Settlement behavior of municipal solid waste due to internal and external environmental factors in a lysimeter

Abstract

Long-term settlement magnitude is influenced by changes in external and internal factors that control the microbiological activity in the landfill waste body. To improve the understanding of settlement phenomena, it is instructive to study lysimeters filled with MSW. This paper aims to understand the settlement behavior of MSW by correlating internal and external factors that influence waste biodegradation in a lysimeter. Thus, a lysimeter was built, instrumented and filled with MSW from the city of Campina Grande, the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Physicochemical analysis of the waste (from three levels of depth of the lysimeter) was carried out along with MSW settlement measurements. Statistical tools such as descriptive analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were also performed. The settlement/compression, coefficient of variation and PCA results indicated the most intense rate of biodegradation in the top layer. The PCA results of intermediate and bottom levels presented fewer physicochemical and meteorological variables correlated with compression data in contrast with the top layer. It is possible to conclude that environmental conditions may influence internal indicators of MSW biodegradation, such as the settlement.

Analytical Modelling of MSW Landfill Surface Displacement Based on GNSS Monitoring

“…In the long-term scenarios, the main issue appears as a loss of waste matter caused by biodegradation of organic waste (OW) compounds of which the mechanical consequences have not been fully investigated yet [ 4 ]. Landfill settlements are generally defined as a vertical displacement of the waste body due to MSW compression, rearrangement of the particles, and biological degradation of the MSW organic matter (OM) [ 5 ].…”

“…Recent studies from Brazil [ 5 ] showed that settlement behaviour of MSW due to internal and external environmental factors can be simulated by an experiment performed in a lysimeter. Moreover, cited authors revealed that the interpretation of factors determining the range of landfill settlements can be enhanced with the application of statistical tools such as descriptive analysis and principal component analysis.…”

“…Landfill settlements are generally defined as a vertical displacement of the waste body due to MSW compression, rearrangement of the particles, and biological degradation of the MSW organic matter (OM) [5].…”

Behavior of Rejects from a Biological-Mechanical Treatment Plant on the Landfill to Laboratory Scale

“…Sutthasil et al (2014) [28] compared solid waste stabilisation and methane emissions from anaerobic and semi-aerobic landfills operating under tropical conditions. Araujo et al (2017) [29] statistically modelled an MSW settlement with a lysimeter, while Melo et al (2016) [30] examined the settlement behaviour of MSW according to the internal/external environmental factors in a lysimeter.…”