CoE Annual Magazine 2024 Highlights CEE Research on “Landfills are Trash for the Atmosphere”

The College of Engineering (CoE) Annual Magazine features CEE research on the development of a more accurate methane emissions estimation method. Research has shown that landfills release significantly more methane than standard calculations capture.

“Landfills are the third-largest anthropogenic source,” stated Associate Professor Fei Xunchang. “But we suspect methane emissions from landfills may be far greater than current estimates suggest.”

A New Model

Just as regulatory landscapes and climate science evolve, so must equations formulated two decades ago, he shared.

The team got to work to do just that – update method emission estimates. Instead of relying on a fixed decay constant, the researchers tailored this constant to each landfill based on three factors: waste composition, moisture and temperature (CMT).

“We built this approach by drawing on an extensive dataset of methane measurements. There were 195 field measurements across 18 countries and 80 laboratory tests across 12 countries,” Assoc. Prof Fei Xunchang explained. “This gives us a model that reflects the diversity of real-world landfill conditions, which in turn provides a more accurate picture of methane emissions on a global scale.” 

Looking to the Future

His team believes there are more improvements that could be made in the IPCC-recommended model. The methane oxidation factor, correction factor and recovery rate all currently rely on obsolete default values and could be updated for better accuracy. The researcher also suggested establishing a standardised information recording mechanism. The measure would improve data quality and provide a strong foundation for effective climate policies.

“We increasingly view methane reduction as a strategy for ‘buying time’ on the climate crisis,” declared Assoc. Prof Fei Xunchang. “It’s really important that we quantify methane emissions at the highest possible resolution.” 

View the full feature here