential from various fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW): Effects of source separation and aerobic treatment

Abstract

The effects of source-separation of putrescibles as well as aerobic pre-treatment and landfill aeration on the pollutant emission potential of methane and leachate pollutants were studied in the fresh (PFMSW) and composted (CPFMSW) source-separated putrescible fraction of municipal solid waste, and in the grey waste, and in lysimeter landfilled grey waste and ten-year-old unsorted MSW from our landfill lysimeter study. After 0, 23 and 51 days, an aerobic lysimeter experiment, an elution test and biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was done on samples. PFMSW had high methane (CH₄) potential (410 m³CH₄ t^-1TS) as well as a high amount of ammonium-nitrogen (3.6 kg NH₄-N) was eluted, whereas CPFMSW produced 41 m³CH₄ t^-1TS and 2.0 kg NH₄-N t^-1TS. A high nitrogen elution potential was found in the grey waste (2.1 kg NH₄-N t^-1TS). Aeration for 51 days in lysimeters reduced CH₄ potential by more than 68% for the PFMSW and CPFMSW samples, whereas for the lysimeter landfilled grey waste the reduction was 50% indicating the potential of aeration for CH₄ emission reduction. The effective separation and biological treatment of the PFMSW are important in reducing the environmental impacts of waste management, especially for minimising the methane potential of MSW fractions.

Keywords

Aeration anaerobic biogas elution grey waste landfill leachate municipal solid waste methane source-separation wmr 562-6

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