Estimation of landfill gas emissions at the solid waste disposal site of low-population regions with LandGEM and tabasaran–rettenberger mathematical models

ABSTRACT

In developing countries, solid waste most commonly ultimately ends up is landfill. Landfill sites release significant amounts of air pollutants, such as methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide. It is thus important to reduce, control, and recycle these gases. In this study, we aimed to calculate gas emissions and energy production from landfill sites serving low-population areas. Future landfill gas production was estimated using LandGEM and Tabasaran – Rettenberger models, based on population and waste volume predictions. In both models, total amount of landfill gas and CH₄ produced reached their highest values in 2035. According to the LandGEM model, this will amount to 11,230 and 3,179 Mg/year, respectively, while the Tabasaran – Rettenberger model predicted 14,986 and 4,014 Mg/year, respectively. The volume of landfill gas calculated using the Tabasaran – Rettenberger model was 3.730 million m³/year for 2021, while this was 2.544 million m³/year using the LandGEM model. In 2021, 84007 Mg of waste was disposed of at the landfill site. According to data from the electricity generation plant at the site, the electrical energy generated in 2021 was 5,309 kWh. Comparing the results from these two models with actual landfill data, the Tabasaran – Rettenberger model came closest to the estimate. Therefore, the Tabasaran – Rettenberger model can be used to estimate the potential for gas production at landfill sites in cities with similar waste components.

KEYWORDS:

• Methane production
• municipal solid waste
• waste to energy
• electrical energy
• landfill

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Municipality of Kastamonu, the Association of Local Governments of Kastamonu, and the Governorate of Kastamonu in Turkey for their support and for providing all data requested for this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Credit author statement

Süha Özata was responsible for overall investigation and data collection. Gökçe Didar Değermenci was responsible for supervision, writing – review & editing original draft.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Süha Özata

Süha Özata received his Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Kastamonu in 2022

Gökçe Didar Değermenci

Gökçe Didar Değermenci is a lecturer and assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey. She received his PhD degree in Environmental Engineering from Atatürk University, Turkey in 2014. Her research focuses on water and wastewater treatment, and waste management, especially advanced oxidation methods for water and wastewater treatment applications.