Abstract
Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Biogas is formed under anaerobic conditions by decomposition of the organic matter present in waste. The estimation of biogas production, which depends fundamentally on the type of waste deposited in the landfill, is essential when designing the gas capture system and the possible generation of energy. BIOLEACH, a mathematical model for the real-time management of MSW landfills, enables the estimation of biogas generation based on the waste mix characteristics and the local meteorological conditions. This work studies the impact of installing selective organic matter collection systems on landfill biogas production. These systems reduce the content of food waste that will eventually be deposited in the landfill. Results obtained using BIOLEACH on a set of scenarios under real climate conditions in a real landfill located in the Region of Murcia (Spain) are shown. Results demonstrate that actual CH4 and CO2 production depends fundamentally on the monthly amount of waste stored in the landfill, its chemical composition and the availability and distribution of water inside the landfill mass.
Highlights
In municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, biogas originates under anaerobic conditions from the decomposition of organic matter present in the waste [1,2,3]
Results demonstrate that actual CH4 and CO2 production depends fundamentally on the monthly amount of waste stored in the landfill, its chemical composition and the availability and distribution of water inside the landfill mass
The main composition of the biogas will depend on how the organic matter degradation process develops, while the appearance of compounds in trace amounts is linked to the chemical composition of the waste [6,7]
Summary
In municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, biogas originates under anaerobic conditions from the decomposition of organic matter present in the waste [1,2,3]. The main composition of the biogas will depend on how the organic matter degradation process develops, while the appearance of compounds in trace amounts is linked to the chemical composition of the waste [6,7]. Carbon dioxide and other halocarbon compounds present in biogas are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, that is, they prevent infrared radiation from leaving the atmosphere by absorbing it and this process generates heat that returns to the Earth’s surface [8]. The presence of high nitrogen content in the waste deposited inside the landfill causes emissions of nitrous oxide, which increases the warming of the atmosphere [10]. Halocarbon compounds, which can be found in biogas, degrade the ozone layer and increase the greenhouse
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