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The effect of various environmental and design parameters on methane oxidation in a model biofilter

Texas A&M University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, Texas

Kirk W. Brown

Texas A&M University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, Texas

James C. Thomas

Texas A&M University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, Texas

Methane from landfills built with RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) covers is frequently vented directly to the atmosphere. Alternatively, landfill gasses could be vented through a layer of soil that could serve as a biofilter to oxidize CH4 to carbon dioxide and water. Properly designed soil biofilters may reduce atmospheric CH4 emissions from landfills and help reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. This study was conducted to investigate the performance of a lab-scale model biofilter system using soil as the filterbed medium in packed columns to measure the effect of a variety of environmental and design factors on the CH4 oxidation capacity of a soil biofilter.

Biofilter performance was tested under a variety of environmental and design conditions. The optimum soil moisture content for CH4 oxidation in a loamy sand was 13% by weight. Addition of NO3-N did not affect the CH4 oxidation rate. Soil depths of 30 cm and 60 cm were equally efficient in CH4 oxidation. When the CH4 loading rate was decreased, the percentage of CH4 oxidized increased. The maximum CH4 oxidation rate was 27.2 mol m-2 d-1 under optimum conditions.

Key Words: Methane • oxidation • biofiltration • greenhouse gas • landfill gas • wmr 510-6.

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