Investigation of 15-year-old municipal solid waste deposit profiles by means of FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis

Five profiles of a 15-year-old bank containing over three weeks composted municipal solid waste were characterized by means of different parameters habitually applied in waste management (loss on ignition, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, NH(4)-N, pH), and in addition by humic acid determination, FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Stabilization processes are revealed by humic acid contents. Over the 15 year period organic matter had developed in various ways. Highest humic acid contents were found at 0.5 m below the surface. Below 1.0-1.5 m anaerobic conditions dominated causing a strong decline of humic acid concentrations. Despite similar contents of organic matter at 0.5 m and at 3.0 m organic matter quality differed. These differences were verified by infrared spectroscopic investigations and thermal analyses (differential scanning calorimetry DSC). The spectral pattern of 15-year-old profile samples (municipal solid waste including the biogenic fraction) was compared to current municipal solid waste and abandoned landfill materials. Current municipal solid waste samples comprised different degradation stages from fresh materials to stabilized waste, suitable for landfilling according to Austrian standards. Municipal solid waste originating from abandoned landfills closed in the seventies represented stable material. Principal component analysis was performed to detect similarities and differences. It is evident that the profile samples constitute a particular group in between municipal solid waste and abandoned landfill material. Some differences can be attributed to the divergent composition of municipal solid waste in the eighties when the organic fraction was not separated. Otherwise, landfill materials from the seventies with the same composition regarding the organic fraction were deposited together with construction waste. Heat flow curves (DSC profiles) of municipal solid waste, representing different decomposition stages, illustrate the development of enthalpies and reveal the status of the profile samples. It is evident that mechanical-biological pretreatment leads to a faster stabilization of waste organic matter.     

Application of FT-IR for assessment of the biological stability of landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW) during in situ aeration

Disposal of untreated municipal solid waste leads to gaseous emissions as well as liquid degradation products. In situ aeration is an emerging means for remediation of abandoned landfills. It aims at an accelerated mineralization and stabilization of waste organic matter and thus reduces significantly the emission potential of the site. In order to prove the success of the technique, evaluation of the biological stability of the aerated material has been suggested. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) provides comprehensive information on the chemical composition of solid waste samples. Different stages of organic matter degradation are reflected by changes in the infrared spectral pattern. In the present study the feasibility of applying FT-IR for assessment of the stability of waste material derived from abandoned landfills and for in situ aeration process control was investigated. Waste samples derived in the course of pilot-scale and lab-scale aeration experiments were characterized by FT-IR (4000-400 cm(-1), KBr-technique, transmission mode) and a set of conventional parameters describing biological stability. The occurrence of distinct indicator bands was correlated with chemical and biological waste properties using 206 solid waste samples. Visual spectra interpretation was found to be appropriate in proving a reduced emission potential of initially rather reactive waste (respiration activity over 4 days (RA(4)) > 7 mg O(2) g(-1) DM) during aeration. Furthermore, cluster analysis was applied successfully to differentiate between original and aerated waste samples, even for rather stable material (RA(4) < 7 mg O(2) g(-1) DM), when visual spectra interpretation was limited.     

Performance of bioreactor landfill with waste mined from a dumpsite

Emissions from landfills via leachate and gas are influenced by state and stability of the organic matter in the solid waste and the environmental conditions within the landfill. This paper describes a modified, ecologically sound waste treatment technique, where municipal solid waste is anaerobically treated in a lysimeter-scale landfill bioreactor with leachate recirculation to enhance organic degradation. The results demonstrate a substantial decrease in organic matter (BOD 99%, COD 88% and TOC 81%) and a clear decrease in nutrient concentrations especially ammonia (85%) over a period of 1 year with leachate recirculation.     

