Quantifying Methane Oxidation from Landfills Using Stable Isotope Analysis of Downwind Plumes

Abstract

Landfills are major contributors to the atmospheric CH4 budget. A major uncertainty in estimating CH4 flux from landfills is determining the attenuation of CH4 emission by methanotrophic bacteria in the aerobic outer portions of the cover soil. These bacteria intercept the gas as it migrates toward the atmosphere. To estimate cover soil oxidation, we made seasonal measurements of the difference in the δ13C of CH4 within the anoxic zone and CH4 released from landfills and captured downwind at two landfills in the Northeastern United States. Anoxic zone CH4 at the Nashua Landfill averaged −54.6 ± 0.7‰, n = 205, and displayed no significant seasonal pattern. Methane was in excess over ambient air concentrations in the downwind plume ranging from 2.13 to 3.41 ppmv. The δ13C of excess CH4, as determined by mass balance with correction for ambient air CH4, varied from −49.35 to −54.28‰. We used these values to calculate soil CH4 oxidation, which ranged from 0 to 23.6%. Oxidation was greatest in the summer and in the fall, with an annual value of 12 ± 8%. At a second landfill, plume CH4 ranged from 1.96 to 2.92 ppmv with excess δ13C values of −52.17 to −58.06‰. Oxidation at this landfill ranged from 0 to 14%.