Liquid balance monitoring inside conventional,Retrofit, and bio-reactor landfill cells

The Outer Loop landfill bioreactor (OLLB) in Louisville, KY, USA has been the site of a study to evaluate long-term bioreactor performance at a full-scale operational landfill. Three types of landfill units were studied including a conventional landfill (Control cell), a new landfill area that had an air addition and recirculation piping network installed as waste was being placed (As-Built cell), and a conventional landfill that was modified to allow for liquids recirculation (Retrofit cell). During the monitoring period, the Retrofit, Control, and As-Built cells received 48, 14, and 213 L Mg^?1 (liters of liquids per metric ton of waste), respectively. The leachate collection system yielded 60, 57 and 198 L Mg^?1 from the Retrofit, Control, and As-Built cells, respectively. The head on liner in all cells was below regulatory limits. In the Control and As-Built cells, leachate head on liner decreased once waste placement stopped. The measured moisture content of the waste samples was consistent with that calculated from the estimate of accumulated liquid by the liquid balance. Additionally, measurements on excavated solid waste samples revealed large spatial variability in waste moisture content. The degree of saturation in the Control cells decreased from 85% to 75%. The degree of saturation increased from 82% to 83% due to liquids addition in the Retrofit cells and decreased back to 80% once liquid addition stopped. In the As-Built cells, the degree of saturation increased from 87% to 97% during filling activities and then started to decrease soon after filling activities stopped to reach 92% at the end of the monitoring period. The measured leachate generation rates were used to estimate an in-place saturated hydraulic conductivity of the MSW in the range of 10^?8 to 10^?7 m s^?1 which is lower than previous reports. In the Control and Retrofit cells, the net loss in liquids, 43 and 12 L Mg^?1, respectively, was similar to the measured settlement of 15% and 5–8% strain, respectively (Abichou et al., 2013). The increase in net liquid volume in the As-Built cells indicates that the 37% (average) measured settlement strain in these cells cannot be due to consolidation as the waste mass did not lose any moisture but rather suggests that settlement was attributable to lubrication of waste particle contacts, softening of flexible porous materials, and additional biological degradation.     

Comparing estimates of fugitive landfill methane emissions using inverse plume modeling obtained with Surface Emission Monitoring (SEM), Drone Emission Monitoring (DEM), and Downwind Plume Emission Monitoring (DWPEM)

ABSTRACT

As part of the global effort to quantify and manage anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, there is considerable interest in quantifying methane emissions in municipal solid waste landfills. A variety of analytical and experimental methods are currently in use for this task. In this paper, an optimization-based estimation method is employed to assess fugitive landfill methane emissions. The method combines inverse plume modeling with ambient air methane concentration measurements. Three different measurement approaches are tested and compared. The method is combined with surface emission monitoring (SEM), above ground drone emission monitoring (DEM), and downwind plume emission monitoring (DWPEM). The methodology is first trialed and validated using synthetic datasets in a hand-generated case study. A field study is also presented where SEM, DEM and DWPEM are tested and compared. Methane flux during two-days measurement campaign was estimated to be between 228 and 350 g/s depending on the type of measurements used. Compared to SEM, using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) allows for a rapid and comprehensive coverage of the site. However, as showed through this work, advancement of DEM-based methane sampling is governed by the advances that could be made in UAS-compatible measurement instrumentations. Downwind plume emission monitoring led to a smaller estimated flux compared with SEM and DEM without information about positions of major leak points in the landfill. Even though, the method is simple and rapid for landfill methane screening. Finally, the optimization-based methodology originally developed for SEM, shows promising results when it is combined with the drone-based collected data and downwind concentration measurements. The studied cases also discovered the limitations of the studied sampling strategies which is exploited to identify improvement strategies and recommendations for a more efficient assessment of fugitive landfill methane emissions.

Implications: Fugitive landfill methane emission estimation is tackled in the present study. An optimization-based method combined with inverse plume modeling is employed to treat data from surface emission monitoring, drone-based emission monitoring and downwind plume emission monitoring. The study helped revealing the advantages and the limitations of the studied sampling strategies. Recommendations for an efficient assessment of landfill methane emissions are formulated. The method trialed in this study for fugitive landfill methane emission could also be appropriate for rapid screening of analogous greenhouse gas emission hotspots.     

