Methodologies for measuring fugitive methane emissions from landfills - A review. 2019

Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.

Fugitive methane (CH4) emissions from landfills are significant global sources of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere; thus, reducing them would be a beneficial way of overall greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. In Europe, landfill owners have to report their annual CH4 emissions, so direct measurements are therefore important for (1) evaluating and improving currently applied CH4 emission models, (2) reporting annual CH4 emissions and (3) quantifying CH4 mitigation initiatives. This paper aims at providing an overview of currently available methodologies used to measure fugitive CH4 emissions escaping from landfills. The measurement methodologies are described briefly, and the advantages and limitations of the different techniques are discussed with reference to published literature on the subject. Examples are given of individual published studies using different methodologies and studies comparing three or more methodologies. This review suggests that accurate, whole-site CH4 emission quantifications are best done using methods measuring downwind of the landfill, such as tracer gas dispersion and differential absorption LiDAR (DIAL). Combining aerial CH4 concentration measurements from aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles with wind field measurements offers a great future potential for improved and cost-efficient integrated landfill CH4 emission quantification. However, these methods are difficult to apply for longer time periods, so in order to measure temporal CH4 emission changes, e.g. due to the effect of changes in atmospheric conditions (pressure, wind and precipitation), a measurement method that is able to measure continuously is required. Such a method could be eddy covariance or static mass balance, although these procedures are challenged by topography and inhomogeneous spatial emission patterns, and as such they can underestimate emissions significantly. Surface flux chambers have been used widely, but they are likely to underestimate emission rates, due to the heterogeneous nature of most landfill covers resulting in sporadic and localised CH4 emission hotspots being the dominant emission routes. Furthermore, emissions from wells, vents, etc. are not captured by surface flux chambers. The significance of any underestimation depends highly on the configuration of individual landfills, their size and emission patterns.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008697 Methane The simplest saturated hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, flammable gas, slightly soluble in water. It is one of the chief constituents of natural gas and is formed in the decomposition of organic matter. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)
D012037 Refuse Disposal The discarding or destroying of garbage, sewage, or other waste matter or its transformation into something useful or innocuous. Waste Disposal, Solid,Disposal, Refuse,Disposal, Solid Waste,Disposals, Refuse,Disposals, Solid Waste,Refuse Disposals,Solid Waste Disposal,Solid Waste Disposals,Waste Disposals, Solid
D004784 Environmental Monitoring The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment. Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D005060 Europe The continent north of AFRICA, west of ASIA and east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN. Northern Europe,Southern Europe,Western Europe
D000393 Air Pollutants Any substance in the air which could, if present in high enough concentration, harm humans, animals, vegetation or materials. Substances include GASES; PARTICULATE MATTER; and volatile ORGANIC CHEMICALS. Air Pollutant,Air Pollutants, Environmental,Environmental Air Pollutants,Environmental Pollutants, Air,Air Environmental Pollutants,Pollutant, Air,Pollutants, Air,Pollutants, Air Environmental,Pollutants, Environmental Air
D064091 Waste Disposal Facilities Sites that receive and store WASTE PRODUCTS. Some facilities also sort, process, and recycle specific waste products. Landfills,Waste Disposal Sites,Waste Dump Sites,Waste Dumping Grounds,Waste Dumping Sites,Waste Dumps,Disposal Facilities, Waste,Disposal Facility, Waste,Disposal Site, Waste,Disposal Sites, Waste,Dump Site, Waste,Dump Sites, Waste,Dump, Waste,Dumping Ground, Waste,Dumping Grounds, Waste,Dumping Site, Waste,Dumping Sites, Waste,Dumps, Waste,Facilities, Waste Disposal,Facility, Waste Disposal,Ground, Waste Dumping,Grounds, Waste Dumping,Landfill,Site, Waste Disposal,Site, Waste Dump,Site, Waste Dumping,Sites, Waste Disposal,Sites, Waste Dump,Sites, Waste Dumping,Waste Disposal Facility,Waste Disposal Site,Waste Dump,Waste Dump Site,Waste Dumping Ground,Waste Dumping Site

Related Publications

Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
December 2022, The Science of the total environment,
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
September 2013, Waste management (New York, N.Y.),
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
September 2022, Waste management (New York, N.Y.),
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
March 2024, Science (New York, N.Y.),
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
December 2022, Environmental science & technology,
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
January 2023, Scientific reports,
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
August 2007, Journal of environmental management,
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
February 2022, Waste management (New York, N.Y.),
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
March 2023, International journal of environmental research and public health,
Jacob Mønster, and Peter Kjeldsen, and Charlotte Scheutz
August 2022, Science advances,
Copied contents to your clipboard!