Integrated modeling and up-scaling of landfill processes and heterogeneity using stochastic approach

Municipal solid waste landfills are a very complex and heterogeneous systems. The waste in a landfill body is a heterogeneous mixture of a wide range of materials containing high levels of organic matter, high amounts of salts and a wide range of different organic and inorganic substances, such as heavy metals and organic solvents. A range of processes of different nature occur within landfills. Bio-geochemical processes in a landfill body lead to the development of landfill gases, a mixture of predominantly methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and smaller amounts of trace gases. Water flow through the landfill is the main driving force for biodegradation and leachate generation. This induces loss of matter via leachate and gas generation hence a new pores become available for water flow and settlements take place. An estimation of the remaining emission/contaminating potential of the landfill under different landfill management scenarios is the main goal of our research. This can give valuable information on when it is “safe” to release the landfill from active aftercare and what actions need to be done in order to reach this threshold earliest.Geoscience & EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience