Evaluation of methane generation rate and potential from selected landfills in Malaysia

Abstract

Methane emissions and oxidation were measured during the wet and dry seasons at the Air Hitam, Jeram, and Sungai Sedu landfills in Malaysia. The resulting levels of methane emissions and oxidation were then modeled using the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change 1996 first order decay (FOD) model to obtain methane generation rate and potential values. Emissions measurements were performed using a fabricated static flux chamber. A combination of gas concentrations in soil profiles and surface methane and carbon dioxide emissions at four monitoring locations in each landfill was used to estimate the methane oxidation capacity. The methane potential value was 151.7 m3 t−1 for the Air Hitam and Jeram sanitary landfills and 75.9 m3 t−1 for the Sungai Sedu open dumping landfill. The methane generation rate value of the Jeram and Air Hitam sanitary landfills during the wet season was 0.136 year−1, while that of Jeram during the dry season was 0.072 year−1. The methane generation rate values of the Sungai Sedu open dumping landfill during the wet and dry seasons were 0.008 and 0.0049 year−1, respectively. The observed values of methane generation rate and potential assist to accurately estimate total methane emissions from Malaysian landfills using the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change FOD model.