title: Decomposition and carbon storage of selected paper products in laboratory-scale landfills.
abstract: The objective of this study was to measure the anaerobic biodegradation of different types of paper products in laboratory-scale landfill reactors. The study included (a) measurement of the loss of cellulose, hemicellulose, organic carbon, and (b) measurement of the methane yields for each paper product. The test materials included two samples each of newsprint (NP), copy paper (CP), and magazine paper (MG), and one sample of diaper (DP). The methane yields, carbon storage factors and the extent of cellulose and hemicellulose decomposition all consistently show that papers made from mechanical pulps (e.g., NPs) are less degradable than those made from chemical pulps where essentially all lignin was chemically removed (e.g., CPs). The diaper, which is not only made from chemical pulp but also contains some gel and plastic, exhibited limited biodegradability. The extent of biogenic carbon conversion varied from 21 to 96% among papers, which contrasts with the uniform assumption of 50% by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for all degradable materials discarded in landfills. Biochemical methane potential tests also showed that the solids to liquid ratio used in the test can influence the results.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research of Low-Carbon and Green Buildings, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Campus Box 7908, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, United States. Electronic address: wangxiaoming_cqu@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Campus Box 7908, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, United States.
authors.forename: Florentino B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: De la Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Campus Box 7908, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, United States.
authors.forename: Morton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barlaz
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D002482:Cellulose; D057231:Climate Change; D007753:Laboratories; D008031:Lignin; D008697:Methane; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010209:Paper; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; D008697:Methane
keywords: Anaerobic decomposition; Biochemical methane potential; Carbon storage; Landfills; Municipal solid waste; Paper products