Compositional analysis of excavated landfill samples and the determination of residual biogas potential of the organic fraction

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the biogas potential of landfilled materials and to further validate the suitability of the enzymatic hydrolysis test EHT as a valuable alternative to substitute the standardised test currently in use (BMP). Both tests were applied to a range of landfill waste samples. The waste composition and volatile solids content (VS) profile together with the BMP test results showed that the biogas potential of the waste samples was directly related to their VS content, as expected. The positive correlation between the VS and the BMP test (r=0.67) suggests that the first could be used as a primary indicator of biogas potential of waste samples. Nevertheless, it should be validated against the BMP test because, occasionally, the VS content does not equate to the biogas production. This was mainly due to the paper content of the samples which also correlates positively (r=0.77) with the BMP biogas production. The EHT results showed a higher correlation with the BMP test (r=0.91) than in previous studies which used a wider mixture of enzymes containing cellulase, hemicellulase and carbohydrase. This finding positions the EHT as a quick assessing method for the biodegradability of waste samples in future sample regimes.

Characterization of Excavated Waste of Different Ages in View of Multiple Resource Recovery in Landfill Mining

“…The composition of the shredder-like IW was therefore different from the MSW examined [18,19]. Observing Figure 2, the classification by waste type overlaps the classification by age or storage time.…”

“…The whole biodegradable fractions (especially the fraction between 10 and 50 mm containing biodegradable residues recognizable as partially degraded organic waste) and the FF (fine materials with dimension below 10 mm) were chosen to be evaluated with anaerobic biodegradability assays (BMP test) as the most probable sources of biogas generation. As such, these fractions were characterized in terms of TS, VS and pH of the water suspension [19]. TS, TVS and pH were determined in order to characterize each waste fraction used for the anaerobic biodegradability assays according to standard methods [21].…”

“…Instead, "ex situ landfill mining" takes place when the (even partial) excavation and the extraction of waste leads to the recovery of materials and resources. The importance of these approaches is linked to intrinsic factors, such as the size, age, and type of landfill, the waste composition, and extrinsic factors, such as the availability of treatment technologies [18][19][20]. For example, industrial landfills, when rich in metals, may be more interesting for ex situ techniques, while municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills could be adapted to suit the bioreactor model with an in situ approach.…”

Simulation of a biogas cleaning process using different amines

“…Biogas generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic substances present in municipal solid waste can be a source of energy, especially in regions or countries where economic growth leads to an increase in the production of solid or organic waste from industrial and agricultural activities [3][4][5][6][7][8]. A variety of models can be used to estimate the generation of biogas with different degrees of certainty, depending on the composition of the matter disposed in the landfill [9,10].…”

Experimental and Analytical Studies on the Utilization of Biowastes Available in an Educational Institution in India

“…The composition of the above components in biogas varies for different biowastes, and many methods are being used to study the different compositions [7][8][9]. Even though it is an inexpensive gas, the higher methane content of 95%-99% in LPG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) inhibits the commercialization of biogas.…”