Application of the IPCC Waste Model to solid waste disposal sites in tropical countries: case study of Thailand

Measurements of landfill methane emission were performed at nine solid waste disposal sites in Thailand, including five managed sanitary landfills (four deep and one shallow landfills) and four unmanaged landfills (three deep and one shallow dumpsites). It was found that methane emissions during the rainy season were about five to six times higher than those during the winter and summer seasons in the case of managed landfills and two to five times higher in the case of unmanaged landfills. Methane emission estimate using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Waste Model was compared with the actual field measurement from the studied disposal sites with methane correction factors and methane oxidation factors that were obtained by error function analysis with default values of half-life parameters. The methane emissions from the first-order decay model from the IPCC Waste Model yielded fair results compared to field measurements. The best fitting values of methane correction factor were 0.65, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.1 for deep landfills, shallow landfills, deep dumpsites, and shallow dumpsites, respectively. Using these key parameters in the case of Thailand, it was estimated that 89.22 Gg of methane were released from solid waste disposal sites into the atmosphere in 2006.     

Assessment of potential impacts of municipal solid waste treatment alternatives by using life cycle approach: a case study in Vietnam

In Vietnam, most of municipal solid waste (MSW) is disposed of at open dumping and landfill sites, and the methane gas from waste is the un-ignorable source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. It is indispensable to explore the possibility for GHG mitigation in MSW management. The objective of this study was to estimate alternative waste treatment practices towards the GHG emission mitigation, energy consumption and generation, reduction of landfill volume, and various benefits for proposing the appropriate selection by scenario analyses for representative Vietnam’s cities. Impacts were calculated by utilizing life cycle assessment (LCA) method. A literature review survey on the current applicability of LCA database for assessing impacts from waste sector in developing countries, especially for Vietnam, was carried out. This study assessed the contribution of alternative solid waste treatment practices. The result showed that, except investment and operation costs, incineration with energy recovery seems the suitable alternative for treating waste from representative cities of Vietnam according to reduction of GHG emission and waste burden to landfill sites and energy recovery and generation. Besides, MSW composition was identified as an important factor directly influencing to impacts as well as other products and benefits of waste treatment alternatives. Reliable data on waste composition are indispensable for assessing to choose, improve, or plan the waste treatment practices towards sustainable development.     

Determination of nickel, copper, zinc and lead in human scalp hair in Syrian occupationally exposed workers by total reflection X-ray fluorescence

In this study, an attempt has been made to study methane flux and quantification of heavy metals from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill areas of selected cities in India. During the period of study, the average value of methane flux was estimated from these landfill areas varied from 146–454 mg/m2/h. Methane emission from landfill is of serious environmental global concern as it accounts for approximately 15 percentages of current Greenhouse gas emissions. It has been estimated that methane emission, from landfill areas in the world, in next two decades would be same as that what is emitted from paddy fields presently. Besides, the estimation of methane flux, quantification of some heavy metals was conducted to analyse the suitability of using MSW as compost. The average values for metals were observed to be both within the range of USEPA and Indian standards for MSW disposal in landfill areas and to be used as compost respectively.     

The composition, trend and impact of urban solid waste in Beijing

This paper provides an overview of the trend of generation, composition, and management of municipal solid waste, and estimates the carbon emissions arising from municipal solid waste management in Beijing. The correlation analysis conducted shows that the generation of municipal solid waste in Beijing has been growing steadily, showing high correlations (r > 0.9) to the total GDP, per capita income, and the population. Food waste showed an increasing trend since 1990. Compared with the results of an investigation in 1990, ash and woodchips content in 2003 declined from 56% to 17%, while the percentage of paper and plastic increased from 10% to 29% over the same period. The calorific value of the municipal waste also increased, from 2,686 kJ/kg in 1990 to 4,667 kJ/kg in 2003, indicating that the waste is suitable for incineration. Currently, the source separation ratio of municipal waste is approximately 15%. About 94% of all the collected solid waste goes to the landfill while 4% is composted and 2% is incinerated. A moderate garbage collection fee is applied to both permanent and temporary residents in Beijing, but the willingness to pay for solid waste collection and treatment is still low. Under current treatment mode, the total amounts of carbon emission from waste disposal sites and incineration increased with the increase of municipal solid waste, from 29.8 Gg in 1990 to 84.5 Gg in 2003, including 83.3 Gg of CH₄ and 22.0 Gg of CO₂. The data availability and methodological challenges in monitoring the quantity and characteristics of municipal solid waste are discussed.     

