LANDFILL GAS EMISSION MONITORING WITH THE STATIC, NON-STATIONARY CHAMBER METHOD: A LONG-TERM (2005-2016) STUDY AT AN ITALIAN SITE

According to the European Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC and the related Italian Legislation (‘‘D.Lgs. No. 36/2003”), monitoring and control procedures of landfill gas (LFG) emissions, migration, and external dispersions are requested. In order to advance the technical-scientific understanding and the reliable estimation of LFG emissions, it seems fundamental to increase, share, and compare the availability of methodological approaches, field programs, and experiences on LFG emission measurements at case-study sites. In particular, the experimental circumstance of periodical iteration (at least on yearly basis) of the monitoring campaigns of LFG emissions at a given landfill site, could provide useful data and elaborations to be critically evaluated in comparison with the temporal evolution of the site operation. In this context, a significant case-study is represented by the “Fano” controlled landfill for non-hazardous waste (Marche Region, Adriatic Sea side, Central Italy), where monitoring campaigns with the static, non-stationary accumulation chamber method have been yearly conducted (in summer or spring time) since 2005. In addition, during the year 2011, an extraordinary monitoring campaign was also carried out in winter time. For the multiyear (2005-2016) monitoring period, the CO2, CH4 emission rates varied on the whole from 0.0 to about 33,300 g CO2 m-2 d-1 (max in winter 2011 campaign) and from 0.0 to about 4,800 g CH4 m-2 d-1 (max in winter 2011 campaign), respectively. The resulting total CO2, CH4 emissions (as ton d-1) at the “Fano” landfill ranged on the whole from 2.85 (summer 2010 campaign) to 8.28 ton CO2 d-1 (summer 2016 campaign) and from 0.25 (summer 2013-2014 campaigns) to 2.13 ton CH4 d-1 (winter 2011 campaign), respectively. The effects of some typical operation measures on the resulting LFG emissions were identified and evaluated.