Aerobic and Anaerobic Landfill Stabilization Process

A series of laboratory investigations was performed to replicate the aerobic and anaerobic sanitary landfill environment. The oxygen demand of solid waste was found to be directly proportional to the amount of easily utilizable organics present in the test material. Bread media had a higher rate of oxygen consumption than did grass or paper media. Media containing several types of solid waste showed even higher oxygen demand than the bread media. Under anaerobic conditions, methane production was greater in readily decomposable organic material (garbage) than in a typical cellulose type. An aerated landfill was found to harbor many kinds of aerobic thermophilic microbes. Bacteria were always predominant. Some of these pure culture bacteria grew at 160°-180°F. All thermophilic microbes were not cellulolytic. Degradation of purified cellulose fibers by various aerobic microbes in pure culture was demonstrated.