Analysis of multi-temporal landsat satellite images for monitoring land surface temperature of municipal solid waste disposal sites

This studypresents a remote sensing application of using time series Landsat satellite images for monitoring the Trail Road and Nepean municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Currently, the Trail Road landfill is in operation; however, during the 1960s and 1980s, the city relied heavily on the Nepean landfill. More than 400 Landsat satellite images were acquired from the US Geological Survey (USGS) data archive between 1984 and 2011. Atmospheric correction was conducted on the Landsat images in order to derive the landfill sites’ land surface temperature (LST). The findings unveil that the average LST of the landfill was always higher than the immediate surrounding vegetation and air temperature by 4 to 10 °C and 5 to 11.5 °C, respectively. During the summer, higher differences of LST between the landfill and its immediate surrounding vegetation were apparent, while minima were mostly found in fall. Furthermore, there was no significant temperature difference between the Nepean landfill (closed) and the Trail Road landfill (active) from 1984 to 2007. Nevertheless, the LST of the Trail Road landfill was much higher than the Nepean by 15 to 20 °C after 2007. This is mainly due to the construction and dumping activities (which were found to be active within the past few years) associated with the expansion of the Trail Road landfill. The study demonstrates that the use of the Landsat data archive can provide additional and viable information for the aid of MSW disposal site monitoring.     

An evaluation of alternative household solid waste treatment practices using life cycle inventory assessment mode

Waste disposal is an important part of the life cycle of a product and is associated with environmental burdens like any other life-cycle stages. In this study, an integrated assessment for solid waste treatment practices, especially household solid waste, was undertaken to evaluate the impact contribution of household solid waste treatment alternatives towards the sustainable development by using Life Cycle Inventory Assessment method. A case study has been investigated under various possible scenarios, such as (1) landfill without landfill gas recovery, (2) landfill with landfill gas recovery and flaring, (3) landfill with landfill gas recovery and electric generation, (4) composting, and (5) incineration. The evaluation utilized the Life Cycle Inventory Assessment method for multiple assessments based on various aspects, such as greenhouse gas emission/reduction, energy generation/consumption, economic benefit, investment and operating cost, and land use burden. The results showed that incineration was the most efficient alternative for greenhouse gas emission reduction, economic benefit, energy recovery, and land use reduction, although it was identified as the most expensive for investment and operating cost, while composting scenario was also an efficient alternative with quite economic benefit, low investment and operating cost, and high reduction of land use, although it was identified as existing greenhouse gas emission and no energy generation. Furthermore, the aim of this study was also to establish localized assessment methods that waste management agencies, environmental engineers, and environmental policy decision makers can use to quantify and compare the contribution to the impacts from different waste treatment options.     

生活垃圾填埋场覆盖膜破损及其环境影响

中国的垃圾填埋场目前多采用高密度聚乙烯膜(HDPE)进行覆盖,已建成的填埋场均存在不同程度覆盖膜破损现象。采用填埋气泄漏可视化检测技术对中国东部某大型生活垃圾填埋场开展覆盖膜完整性检测,揭示了覆盖膜破损特征及破损成因,明确了破损点泄漏量,评估了其温室效应影响,梳理了国内外填埋场覆盖层监管相关管理规定和措施。结果表明:尖锐物体应力损伤导致的破损是填埋场覆盖膜破损的主要类型,粗放施工、监管机制不足、维护管理不到位是造成填埋场覆盖膜破损的主要原因。破损点的甲烷泄漏量约为817.2 m³/d,约合每年向大气环境释放温室气体超过4 900 t CO₂-eq。完善填埋场污染控制标准和技术规范、加强填埋场覆盖膜完整性的监管,是控制填埋场温室气体排放和推进固废处置设施碳减排的重要举措。     

