Assessment of Landfill Gas Generation - A Case Study of Cheongju Megalo Landfill

매립지 가스 발생량 평가 - 청주권 광역생활폐기물 매립장 사례연구

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and methane emissions from landfills have been linked to global warming. In this study, LandGEM (Landfill Gas Emission Model) was applied to predict landfill gas quantity over time, and then this result was compared with the data surveyed on the site, Cheongju Megalo Landfill. LandGEM allows the input of site-specific values for methane generation rate (k) and potential methane generation capacity $L_o$, but in this study, k value of 0.05/yr and $L_o$ value of $170m^3/Mg$ were considered to be most appropriate for reflecting non-arid temperate region conventional landfilling, Cheongju Megalo Landfill. High discrepancies between the surveyed data and the predicted data about landfill gas seems to be derived from insufficient compaction of daily soil-cover, inefficient recovery of landfill gas and banning of direct landfilling of food garbage waste in 2005. This study can be used for dissemination of information and increasing awareness about the benefits of recovering and utilizing LFG (landfill gas) and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.