title: CH4 emission and recovery from municipal solid waste in China.
abstract: Methane ( CH4) is an important greenhouse gas and a major environmental pollutant, second only to carbon dioxide (CO2) in its contribution to potential global warming. In many cases, methane emission from landfills otherwise emitted to the atmosphere can be removed and utilized, or significantly reduced in quantity by using coat-effective management methods. The gas can also be used as a residential, commercial, or industrial fuel. Therefore, emission reduction strategies have the potential to become low cost, or even profitable. The annual growth rate of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) output in China is 6.24%, with the highest levels found in South China, Southwest China and East China. Cities and towns are developing quickly in these regions. MSW output was only 76.36 Mt in 1991 and increased to 109.82 Mt in 1997, registering an average increase of 43.8% . In China, methane emission from landfills also increased from 5.88 Mt in 1991 to 8.46 Mt in 1997; so the recovery of methane from landfills is a profitable project.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China. xxh@mail.hz.zj.cn
authors.forename: Xin-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yue-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Da-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002681:China; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014866:Waste Products; D008697:Methane