Evaluation of the efficiency of an experimental biocover to reduce BTEX emissions from landfill biogas.
Landfill emissions include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and, particularly, benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylene isomers (collectively called BTEX). The latter are the most common VOCs found in landfill biogas. BTEX affect air quality and may be harmful to human health. In conjunction with a study aiming to evaluate the efficiency of passive methane oxidizing biocovers, a complementary project was developed with the specific goal of evaluating the reduction in VOC emissions due to the installation of a biocover. One of the biocovers constructed at the Saint-Nicéphore (Quebec, Canada) landfill site was instrumented for this purpose. The total BTEX concentration in the raw biogas ranged from 28.7 to 65.4ppmv, and the measured concentration of BTEX in biogas emitted through the biocover ranged from below the limit of detection (BLD) to 2.1ppmv. The other volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) concentration varied from 18.8 to 40.4ppmv and from 0.8 to 1.2ppmv in the raw biogas and in the emitted biogas, respectively. The results obtained showed that the biocover effectiveness ranged from 67% to 100% and from 96% to 97% for BTEX and OVOC, respectively.
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Geoenvironmental Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Abderrahim
A
Lakhouit
Department Environmental Engineering, Universidade Estadual do Centro-oeste, Paraná, Brazil.
Waldir N
WN
Schirmer
Groundwater Protection Program, Waste Management Inc., Suite 202J, 3701 Shoreline Drive, Wayzata, MN 55391, USA.
Terry R
TR
Johnson
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Hubert
H
Cabana
Geoenvironmental Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: Alexandre.Cabral@USherbrooke.ca.
Alexandre R
AR
Cabral
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D014050:Toluene / Q000032:analysis; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D014992:Xylenes / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D001554:Benzene; C004912:ethylbenzene; D008697:Methane
Biocover efficiency; Biogas; Landfill; Volatile organic compounds