Aluminum Waste Reaction Indicators in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 3
Abstract
Subtitle D landfills may contain aluminum from residential and commercial solid waste, industrial waste, and aluminum production wastes. Some aluminum-bearing waste materials, particularly aluminum production wastes, may react with liquid in a landfill and cause uncontrolled temperature increases, significant changes in gas composition and pressure, nuisance odors, and changes in leachate composition and quantity. Such reactions may also cause degradation of leachate quality (e.g., increased ammonia, sodium, potassium, chloride, and TDS concentrations), combustion of the surrounding waste, damage to engineered components (gas collection systems, leachate collection systems, and liner system materials), and slope instability. Temperatures exceeding 150°C (300°F), generation and accumulation of undesirable explosive and toxic gases (e.g., hydrogen, acetylene, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and benzene), and gas pressures exceeding 210 kPa (30.5 psi) have been observed. Water from leachate recirculation, precipitation, the waste, or groundwater infiltration can initiate the exothermic reaction if aluminum production wastes are present. This paper uses a case history to illustrate some indicators of an aluminum reaction and problems that can develop from such a reaction in a Subtitle D landfill.
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Acknowledgments
The contents and views in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of any landfill owner/operator, homeowners, consultants, regulatory agency or personnel, or anyone else involved in this project. In particular, the contents of this paper/publication are the personal opinions of the authors and may not reflect the opinions, conclusions, policies, or procedures of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Health, or the California Environmental Protection Agency.
The authors especially acknowledge Paula Sikora-Martin for her thorough editorial review of this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 3 • March 2012
Pages: 252 - 261
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 16, 2010
Accepted: Jun 14, 2011
Published online: Jun 16, 2011
Published in print: Mar 1, 2012
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