The Influence of Energy Recovery from Waste on Landfill Gas: A Case Study from Korea

Abstract

The volume and composition of landfill gas (LFG) [1] as a product of biochemical degradation in the landfill during landfill disposal [2] has a great impact on the operation of a landfill [3]. Therefore, in order to operate landfill sites economically and in an environmentally friendly manner, the characteristics of landfill wastes should be identified prior to demolition planning and operation of the landfill sites. The amount and nature of LFG vary greatly depending on the energy recovery and recycling projects for landfill waste. In other words, if waste energy recovery is carried out before waste landfill, then the inorganic waste after waste pretreatment and residue from the thermochemical energy recovery are left as landfill waste. Therefore, the volume of LFG generated differs in direct landfills where energy recovery is not carried out. In addition, whether or not landfilling solidified sludge [4][5], mixed landfilling of the total wastes, and the separate landfilling of specific wastes are carried out also affect LFG output.The influence of the traditional method of direct landfilling of total wastes on the characteristics of the landfill such as LFG production due to energy recovery and separate reclamation of the waste materials can be estimated, making it possible to better plan the energy recovery system and energy recycling projects [6].Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 27, No. 6 (2018), 2613-2622 Original Research AbstractIn order to conceive of an efficient way to manage a landfill, we conducted an exemplary study of the Sudokwon Landfill Site in South Korea, with particular regard to the influence of energy recovery from waste. As a result of the BMP test, biogas production of demolition waste was much lower than household waste even in the same waste type. Gas production from the residual substance of energy recovery from waste (ash), waste soil, and the sludge landfill cover material was almost zero, but the solidified sludge showed 4.1 times greater than digested sludge due to the fewer pozzolanic reactions. Lysimeter test results show that the total amount of landfill gas was reduced to about 1/27 when combustible waste is buried after the recovery of energy, but, in order to be able to completely eliminate the landfill gas collecting system in a newly managed landfill, solidified sludge should not be disposed of in the landfill site. In addition, the maximum concentration of hydrogen sulfide was 60.9×10 3 ppm, when total waste was mixed and landfilled. However, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide decreased to about 1/6 and the total load largely decreased to about 0.9% when applied to landfill waste after energy recovery.

Processing of biomethane for electricity production as a sustainable way to treat municipal organic solid waste: A case study of the Corumbataí river basin region

“…This study also addressed the treatment of landfill gases, which is an important tool in air and climate protection. The issue of landfill gas release and utilization has been investigated by Bel Hadj Ali et al (2020), Rahimi et al (2020), Kim et al (2018), and in a specific study from the Eastern Amazon by Imbiriba et al (2020). Further, regional research on this topic has been published by Mihajlovi et al (2016), Sun et al (2019), or Fei et al (2019.…”