Method for Predicting the Quantity of Moisture Generated by the Biodegradation Process in Semi-aerobic Landfills

• Published in: Journal of the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 291 - 301
• Main Authors: Hirata, Osamu, Tanaka, Ayako, Matsufuji, Yasushi, Matsugu, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management 2012
• Subjects: Biodegradation; IPCC Guidelines; landfill; leachate; semi-aerobic
• ISSN: 1883-5856; 1883-5899
• DOI: 10.3985/jjsmcwm.1120406

The prediction of leachate quantity is essential for the planning of leachate treatment facilities when planning MSW landfill sites. It is also thought to be essential in comparison to precipitation to predict the quantity of moisture generated by the MSW biodegradation process in semi-aerobic landfills in developing countries that primarily handle the direct disposal of MSW. Past research results have clarified that the moisture generated by the biodegradation process in semi-aerobic MSW landfills in their early stages is significant in comparison to precipitation, depending on landfill conditions. In order to devise a method for predicting the moisture quantity generated by the biodegradation process, the authors investigated the application of the estimation method used for CH4 emissions from solid waste disposal sites described in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. This was based on past experimental data collected with a large-scale lysimeter filled with MSW at a semi-aerobic landfill. The results demonstrate that, with appropriate parameters, this estimation method has potential to be applied to the prediction of the moisture quantity generated by the biodegradation process in semi-aerobic landfills.