Selenium and nano-selenium in plant nutrition

Selenium (Se) is a naturally occurring metalloid element which occurs nearly in all environments. Se is considered as a finite and non-renewable resource on the Earth. The common sources of Se in earth’s crust occur in association with sulfide minerals such as metal selenide, whereas it is rarely found in elemental form (Se⁰). While there is no evidence of Se need for higher plants, several reports show that when Se added at low concentrations, Se exerts beneficial effects on plant growth. Se may act as quasi-essential micronutrient through altering different physiological and biochemical traits. Thus, plants vary considerably in their physiological and biochemical response to Se. This review focusses on the physiological importance of Se forms as well as different Se fertilizers for higher plants, especially plant growth, uptake, transport, and metabolism.     

Assessment of PAHs in water and fish tissues from Great Bitter and El Temsah lakes,Suez Canal,as chemical markers of pollution sources

Sea water and fish tissue samples were collected from nine sampling stations from the Great Bitter and El Temsah lakes in the Suez Canal and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The compositions of PAH determined in the dissolved fraction of sea water were measured in order to use them as chemical markers for identifying different sources of PAH pollution in this region. PAHs determined in fish tissues were measured for comparison with human health standards as consumption. The total mean PAHs concentrations in the sea water samples ranged from 0.28 to 39.57 μg l^?1 with an overall mean of 10.78 and 12.38 μg l^?1 for El Temsah and Bitter Lakes water, respectively. Total PAHs fractions recorded in muscle tissues of all different Osteicthyes fishes collected from Great Bitter lakes ranged from 5.8 to 218.5 μg g^?1 with an overall mean of 57.98 μg g^?1 during all seasons. However, they ranged from 68 to 623 μg g^?1 with an overall mean of 87.69 μg g^?1 recorded in El Temsah lake during four seasons (2003–2004). Benzo(a)pyrene was the most dominant PAHs found in the sea water samples from both lakes with an average concentration of 3.8 μ g l^?1. Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DBA) was the most dominant PAHs recorded in fish samples. A maximum of 533 μg g^?1 of DBA was recorded in Dahbana sp. collected from Bitter lakes during January 2004. However, a maximum of 68.7 μ g g^?1 was recorded in Liza carinata species collected from El Temsah lake during July, 2004. The simultaneous occurrence of isomer ratios PHE/ANT<10 for all stations indicated that the major PAH input to water was from combustion of fossil fuel (pyrolytic source). The average ratios were 1.21 and 12.9 during winter (January 2004) and 4.3 and 8.63 during spring (April 2004) for all water samples of Great Bitter lakes and El Temsah lake, respectively. In addition, the present data demonstrate that PAHs from fossil fuel sources (MW<178) were the least significant source of PAHs in this region.     

Afghanistan: Environmental degradation in a fragile ecological setting

SUMMARY

Currently, only 6% of the 15% of land in Afghanistan is usable and, if all the refugees were to return, problems of land ownership and adequacy of available land are inevitable. Natural forests have been severely degraded. Due to the nature of the topography and the arid climate, vast areas are subject to soil erosion. Loss of vegetation and soil humus have created ever more arid conditions. Abandoning the lands, poor reclamation schemes, overgrazing and destruction of vegetation for fuelwood have all caused desertifkation. The biological productivity of pastures has also deteriorated. This reduced productivity has affected livestock and has caused dramatic changes to the patterns of wildlife populations. Soil salinization and waterlogged lands are common. Farmland and pastures have been contaminated by landmines. Heavy concentrations of air-borne particulates and considerable amounts of transboundary pollutants from the Aral Sea have been found. Use of chemicals and the machinery of war have damaged the ecosystems.

Collection of plants and animals is unregulated and has resulted in excessive removal or extermination of some species endemic to the Hindu Kush. Uprooting of some plants and dynamite fishing are increasing and a disturbing number of fauna and flora are endangered. Agriculture is traditional, and natural resources are not being used in a sustainable way. A sound environmental strategy needs to be formulated and adopted.     