徐州市生活垃圾填埋场地下水典型金属污染物研究

在对徐州地区生活垃圾填埋场调查分析的基础上,根据填埋特征和地质状况选取4座典型填埋场为调查对象,采用ICP-MS对垃圾渗滤液及地下水中26种重金属进行监测分析。结果表明,在4个垃圾填埋场地下水及渗滤液中ρ(Sr)均相对较高(700μg/L);地下水中金属元素均正在以Ca,Mg为主向Na,Mg为主转化;地下水中Al,B质量浓度大小顺序为Y场(雁群)S场(睢宁)C场(翠屏山)P场(邳州);4个垃圾填埋场共同典型重金属污染物为Mn,Fe,Zn,Ba;除上述污染物外,Y场地下水潜在典型重金属污染物为Pb和Mo;S场为Mo和As;C场为Tl和Co;P场为As。     

Municipal solid waste management in Thailand and disposal emission inventory

The increasing municipal solid waste (MSW) generation along with the high fraction of organic waste and a common disposal of open dumping is the current scenario in many areas in Thailand. As a response to this problem, the country’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) aims to reduce the MSW generation rate to less than 1 kg/capita/day, increase the collection efficiency, and improve the recovery of recyclables. For many years, more than 60% of the solid waste disposal system in Thailand has been carried out by open dumping. According to the survey conducted by this study, in 2004 there were 425 disposal sites (95 landfills; 330 open dumps) in Thailand and an estimated methane emission of 115.4 Gg/year was generated based on this practice. It has been estimated that the anticipated methane emission in Thailand will rise from 115.4 Gg/year to 118.5 Gg/year if the largest open dumpsites in provinces with no existing landfill are upgraded to sanitary landfill; and it will increase to 193.5 Gg/year if the existing sanitary landfill is upgraded to integrated waste management facilities. Moreover, Bangkok metropolitan have the highest methane emission (54.83 Gg/year) among all the regions in Thailand. The methane emission forecast of 339 Gg/year by 2020 (based on LandGEM methodology) provides a stimulus to create a comprehensive plan to capture and utilize methane as an energy source.     

A new method for environmental site assessment of urban solid waste landfills

Regarding various types of pollutant, waste management requires high attention. Environmental site selection study, prior to landfill operation, and subsequently, monitoring and maintaining of the location, are of foremost points in landfill site selection process. By means of these studies, it is possible to control the undesirable impacts caused by landfills. Study ahead aims at examination of effectiveness of a new method called Monavari 95–2 in landfill site assessment. For this purpose, two landfills Rasht and Andisheh, which are, respectively, located on humid and arid areas, were selected as case studies. Then, the results obtained from both sites were compared with each other to find out the weaknesses and strengths of each site. Compared with others similar methods, much more criteria (53 parameters) can be considered within this method, so the results will be more calculable. According to this method, Rasht landfill (site H) is classified as unacceptable landfill site i.e. there is an urgent need for a new suitable site for landfill, while Andishe Landfill (site D) is ranked as acceptable landfill site but needs environmental management program to handle the existing weaknesses.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

Evaluation of organic contamination in urban groundwater surrounding a municipal landfill, Zhoukou, China

This paper investigates the organic pollution status of shallow aquifer sediments and groundwater around Zhoukou landfill. Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, monocylic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides and other pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been detected in some water samples. Among the detected eleven PAHs, phenanthrene, fluorine, and fluoranthene are the three dominant in most of the groundwater samples. Analysis of groundwater samples around the landfill revealed concentrations of PAHs ranging from not detected to 2.19 μg/L. The results show that sediments below the waste dump were low in pollution, and the shallow aquifer, at a depth of 18–30 m, was heavily contaminated, particularly during the wet season. An oval-shaped pollution halo has formed, spanning 3 km from west to east and 2 km from south to north, and mainly occurs in groundwater depths of 2–4 m. For PAH source identification, both diagnostic ratios of selected PAHs and principal component analysis were studied, suggesting mixed sources of pyro- and petrogenic derived PAHs in the Zhoukou landfill. Groundwater table fluctuations play an important role in the distribution of organic pollutants within the shallow aquifer. A conceptual model of leachate migration in the Quaternary aquifers surrounding the Zhoukou landfill has been developed to describe the contamination processes based on the major contaminant (PAHs). The groundwater zone contaminated by leachate has been identified surrounding the landfill.     

