title: Methane emissions from 20 landfills across the United States using vertical radial plume mapping.
abstract: Landfill fugitive methane emissions were quantified as a function of climate type and cover type at 20 landfills using US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Other Test Method (OTM)-10 vertical radial plume mapping (VRPM) with tunable diode lasers (TDLs). The VRPM data were initially collected as g CH4/sec emission rates and subsequently converted to g CH4/m2/ day rates using two recently published approaches. The first was based upon field tracer releases of methane or acetylene and multiple linear regression analysis (MLRM). The second was a virtual computer model that was based upon the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) and Pasquill plume stability class models (PSCMs). Calculated emission results in g CH4/m2/day for each measured VRPM with the two approaches agreed well (r2 = 0.93). The VRPM data were obtained from the working face, temporary soil, intermediate soil, and final soil or synthetic covers. The data show that methane emissions to the atmosphere are a function of climate and cover type. Humid subtropical climates exhibited the highest emissions for all cover types at 207, 127, 102, and 32 g CH4/m2/day, for working face (no cover), temporary, intermediate, and final cover, respectively. Humid continental warm summers showed 67, 51, and 27 g CH4/m2/day for temporary, intermediate, and final covers. Humid continental cool summers were 135, 40, and 26 g CH4/m2/day for the working face, intermediate, and final covers. Mediterranean climates were examined for intermediate and final covers only and found to be 11 and 6 g CH4/m2/day, respectively, whereas semiarid climates showed 85, 11, 3.7, and 2.7 g CH4/m2/day for working face, temporary, intermediate, and final covers. A closed, synthetically capped landfill covered with soil and vegetation with a gas collection system in a humid continental warm summer climate gave mostly background methane readings and average emission rates of only 0.09 g CH4/m2/day flux when measurable.
authors.affiliation: Alternative Natural Technologies, Inc., 1847 Whittaker Hollow Rd., Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA. cdgoldsmith@gmail.com
authors.forename: C Douglas
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chanton
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abichou
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haters
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002980:Climate; D003198:Computer Simulation; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D016014:Linear Models; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D018505:Waste Management
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008697:Methane