Modern Landfills as Potential Feed Back Processes to Counteract Global Warming

Abstract

Provided that produced biogas is effectively collected, landfills are important sinks for organic carbon compensating for emissions of CO2 from burning of fossil fuels. Sequestrating of long-lived organic carbon in the landfill itself is the most pronounced factor, but also other processes during landfill management will increase the capture and binding of CO2.. Compost produced in connection to the landfills and applied as soil improvement, is another important sink for organic carbon.The landfills in the World have been estimated to accumulate around 100 x 106 metric tons of C. Normally about 25-40 percent of the total carbon content in the waste can be converted into biogas in traditional landfills. During landfilling most of the organic carbon in fossil derived products, like plastics, synthetic rubber, textiles and other synthetic materials, As these products take part in the methane gas production, the landfill gas (biogas) can be regarded as a true biofuel. In contrast to incineration, high moisture content in the waste will not decrease the yield of energy per ton of waste. In a reactor landfill treating approximately 100 000 tons of waste per year, a longlived organic fraction corresponding to about 45 000 metric tons of carbon dioxide is longterm accumulated each year. This compensates for the annual carbon dioxide emissions from about 15 000 – 20 000 cars, provided that each one runs 15 000 km per year with fossil fuel. The technique for effective collection of landfill gas, and new techniques to upgrade and liquefy the biogas, have decreased the risk for emissions to the atmosphere. Modern bioreactor landfills have been estimated to have less than 10% diffuse biogas emissions to the atmosphere. Also in Sweden (Helsingborg), plants are built to convert landfill gas to upgraded, liquefied motor fuel. This will lead to strongly reduced diffuse emissions of landfill gas to the atmosphere. The utilization of leachates as forest fertilizer results in an improved biomass production and increased accumulation of soil organic matter. Increased tree and field layer productivity also means that the potential for water evaporation (eg. evapotranspiration) increase, reducing the costs for waste-water treatment or the risk for diffuse ground water pollution. Also in the mineral soil, increased long-lived fractions of humus normally are found. This should be added to the carbon accumulating effect of the landfill itself, where long-lived organic matter, mainly derived from lignin and from fossil fractions as plastics and synthetic textiles is long-term accumulated. In this respect the landfill system has similar effects compared to natural peatlands and lake and sea sediments, If
produced biogas is collected effectively, the landfill thus can be an important factor to counteract the “green-house effect” and climate change.