STOICHIOMETRIC CALCULATIONS OF EMISSION FACTORS TO ESTIMATE FUGITIVE GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS OF A SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTER

Abstract

Emission Factors (EF) are representative values which relate the amount of gases released into the atmosphere by the development of an activity, allowing the estimation of emission rates (e.g., in the solid waste generated). The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) requires particular EF. In this study, emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in a higher education institution (HEI) were estimated. The EFs from OFMSW were obtained based on stoichiometry calculations considering the aerobic and anaerobic decomposition processes. The monitoring of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily generation during 2017 in the HEI and the use of bibliographic EF allowed the calculation of the initial emission rate. The HEI studied has 26 sources of waste generation. It generated 31.05 t/yr of MSW, an average of 146.5 kg/d and a per capita generation of 0.07 kg/d. Eighteen by-products were identified, 13 of them recoverable. Initially, the negative emission was 7617.4 kg CO2e, attributable to 7.08 t of recoverable MSW, and the positive emission was 1178.1 kg CO2e from final disposal. The EFs obtained adjusted the negative final emission to 8153 t CO2e and the positive final emission to 651.3 kg CO2e. Proper management of the MSW generated in work or educational centers allows reducing environmental impacts, recovering raw materials and energy.