Codisposal of Disposable Diapers with Shredded Municipal Refuse in Simulated Landfills

Abstract

Pilot-scale investigations on the fate and potential effects of disposable diapers codisposed with shredded municipal refuse were conducted using simulated landfills operated under leachate containment and recycle conditions. Carbon fourteen(14C)-labelled absorbent gelling material (AGM) was used to detect the possible loss of the diaper polymer to the gases and liquids generated during the various stages of landfill stabilization. Only a small quantity (<3%) of the total 14C appeared in either the leachate or gas phases. This indicated only minor degradation of the 14C-labelled AGM to either leachate soluble products or methane (CH4) or carbon dioxide (CO2). Retrieval of the diapers and waste after the completion of the landfill stabilization is scheduled to confirm this finding and complete a 14C mass balance. Moreover, the overall results indicated the effectiveness of landfill simulations for determining the fate and effects of codisposed post-consumer products throughout the sequential phases of landfill stabilization.

A comparative study of the leachates produced by anaerobic digestion in a pilot plant and at a sanitary landfill in Asturias, Spain

“…Similar behaviour was noted in the literature (Pohland et al 1993). Initially, both systems exhibited levels close to neutral (around 6.5), subsequently decreasing to values close to 6, both in the landfill and the pilot plant.…”

“…At this point, the pH of the leachate was mainly controlled by the bicarbonate buffering system and ammoniacal-N. Similar behaviour was noted in the literature (Pohland et al 1993).…”

Testing Anaerobic Biodegradability of Polymers in a Laboratory-Scale Simulated Landfill

“…The positive control was cellulose, chosen because its biodegradation is well-documented under simulated landfill conditions (3) and in landfills (8). The negative control was polyacrylate absorbent gel material (AGM), a lightly crosslinked polyacrylate that undergoes less than 2% mineralization under simulated landfill conditions (9,10). One test polymer was a lignified cellulose (LC) that was expected to be degradable, but to a lesser extent than pure cellulose because lignin is known to interfere with anaerobic cellulose decomposition (11)(12)(13)(14).…”

Impacts of temperature and liquid/solid ratio on anaerobic degradation of municipal solid waste: an emission investigation of landfill simulation reactors

“…With LSR tests, the transformation processes and their impacts on landfi ll emissions during the ageing of landfi lls have been well documented in some studies (e.g., Pohland et al 7 and Lagerkvist and Chen 8 ). However, the quantitative relationships between the transformation processes/landfi ll emissions and the abiotic infl uencing factors such as temperature and moisture levels/water addition are still not completely known.…”