Biological methane oxidation barriers

• Grant number: 08/11459-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2009
• End date: December 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Geotechnical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Antônio Medeiros Marinho
• Grantee: Fernando Antônio Medeiros Marinho
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The placement of municipal solid waste in the ground is a practice still widely used, which employs both aerobic and anaerobic processes. The sanitary landfill is at the same time an anaerobic biological system for waste treatment and also a way to dispose the waste. These systems even when operated properly in terms of prevention and treatment of emissions, both liquid and gas, have always a potential for polluting that must be considered. In the case of atmospheric emissions, even for those landfills that have systems for collection and use of biogas, a portion of this production is released into the atmosphere. Considering that in composition of the biogas methane accounts for over 50% percent of the volume generated, landfills can be considered as an important source of emissions of gases that contribute to increasing the greenhouse effect. It is noted that the theme of the study can also be of interest to other areas such as agriculture and distribution systems of natural gas. The biological oxidation of methane at the landfill cover system is an alternative to reduce emissions of methane in the landfill. Biological oxidation of methane is a process that is mediated by microbial activity in environments where methane and oxygen are available, from air and/or dissolved in water. It is proposed in this project to study the biological oxidation of methane, through the installation of an experimental cover (biofilter) in an area of the landfill of San Giacomo (RS) and the landfill DELTA 1A (SP), using as a source of methane, the vertical system of collection of biogas. The support media for the cover system to be tested will be a mixture of compost and soil. During the process the flow of biogas, consumption of methane and characteristics of the material in geotechnical and microbiological terms will be monitored. The goal is to define the characteristics of the most appropriate support material, taking into account the climate of places in order to obtain the most efficient oxidation of methane. (AU)