Subtle early-warning indicators of landfill subsurface thermal events

Davis, Andy; Whitehead, C.; Lengke, Maggy F.

doi:10.1080/15275922.2021.1887973

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…LFs can be categorized primarily into surface fires (located within 1.5 m depth from the top of MSW) (location#1 and #2) and sub-surface fires (location#3) (also known as underground fire), depending on the location of the source, as depicted in Figure 1 (Davis et al, 2021;Frid et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The major ignition sources of the surface landfill fires (SLFs) are intentional or accidental disposal of flammable substances (such as hot ash, active match stick and cigarette butts, etc.) at the site, spontaneous combustion or self-ignition, lightning strikes, sparks from the technical or electrical failure of instruments and vehicles, and arson and thermal runaway of batteries (Davis et al, 2021;Manjunatha et al, 2020;Mikalsen et al, 2021). A particular hazard of landfills is the presence of the highly flammable methane (CH4) gas generated during anaerobic MSW decomposition, intrusion of oxygen/air due to over-extraction of gas from extraction wells especially located near a slope or through cracks and fissures, leading to the occurrence of sub-surface landfill fires (SSLFs) (Jafari et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of fires at municipal solid waste landfills

Mohammad

Paleologos

Ogrodnik

et al. 2023

Environmental Geotechnics

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Surface and sub-surface fire in municipal solid waste landfills (including dumpsites) is a complex and intricate phenomenon, whose frequency is expected to increase due to climate change. Partial or incomplete combustion of landfill waste at low temperatures during fires leads to generation of toxic compounds, including hydrocarbons, particulate matter and hazardous gases, which contaminate the surrounding geoenvironment and ultimately pose severe health hazards to living entities. Under these circumstances, it is the need of the hour to understand the (i) occurrence mechanisms of landfill fires, (ii) waste properties and operational conditions that may favour landfill fires and (iii) strengths and limitations of the available detection techniques in order to provide recommendations to detect such incidences at an early stage and plan emergency measures. Hence, the present review article critically assimilates the literature on landfill fires and discusses the (a) conditions under which the initiation and sustenance of landfill fires take place, (b) ecotoxicological (geoenvironmental) hazards of landfill fires, both in short- and long-term and (c) detection techniques for an early warning system. Finally, a discussion on the coupled multi-physics interactions undergoing in the waste matrix during landfill fires is presented in this manuscript, which is crucial to mastering this subject.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of fires at municipal solid waste landfills

Mohammad

Paleologos

Ogrodnik

et al. 2023

Environmental Geotechnics

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Carbon distribution and multi-criteria decision analysis of flexible waste biomass smouldering processing technologies

et al. 2023

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Coal Ash Triggers an Elevated Temperature Landfill Development: Lessons from the Bristol Virginia Solid Waste Landfill Neighboring Community

Patton Witt,

Guzman

2024

Environments

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Landfills for disposing of solid waste are designed, located, managed, and monitored facilities expected to comply with government regulations to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment. After the average life expectancy of a typical landfill (30 to 50 years), a large investment in the construction, operation, final closure, and 30-year monitoring of a new site is needed. In this case study, we provide a holistic explanation of the unexpected development of elevated temperature landfills (ETLFs), such as that in the city of Bristol (United States) on the border of the states of Virginia and Tennessee, including the initial role played by coal ash. Despite the increasing frequency of ETLF occurrence, there is limited knowledge available about their associated environmental problems. The study uses mixed (qualitative, quantitative, and mapping) methods to analyze (1) the levels of odoriferous reduced sulfur compounds, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted, (2) the ratio of methane to carbon dioxide concentrations in five locations, which dropped from unity (normal landfill) to 0.565, (3) the location of gas well heads with gradients of elevated temperatures, and (4) the correlation of the filling rate (upward of ~12 m y−1) with depth for registered events depositing coal ash waste. The work identifies spatial patterns that support the conclusion that coal ash served as the initiator for an ETLF creation. The case of the city of Bristol constitutes an example of ETLFs with elevated temperatures above the regulatory United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) upper threshold (65 °C), having alongside low methane emissions, large production of leachate, land subsidence, and a large production of organic compounds. Such landfills suffer abnormal chemical reactions within the waste mass that reduce the life expectancy of the site. Residents in such communities suffer intolerable odors from fugitive emissions and poor air quality becomes prominent, affecting the well-being and economy of surrounding populations. Conclusive information available indicates that the Bristol landfill has been producing large amounts of leachate and hazardous gases under the high pressures and temperatures developed within the landfill. A lesson learned, which should be used to prevent this problem in the future, is that the early addition of coal ash into the landfill would have catalyzed the process of ETLF creation. The work considers the public health risks and socioeconomic problems of residents exposed to emissions from an ETLF and discusses the efforts needed to prevent further incidents in other locations.

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Subtle early-warning indicators of landfill subsurface thermal events

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of fires at municipal solid waste landfills

Occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of fires at municipal solid waste landfills

Carbon distribution and multi-criteria decision analysis of flexible waste biomass smouldering processing technologies

Coal Ash Triggers an Elevated Temperature Landfill Development: Lessons from the Bristol Virginia Solid Waste Landfill Neighboring Community

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