Methodology of assessment of russian federation waste dump-generated methane volumes

M.Ya. Shpirt, Institute of Combustible Minerals

Methane and other greenhouse gas used to be generated in aerobic and anaerobic conditions under the surface of domestic waste organic substances are kept at dumps. Gas to be emitted at the above dumps is usually called as “biogas” that is principally consists of ÑÍ₄, ÑÎ₂ and Í₂Î. Content of methane in biogas and its volumes to be emitted per 1 t of domestic waste kept at a certain dump depend on various factors, principally including organic substance content, composition, domestic waste mass gas regime and environment temperature.

With the above factors accounted for, you may forecast concentration of ÑÍ₄ and its amount that can be generated for 1 year and for the whole period specified for storage of 1 t of domestic waste. Domestic waste organic particle content may be parameterized by the content of carbon (organic) that is determined by direct analysis of samples selected from any landfill waste by a specially developed technique. Environment temperature is determined by the meteorologically predicted data. The rest parameters listed above may be assessed by means of various approximate methods (qualitative analysis of selected samples for availability of different organic substances, description of previously disposed domestic waste composition, comparative analysis of disposed waste to have been previously tested for volumes of methane emission etc.).

Total assessment of these data makes it possible to specify analytical relations for calculation of generated methane volumes and its content in biogas. The very analytical relations quantitatively correspond to the methodical guidelines developed by International Greenhouse Gas Estimation Agency.