Comparison of Gas Emissions from Conventional and Alternative Landfill Final Covers: Modeling Estimates
Publication: Geo-Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
Landfill gas, generated as a byproduct of municipal solid waste landfilling, poses adverse impacts to the environment and human health. Fugitive emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from landfills are a significant climate-change concern. This investigation was conducted to evaluate methane emissions from landfill final covers by comparing simulated emissions from a conventional and an alternative cover. The Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (STOMP) numerical simulator was used to predict multifluid flow and reactive transport of methane through the covers, where representative soil properties, cover thickness, and placement conditions were applied. Simulated cumulative methane emissions were two orders of magnitude greater from the alternative cover than the conventional cover. Mechanistic explanations were provided for the observed behavior. Flow of gases must be considered in the design of landfill final covers in addition to considerations for hydraulic performance.
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Geo-Congress 2022
Pages: 209 - 218
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© 2020 ASCE.
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Published online: Mar 17, 2022
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