Remote monitoring of landfill gases from solid waste landfill

Abstract

Landfill gas is primarily made up from Methane (CH4) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Global methane emissions from landfill are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tonnes each year. Methane makes landfill gas explosive when it is present in the 5-15% concentration range. Landfill directives state that licensed landfills in the UK and Ireland should never exceed a concentration of 1% for CH4 and 1.5% for CO2, at perimeter borehole wells[1]. However, the EPA has cited large noncompliance with suggested targets [2]. This is partly due to the single point nature of the CH4 and CO2 sampling, and also the low sampling frequency. This research group has developed a dual autonomous CH4 and CO2 sensor, and has successfully run extensive field trials over the last 2 years. Currently using the system, three live data streams are being populated logging methane and carbon dioxide values in real-time on three different landfill sites.