Effects of fulvic substances on the distribution and migration of Hg in landfill leachate

Mercury (Hg) distribution and migration in different landfill stabilization processes were evaluated in this study. Wide ranges of Hg concentrations were observed because of the heterogeneity and variability of landfill refuse. In addition, temporally variable conditions, including pH, organic matter, and vegetation cover, which influence Hg migration in landfills, may also affect the temporal distribution of Hg in landfill refuse. The main fraction of Hg, elemental Hg, decreased with time, while the stable fractions of Hg increased. The fulvic acid (FA) extracted from the landfill leachate had much lower overall Hg-complexation stability constants, which suggests that organic S groups might have been rapidly saturated by small amounts of Hg while leaving oxygen functional groups, such as carboxylic functional or phenolic groups, acting as the primary binding sites for Hg.     

COD and TOC analysis of leachate from a solidified organic waste

Several combinations of binders and absorbent additives were utilized to solidify a typical organic waste, API Separator sludge. The effectiveness of the materials was based on the waste leachability from the solidified samples. COD and TOC analyses were used to determine the organic content of the leachate samples.The ability of the COD and TOC analyses to assess waste leachability was limited. The inability of the COD and TOC tests to differentiate between organic compounds made the results difficult to interpret. This was due to organic contaminants from the solidification materials contributing to the COD and TOC contents of the leachates. Also, the COD test may have be influenced by reduced inorganic compounds contained in the flyash binder and the sludge. Representative samples for the TOC analysis were difficult to obtain for the leachates containing oils or suspended particles. It is recommended that the COD and TOC tests only be used as a screening method for determining solidified organic waste leachability and other methods need to be employed to obtain more accurate results.     

Prolonged toxicity characteristic leaching procedure for nickel and copper aluminates

The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) is a regulatory testing method widely employed to evaluate the environmental friendliness of waste materials. TCLP analysis provides a fast, easy and economical way to determine the mobility of waste pollutants under simulated landfill conditions. Recent studies on metal stabilization have reported the potential for nickel and copper aluminates to form in thermal treatment conditions, and suggested a more reliable method of stabilizing hazardous metals, particularly when products are to be reused. There is thus an urgent need for a convenient and effective method of quantifying metal leachability and identifying the metal leaching behavior of sparingly soluble materials. In this study, standard TCLP analysis was modified into a prolonged leaching experiment to investigate the leaching behavior of nickel and copper oxides (NiO and CuO) and their aluminates (NiAl(2)O(4), CuAl(2)O(4) and CuAlO(2)). The results demonstrate the difficulty of differentiating the leachability of highly insoluble phases, such as NiO and NiAl(2)O(4), using the standard TCLP. The prolonged TCLP method, however, confirmed NiAl(2)O(4) to have a lower degree of intrinsic leachability than NiO and that it could be expected to undergo congruent dissolution under landfill conditions. For the more soluble copper system, the aluminates were still found to possess a much lower degree of leachability, and their leaching behavior to follow an incongruent dissolution pattern. The results of this study prove prolonged TCLP analysis to be a convenient and effective way to evaluate the environmental friendliness of metal waste and to identify the leaching behavior of waste materials.     

浅议现代垃圾填埋场的大气污染及监测分析方法

造成垃圾填埋场大气污染的两大类污染物,其对环境、人体、动植物、器物和材料都有一定的危害,文章针对现代垃圾填埋场的大气环境污染,以硫化氢、氨、甲硫醇等重点大气污染因子为监测对象,结合实践总结了一部分垃圾填埋场的大气污染监测方案,包括布点原则、采样频率和时间、采样方法和分析技术,该监测方案可为现代垃圾填埋场的大气污染监测提供参考.     

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.     

