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Landfill Methane Oxidation Response to Vegetation, Fertilization, and Liming
Author(s) -
Hilger Helene A.,
Wollum Arthur G.,
Barlaz Morton A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2000.00472425002900010041x
Subject(s) - loam , lime , nitrate , environmental chemistry , chemistry , ammonium , anaerobic oxidation of methane , nutrient , methane , environmental science , soil water , soil science , geology , paleontology , organic chemistry
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vegetation, N fertilizers, and lime addition on landfill CH 4 oxidation. Columns filled with compacted sandy loam and sparged with synthetic landfill gas were used to simulate a landfill cover. Grass‐topped and bare‐soil columns reduced inlet CH 4 by 47 and 37%, respectively, at peak uptake; but the rate for both treatments was about 18% at steady slate. Nitrate and NH 4 amendments induced a more rapid onset of CH 4 oxidation relative to KCl controls. However, at steady state, NH 4 inhibited CH 4 oxidation in bare columns but not in grassed columns. Nitrate addition produced no inhibitory effects. Lime addition to the soil consistently enhanced CH 4 oxidation. In all treatments, CH 4 consumption increased to a peak value, then declined to a lower steady‐state value; and all gassed columns developed a pH gradient. Neither nutrient depletion nor protozoan grazing could explain the decline from peak oxidation levels. Ammonium applied to grassed cover soil can cause transient reductions in CH 4 uptake, but there is no evidence that the inhibition persists. The ability of vegetation to mitigate NH 4 inhibition indicates that results from bare‐soil tests may not always generalize to vegetated landfill caps.