Decomposition of Specific Materials Buried within Sanitary Landfills
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 124, Issue 12
Abstract
Eleven samples of typical solid waste components, ranging from high to low predicted degradability, were analyzed prior to burial within three landfills representing different climates. Sets of these samples were retrieved periodically over 6 years and analyzed for changes in moisture content, dry weight, cellulose (holocellulose), and lignin. Results were that carbohydrates such as cellulose (holocellulose) and starch were the quickest degrading portions of the waste, and the samples with high lignin contents degraded more slowly than those samples with lower lignin contents. Finally, degradation was found to increase with higher moisture contents and higher temperatures. The uniqueness of this research is that it was performed in full-scale landfills, yet having baseline values for the samples.
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References
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 124 • Issue 12 • December 1998
Pages: 1193 - 1202
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Dec 1, 1998
Published in print: Dec 1998
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