Minimizing N 2O fluxes from full-scale municipal solid waste landfill with properly selected cover soil

Abstract

Municipal solid waste landfills emit nitrous oxide (N 2O) gas. Assuming that the soil cover is the primary N 2O source from landfills, this study tested, during a four-year project, the hypothesis that the proper use of chosen soils with fine texture minimizes N 2O emissions. A full-scale sanitary landfill, a full-scale bioreactor landfill and a cell planted with Nerium indicum or Festuca arundinacea Schreb, at the Hangzhou Tianziling landfill in Hangzhou City were the test sites. The N 2O emission rates from all test sites were considerably lower than those reported in the published reports. Specifically, the N 2O emission rate was dependent on soil water content and nitrate concentrations in the cover soil. The effects of leachate recirculation and irrigation were minimal. Properly chosen cover soils applied to the landfills reduced N 2O flux.