Guidelines for landfill gas emission monitoring using the tracer gas dispersion method

Landfill gas often containing 50–60% methane, is generated on waste disposal sites receiving organic waste. Regulation requires that this gas is managed in order to reduce emissions, but very few suggestions exist as to how management activities are monitored, what should be set up to ensure this management and how criteria should be developed for when monitoring activities are terminated.

Methane emission monitoring procedures are suggested, based on a robust method for measuring total leakage from the site; additionally, quantitative measures, to determine the efficiency of the performed emission mitigation, are defined. The tracer gas dispersion measuring technique is suggested as the core emission measurement methodology in monitoring plans for methane emissions from landfills and a guideline for best practice measurement performance is presented.

A minimum methane mitigation efficiency of 80% is suggested. Finally, several principles are presented on how criteria can be developed for when a monitoring program can be terminated. Three of the suggested principles result in comparable completion criteria of about 1–3 kg CH4/h for a small landfill (an area of 4 ha).