Title: Mitigating methane emissions from passive landfill vents: a viable option for older closed landfills

Authors: Tarek Abichou, Lei Yuan, Jeffery Chanton, Jose Morales

Addresses: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA. ' Geosyntec Consultants, 10220 Old Columbia Road, Suite A, Columbia, Maryland 21046, USA. ' Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, 117 N. Woodward Ave., P.O. Box 3064320, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4320, USA. ' Environmental and Geotechnical Specialists, Inc., 3154 Eliza Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308, USA

Abstract: This study investigated the use of biofilters to reduce methane emissions from landfill passive gas vents. Two biofilter designs were evaluated. The two filter designs achieved similar percent oxidation averages. The radial biofilter design, however, obtained a much higher methane oxidation rate. The higher surface area of flow in the radial biofilters decreased the methane influx leading to greater oxygen penetration into the biofilters. An average percent oxidation of 20% and higher were obtained when air temperature was 20-36°C, indicating the optimal soil temperature for methanotrophs to oxidise methane.

Keywords: environmental pollution; methane emissions; biofilters; methane oxidation; gas concentration; landfill passive gas vents; closed landfills; soil temperature.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2011.041354

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2011 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.284 - 297

Published online: 25 Apr 2015 *

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