Physiological responses of Avicennia marina seedlings to the phytotoxic effects of the water-soluble fraction of light Arabian crude oil

Stomatal behavior, growth performance and the accumulation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated in seedlings of the mangrove Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh., treated with a water-soluble fraction (WSF) of Abu-Dhabi light Arabian crude oil through foliar spraying or soil application.Irregular stomatal behavior and weak stomatal control over transpiration were observed during the first 24 hours, where stomatal resistances of plants sprayed with 150 and 300 g PAHs plant^–1 were significantly lower than that of the control plants. After six weeks, all treated plants showed no significant difference in their relative growth rate (RGR) or in the net assimilation rate (NAR) compared with the control plants.Tri-aromatic hydrocarbons were the most accumulated in tissues of the treated plants. Penta- and hexa-aromatics, on the other hand, were undetectable in the WSF and consequently in the treated plants. A linear relationship was observed between the dose applied to plants and the amounts of tissue accumulated PAHs (r ²=0.515 for soil application and r ²=0.984 for foliar spray). In plants sprayed with 300 g PAHs plant^–1, the total PAHs accumulated were more than that accumulated in plants treated through soil application.These findings suggest that: aqueous extraction of crude oil tends to signify the percentage of the low molecular weight PAHs, e.g. naphthalene, to the total PAHs; disturbed stomatal behavior in the first day of the treatment may be due to the venting of the volatile low molecular weight aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene, toluene, and xylenes) through the stomata; and uptake of water-soluble hydrocarbons by plants is equally possible through both of the root system and the foliage. The ecological implications of these finding are discussed in relation to oil pollution of mangrove stands under field conditions.     

Field water balance of landfill final covers

Landfill covers are critical to waste containment, yet field performance of specific cover designs has not been well documented and seldom been compared in side-by-side testing. A study was conducted to assess the ability of landfill final covers to control percolation into underlying waste. Conventional covers employing resistive barriers as well as alternative covers relying on water-storage principles were monitored in large (10 x 20 m), instrumented drainage lysimeters over a range of climates at 11 field sites in the United States. Surface runoff was a small fraction of the water balance (0-10%, 4% on average) and was nearly insensitive to the cover slope, cover design, or climate. Lateral drainage from internal drainage layers was also a small fraction of the water balance (0-5.0%, 2.0% on average). Average percolation rates for the conventional covers with composite barriers (geomembrane over fine soil) typically were less than 12 mm/yr (1.4% of precipitation) at humid locations and 1.5 mm/yr (0.4% of precipitation) at arid, semiarid, and subhumid locations. Average percolation rates for conventional covers with soil barriers in humid climates were between 52 and 195 mm/yr (6-17% of precipitation), probably due to preferential flow through defects in the soil barrier. Average percolation rates for alternative covers ranged between 33 and 160 mm/yr (6 and 18% of precipitation) in humid climates and generally less than 2.2 mm/yr (0.4% of precipitation) in arid, semiarid, and subhumid climates. One-half (five) of the alternative covers in arid, semiarid, and subhumid climates transmitted less than 0.1 mm of percolation, but two transmitted much more percolation (26.8 and 52 mm) than anticipated during design. The data collected support conclusions from other studies that detailed, site-specific design procedures are very important for successful performance of alternative landfill covers.     

Monitoring and factors affecting levels of airborne and water bromoform in chlorinated seawater swimming pools

Water and air quality of eight seawater swimming pools using chlorine disinfection was measured during four sampling campaigns, spread on one full-year, and in four thalassotherapy centers located in Southeast of France. Concentrations of trihalomethanes(THMs) in air and in water as well as concentrations of parameters, including nonpurgeable organic carbon(NPOC), free residual chlorine(Cl_f), pH, Kjeldhal Nitrogen(KN), salinity,conductivity, bromide ions and, water and air temperature, were measured. Water and air samples were collected in triplicates morning — at the opening of the pools —, noon and night — at the closing of the pools —, in summer and winter. Data analysis was performed by Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and rotated component matrix, from both data quality and other parameters such as TOC, aromaticity(UV_(254)), pH, hygrometry, and free residual chlorine(Cl_f). This statistical analysis demonstrates a high correlation between TOC, Cl_fand UV_(254) and THM levels found in air and water, particularly for the major ones(CHBr_3in water:300.0 μg/L mean, 1029.0 μg/L maximum; CHBr_3 in air: 266.1 μg/m~3 mean,1600.0 μg/m~3 maximum, and CHClBr_2 in water: 18.9 μg/L mean, 81.0 μg/L maximum;CHClBr_2 in air: 13.6 μg/m~3 mean, 150.0 μg/m~3maximum). These high levels of bromoform(CHBr_3) are particularly worrisome in such health institutions, even these levels do not exceed the Permissible Exposure Limit(PEL) of 5 mg/m~3 as an 8 hour time-weighted average currently fixed by various administrations, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA).