Evaluation of Trace VOC Emissions from Sanitary Landfills

Abstract

Experimental landfills were spiked with known amounts of trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in order to estimate their emission behavior over time. The study was set up in two phases. Phase I involved spiking benzene, toluene, and ethyl benzene into municipal solid waste (MSW) to simulate small amounts of residual chemical that might be disposed in household wastes. The emission of the three compounds was monitored for 5–7 years. In phase II, the same compounds were spiked into sewage sludge that was codisposed with MSW solid waste. The emissions were monitored over the first 20 months after disposal. The data from this study indicate that emission rates of the compounds studied, may be first order with respect to the initial chemical load. The data also showed that biogas flux rate was an important factor in emission of VOCs from landfill. The data were compared to emission models found in the literature. The data came close to a fit in a model proposed earlier.