Municipal solid waste generation in growing urban areas in Africa: current practices and relation to socioeconomic factors in Jimma, Ethiopia

As one of cities in the developing countries, a rapid population growth and industrial activities pose many environmental challenges for Jimma city, Ethiopia. One aspect of urban growth posing a threat on sustainable development is poor solid waste management, which results in environmental pollution. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quantity, composition, sources of waste generated, their current disposal practices, and to recommend appropriate management technologies. The total waste generated daily in Jimma city was ca. 88,000 kg, and the average per capita generation rate was 0.55?±?0.17 kg/capita/day. Eighty-seven percent of the waste was produced by households and 13% by institutions, and a negligible fraction (0.1%) was generated by street sweepings. During the rainy season, 40% more waste was generated than in the dry season because of the increased availability of agricultural food product. Further analysis showed that biodegradable organic waste constitutes 54% by weight with an average moisture content of 60% that falls within the required limits for composting. The nonbiodegradable components constitute 46% of which 30% of it was nonrecyclable material. Only 25% of the community uses municipal containers for disposal at the selected landfill site. Fifty-one percent of the households disposed their waste in individually chosen spots, whereas 22% burned their waste. Finally 2% of households use private waste collectors. The socioeconomic analysis showed that higher family income and educational status is associated more with private or municipal waste collection and less with the application of backyard or open dumping. These insights into generated waste and management practice in Jimma city allow making suggestions for improved collection, treatment, and disposal methods. A primary conclusion is that the biodegradable waste is a major fraction having suitable properties for recycling. As such an economic benefit can be obtained from this waste while avoiding the need for disposal.     

Solid waste characteristics and their relationship to gas production in tropical landfill

Solid waste characteristics and landfill gas emission rate in tropical landfill was investigated in this study. The experiment was conducted at a pilot landfill cell in Thailand where fresh and two-year-old wastes in the cell were characterized at various depths of 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 m. Incoming solid wastes to the landfill were mainly composed of plastic and foam (24.05%). Other major components were food wastes (16.8%) and paper (13.3%). The determination of material components in disposed wastes has shown that the major identifiable components in the wastes were plastic and foam which are resistant to biodegradation. The density of solid waste increased along the depth of the landfill from 240 kg m⁻³ at the top to 1,260 kg m⁻³ at the bottom. Reduction of volatile solids content in waste samples along the depth of landfill suggests that biodegradation of solid waste has taken place to a greater extent at the bottom of the landfill. Gas production rates obtained from anaerobic batch experiment were in agreement with field measurements showing that the rates increased along the depth of the landfill cell. They were found in range between 0.05 and 0.89 l kg⁻¹ volatile solids day⁻¹. Average emission rate of methane through the final cover soil layer was estimated as 23.95 g⁻²day⁻¹ and 1.17 g⁻²day⁻¹ during the dry and rainy seasons, respectively.     

四川省城市生活垃圾的组成及特性

对四川省典型城市生活垃圾的组成、元素分析及热值等实验结果进行分析,结果表明:典型城市生活垃圾具有厨余含量高(57.4%～66.1%)、渣土含量少(1.9%～11.7%)的特点;四川省城市生活垃圾热值介于4 200～5 500 kJ/kg之间,且大部分处在4 800～5 500 kJ/kg之间;攀枝花、绵阳和成都市金牛区城市生活垃圾热值较高,适合采用焚烧法,内江和遂宁的城市生活垃圾热值偏低,宜采用填埋的方法。     

Estimation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice field with rice straw management in Cambodia

To estimate the greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields of Cambodia, the methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines, IPCC coefficients, and emission factors from the experiment in Thailand and another country were used. Total area under rice cultivation during the years 2005–2006 was 2,048,360 ha in the first crop season and 298,529 ha in the second crop season. The emission of methane from stubble incorporation with manure plus fertilizer application areas in the first crop season was estimated to be 192,783.74 ton higher than stubble with manure, stubble with fertilizer, and stubble without fertilizer areas. The fields with stubble burning emitted the highest emission of methane (75,771.29 ton) followed by stubble burning with manure (22,251.08 ton), stubble burning with fertilizer (13,213.27 ton), and stubble burning with fertilizer application areas (3,222.22 ton). The total emission of methane from rice field in Cambodia for the years 2005–2006 was approximately 342,649.26 ton (342.65 Gg) in the first crop season and 36,838.88 ton (36.84 Gg) in the second crop season. During the first crop season in the years 2005–2006, Battambang province emitted the highest amount of CH₄ (38,764.48 ton) and, in the second crop season during the years 2005–2006, the highest emission (8,262.34 ton) was found in Takeo province (8,262.34 ton). Nitrous oxide emission was between 2.70 and 1,047.92 ton in the first crop season and it ranged from 0 to 244.90 ton in the second crop season. Total nitrous oxide emission from paddy rice field was estimated to be 9,026.28 ton in the first crop season and 1,091.93 ton in the second crop season. Larger area under cultivation is responsible for higher emission of methane and nitrous oxide. Total emission of nitrous oxide by using IPCC default emission coefficient was approximately 2,328.85 ton. The total global warming potential of Cambodian paddy rice soil is 11,723,217.03 ton (11,723 Gg) equivalents of CO₂.     

Flux estimates from soil methanogenesis and methanotrophy: Landfills,rice paddies,natural wetlands and aerobic soils

Present and future annual methane flux estimates out of landfills, rice paddies and natural wetlands, as well as the sorption capacity of aerobic soils for atmospheric methane, are assessed. The controlling factors and uncertainties with regard to soil methanogenesis and methanotrophy are also briefly discussed.The actual methane emission rate out of landfills is estimated at about 40 Tg yr^–1. Changes in waste generation, waste disposal and landfill management could have important consequences on future methane emissions from waste dumps. If all mitigating options can be achieved towards the year 2015, the CH₄ emission rate could be reduced to 13 Tg yr^–1. Otherwise, the emission rate from landfills could increase to 63 Tg yr^–1 by the year 2025. Methane emission from rice paddies is estimated at 60 Tg yr^–1. The predicted increase of rice production between the years 1990 and 2025 could cause an increase of the CH₄ emission rate to 78 Tg yr^–1 by the year 2025. When mitigating options are taken, the emission rate could be limited to 56 Tg yr^–1. The methane emission rate from natural wetlands is about 110 Tg yr^–1. Because changes in the expanse of natural wetland area are difficult to assess, it is assumed that methane emission from natural wetlands would remain constant during the next 100 years. Because of uncertainties with regard to large potential soil sink areas (e.g. savanna, tundra and desert), the global sorption capacity of aerobic soils for atmospheric methane is not completely clear. The actual estimate is 30 Tg yr^–1.In general, the net contribution of soils and landfills to atmospheric methane is estimated at 180 Tg yr^–1 (210 Tg yr^–1 emission, 30 Tg yr^–1 sorption). This is 36% of the global annual methane flux (500 Tg yr^–1).     

Monitoring of flow field based on stable isotope geochemical characteristics in deep groundwater

As circumstances of operating and maintenance activities for landfilling and composting in Tehran metropolis differ from those of cities in developed countries, it was concluded to have an environmental impact comparison between the current solid waste management (MSW) strategies: (1) landfill, and (2) composting plus landfill. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare these scenarios for MSW in Tehran, Iran. The Eco-Indicator 99 is applied as an impact assessment method considering surplus energy, climate change, acidification, respiratory effect, carcinogenesis, ecotoxicity and ozone layer depletion points of aspects. One ton of municipal solid waste of Tehran was selected as the functional unit. According to the comparisons, the composting plus landfill scenario causes less damage to human health in comparison to landfill scenario. However, its damages to both mineral and fossil resources as well as ecosystem quality are higher than the landfill scenario. Thus, the composting plus landfill scenario had a higher environmental impact than landfill scenario. However, an integrated waste management will ultimately be the most efficient approach in terms of both environmental and economic benefits. In this paper, a cost evaluation shows that the unit cost per ton of waste for the scenarios is 15.28 and 26.40 US$, respectively. Results show landfill scenario as the preferable option both in environmental and economic aspects for Tehran in the current situation.     

Selection of MSW landfill site for Konya, Turkey using GIS and multi-criteria evaluation

Landfill is a common solution for the final disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Turkey. Landfill siting is an extremely difficult task to accomplish because the site selection process depends on different factors and regulations. To ensure that an appropriate site is chosen, a systematic process should be developed and followed. Unsuccessful landfill siting is typically the result of strong public opposition. In this study, candidate sites for an appropriate landfill area in Cumra County of Konya City are determined by using the integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE). ArcGIS 9.0 software and its extensions were used as the GIS tool since it is able to perform suitability analysis using MCE analysis. To identify appropriate landfill areas in the Cumra district, eight input map layers including proximity to municipal and local wells and irrigational canals, distance from transportation routes and rails, distance from archaeological sites, distance from urban areas, land use/land cover, and land slope are used in constraint mapping. A final map was generated which identifies regions showing suitability for the location of the landfill site. According to the map, 6.8% of the study area is most suitable, 15.7% is suitable, 10.4% is moderately suitable, 25.8% is poorly suitable, and 41.3% is unsuitable. At the end of the analyses, three candidate sites are determined. The selection of the final MSW landfill site, however, requires further field research.     

Applying Fuzzy logic and the point count system to select landfill sites

The treatment of solid waste is currently one of the major environmental problems facing municipalities. Thousands of tonnes of waste are generated each day, requiring a large area for disposal purposes. It is difficult to find suitable areas for the construction of such sanitary landfills as numerous criteria must be met, and landfill sites vary considerably in terms of their sophistication. The selection criteria for landfill sites should be as simple as possible, and with this in mind, we have evaluated a large number of random cases for the suitability of the site for landfill purposes using the recently advocated fuzzy approach. Using the fuzzy classification, we have attempted to develop a simple classification which uses only certain point values for available attributes. A normalized average of such attributes based on the proposed classifier is further evaluated using additionally generated random data sets. The results appear to be encouraging and indicate that the present classifier can be used as a substitute for the fuzzy-based ranking of landfill sites.     

Geospatial strategy for sustainable management of municipal solid waste for growing urban environment

This paper presents the implementation of a Geospatial approach for improving the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal suitability site assessment in growing urban environment. The increasing trend of population growth and the absolute amounts of waste disposed of worldwide have increased substantially reflecting changes in consumption patterns, consequently worldwide. MSW is now a bigger problem than ever. Despite an increase in alternative techniques for disposing of waste, land-filling remains the primary means. In this context, the pressures and requirements placed on decision makers dealing with land-filling by government and society have increased, as they now have to make decisions taking into considerations environmental safety and economic practicality. The waste disposed by the municipal corporation in the Bhagalpur City (India) is thought to be different from the landfill waste where clearly scientific criterion for locating suitable disposal sites does not seem to exist. The location of disposal sites of Bhagalpur City represents the unconsciousness about the environmental and public health hazards arising from disposing of waste in improper location. Concerning about urban environment and health aspects of people, a good method of waste management and appropriate technologies needed for urban area of Bhagalpur city to improve this trend using Multi Criteria Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing for selection of suitable disposal sites. The purpose of GIS was to perform process to part restricted to highly suitable land followed by using chosen criteria. GIS modeling with overlay operation has been used to find the suitability site for MSW.     

Residents’ concerns and attitudes toward a municipal solid waste landfill: integrating a questionnaire survey and GIS techniques

The ever-growing industry of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal appeals to the growing need for disposal facilities, and MSW treatment facilities are increasingly an environmental and public health concern. Residents living near MSW management facilities are confronted with various risk perceptions, especially odour. In this study, in an effort to assist responsible decision-makers in better planning and managing such a project, a structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to assess the nearby residents’ concerns and attitudes surrounding the Laogang Landfill in Shanghai. Geographic information system techniques and relevance analysis were employed to conduct the spatial analysis of physical perceptions, especially odour annoyance. The findings of the research indicate that a significant percentage of the responding sample was aware of the negative impacts of landfills on the environment and public health, and residents in close proximity preferred to live farther from the landfill. The results from the spatial analysis demonstrated a definite degree of correlation between odour annoyance and distance to the facility and proved that the benefits of the socially disadvantaged have been neglected. The research findings also direct attention to the important role of public participation, information disclosure, transparency in management, and mutual communication to avoid conflicts and build social trust.     

Environmental monitoring of offshore drilling for petroleum exploration (MAPEM Project): shallow waters

This paper deals with the characteristics and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in Sangamner city. The composition of solid waste was studied by segregating it into different component, i.e., kitchen waste, paper, earth and fine material, slaughter house waste, leaves, metals, etc. These components were categorised into organic waste and inorganic waste. It was observed that Sangamner city produces around 61% organic waste, and the rest is inorganic waste. The characteristics of organic solid waste, i.e., pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were evaluated. The analysis of organic content of MSW indicates that it is good source of nutrients for the agriculture sector whereas inorganic material can be used for landfill.     

A Comprehensive Numerical Model Simulating Gas,Heat, and Moisture Transport in Sanitary Landfills and Methane Oxidation in Final Covers

A model to simulate gas, heat, and moisture transport through a sanitary landfill has been developed. The model not only considers the different processes that go on in a landfill but also the oxidation of methane in the final cover. The model was calibrated using published results and field data from a pilot scale landfill in Calgary. The model captures the physics of the different processes quite well. Simulations from the model show that waste permeability had a significant impact on the temperature, pressure distribution, and flux from a landfill. The presence of the final and intermediate covers enhanced the gas storage capacity of the landfill. Biodegradation of the waste was enhanced as the final cover minimized the atmospheric influences. In addition, the composition of landfill gas emitted to the atmosphere was significantly different from the composition of gas generated in landfill due to the presence of covers as some of the methane is oxidized to carbon dioxide. There was no significant benefit of using a final cover of higher depth. The presence and number of intermediate covers had an impact on gas flux and temperature distribution within a landfill.     

北京市废弃物处理温室气体排放特征

基于《2006年IPCC国家温室气体清单指南》推荐的方法，结合《省级温室气体清单编制指南（试行）》和《城市温室气体核算工具指南》的部分数据与核算范围，针对固体废弃物填埋、焚烧和废水处理等过程，核算了北京市2005-2014年废弃物处理过程中温室气体总排放量。结果表明：2005-2014年北京市废弃物处理过程温室气体总排放量呈逐渐上升趋势，2014年温室气体总排放量比2005年增长98%。10年间，固体废弃物填埋过程一直是最主要的温室气体排放源，到2014年排放量达到最大，为416.3×10⁴t二氧化碳当量（CO₂e）。废弃物填埋、废水处理和废弃物焚烧过程占总排放量的比例分别为78.5%（CO₂e质量分数，下同）、13.5%和8%。结合已有研究，系统优化国内7个典型城市废弃物处理温室气体排放因子，核算7个城市排放情况，并对比分析了北京市排放情况。