Organic interference of solidified/stabilized hazardous wastes

Liquid hazardous waste disposal in landfills is usually allowed only after solidification/stabilization. Although various procedures are commonly practiced, little is known about the mechanism(s) of the processes. A particular problem is the interference of organics. Small amounts of organics can interfere with the reaction between inorganic sludges and cementitous matrices. The present communication reports studies of the interaction between selected organic hazardous wastes and Type I Portland cement. Microscopic studies of the structural differences between cements set with water and those set with water plus organic liquids are discussed. In these studies the scanning electron microscope is used to observe samples fractured at 78K. The results provide technical background data on the ultimate stability of critical waste constituents solidified by various binding agents.     

A Method for Designing Upgradient Groundwater Monitoring Networks

A graphical heuristic was devised for locating upgradient groundwater monitoring wells near landfills. Utilizing computer-simulated contaminant plumes, the heuristic considers the direction of groundwater flow relative to the shape of a landfill, the location of the downgradient migration boundary used for configuring detection wells, and uniformity of spatial coverage. The heuristic positions upgradient wells far enough from a landfill to avoid contamination, but close enough to measure ambient water quality near the landfill. It can be adapted to nonuniform flow fields, nonlinear migration boundaries, and irregularly shaped landfills. An application to a rectangular landfill, oriented at various angles to the direction of groundwater flow, demonstrates the utility of the approach.     

Modeling lifetime greenhouse gas emissions associated with materials for various end-of-life treatments

This research has developed mathematical models for computing lifetime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with materials. The models include embodied carbon (EC) emissions from the manufacture of materials, and GHG emissions from incineration, or landfill gas (LFG) production from landfill disposal of the material beyond their service lives. The models are applicable to all materials; however, their applications here are demonstrated for the lumber from a residential building with 50- and 100-year service lives, and with incineration, landfill, and deconstruction as end-of-life treatments. This paper introduces a new metric for lifetime GHG emissions associated with materials termed “Global Warming Impact of Materials (GWIM).” The GWIM is subdivided into two portions: (i) productive portion (GWIM_p) that includes the materials’ emissions until the service life of the facility and (ii) non-productive portion (GWIM_np) which includes the materials’ GHG emissions beyond the service life until they are eliminated from the atmosphere. In place of the current, static, EC measurements (kgCO₂e or MTCO₂e), this model reports the GWIMs in units of kgCO₂e-years or MTCO₂e-years, which includes the effects of “time of use” of a facility. Using the models, this paper has computed GHG reductions by deconstruction, with material recoveries of 30%, 50%, and 70% at demolition for reuse, recycle, or repurpose. A 70% material recovery, after a 50-year service life of the building, affected a savings of 47% and 52% if the remaining 30% debris was incinerated or landfilled respectively. All of the values computed using models checked out with manual calculations.     

Assessment of the impact of landfill on groundwater quality: A case study of the Pirana site in western India

In present study focus has been given on estimating quality and toxicity of waste with respect to heavy metals and its impact on groundwater quality, using statistical and empirical relationships between different hydrochemical data, so that easy monitoring may be possible which in turn help the sustainable management of landfill site and municipal solid waste. Samples of solid waste, leachate and groundwater were analyzed to evaluate the impact of leachates on groundwater through the comparison of their hydrochemical nature. Results suggest the existence of an empirical relationship between some specific indicator parameters like heavy metals of all three above mentioned sample type. Further, K/Mg ratio also indicates three groundwater samples heavily impacted from leachate contamination. A good number of samples are also showing higher values for and Pb than that of World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water regulation. Predominance of Fe and Zn in both groundwater and solid waste samples may be due to metal plating industries in the area. Factor analysis is used as a tool to explain observed relation between numerous variables in term of simpler relation, which may help to deduce the strength of relation. Positive loading of most of the factors for heavy metal clearly shows landfill impact on ground water quality especially along the hydraulic gradient. Cluster analysis, further substantiates the impact of landfill. Two major groups of samples obtained from cluster analysis suggest that one group comprises samples that are severely under the influence of landfill and contaminated leachates along the groundwater flow direction while other assorted with samples without having such influence.