Emissions from the Bena

Landfill
Carey Schafer , Don Blake , Stacey Hughes , Rafe Day
1

Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Tulane

University, LA
2Department of Chemistry, UC Irvine, CA

Why do we care about landfills?

254

4.4

EPA, 2016

Landfill Emissions
Methane

50% of emissions
Lifetime of 12
years
GWP = 25

Carbon
50% of emissions
Dioxide
< 1% Non-Methane
Organic Compounds
(NMOCs)

EPA, 2016; EPA, 2010; Scheutz et

al. 2008

Study
Site

CO2, CO, H2 Methods

Carbon dioxide (CO2) measured using gas

chromatography

Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD)

Senses changes in the thermal conductivity (ability to

conduct heat) of the column effluent and compares it to
a reference flow of carrier gas

Carbon monoxide (CO) and Hydrogen (H 2)

Reduced Gas Detector (RGD)

CO + HgO CO2 + Hg (vapor)

H2 + HgO H2O + Hg (vapor)

Methods

Background Concentration

Samples collected in Bakersfield during SARP flight 2

Samples will be more diluted because they are taken from

a higher altitude

Conservative Background Concentration

Ground cans taken in Bakersfield during the

WAS/Pusede field trip

Samples were taken from polluted sites

Used to compare local enhancements to landfill
enhancements

Methods
Trans-2-Butene
i-Pentane
n-Pentane
n-Heptane
n-Octane
n-Nonane
n-Decane
2,3Dimethylbutane
2-Methylpentane
2,3Dimethylpentane
2,2,4Trimethylpentane
Cyclopentane
Methylcyclopentan
e
Cyclohexane
Benzene
Toluene

Methane
OCS
DMS
CFC-12
CFC-11
CFC-113
CFC-114
H-1211
HFC-152a
HFC-134a
HCFC-141b
HFC-365mfc
Methyl
Chloroform
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethyle
ne
Dichloroethene
n-Propylnitrate

m,p,o- Xylene
Styrene
n-Propylbenzene
3-Ethyltoluene
4-Ethyltoluene
2-Ethyltoluene
1,3,5Trimethylbenzene
1,2,4Trimethylbenzene
1,2,3Trimethylbenzene
alpha-Pinene
Ethanol
Acetone
Butanone

Potential Health Impacts

Landfill
Concentration
(pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Trichloroethylen
e

18

Tetrachloroethyl
ene

31

10

145

72

36

Compound

Benzene

Trichloroethylene

Sources

Used as an extraction solvent

for greases, oils, and waxes
Degreaser for metal parts
Used to manufacture a
range of fluorocarbon refrigerants

Physiological Effects

Associated with toxic effects in the liver and kidney

Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen
May be associated with congenital heart defects
Correlates with the development of Parkinsons Disease

EPA, 2016

Tetrachloroethylene

Sources

Used in dry cleaning

and textile processing
Degreaser for metal parts

Physiological Effects

Central nervous system depressant

Probably carcinogenic to humans
Increases risk of developing Parkinsons Disease nine-fold

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014; Goldman et al. 2011

Benzene

Sources

Constituent in motor fuel

Used as a solvent for paints,
plastics, and rubber

Physiological Effects

Human carcinogen
Targets the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and brain
Can cause bone marrow failure
Considered a global health problem

EPA, 2012

Methods
Trans-2-Butene
i-Pentane
n-Pentane
n-Heptane
n-Octane
n-Nonane
n-Decane
2,3Dimethylbutane
2-Methylpentane
2,3Dimethylpentane
2,2,4Trimethylpentane
Cyclopentane
Methylcyclopentan
e
Cyclohexane
Benzene
Toluene

Methane
OCS
DMS
CFC-12
CFC-11
CFC-113
CFC-114
H-1211
HFC-152a
HFC-134a
HCFC-141b
HFC-365mfc
Methyl
Chloroform
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethyle
ne
Dichloroethene
n-Propylnitrate

m,p,o- Xylene
Styrene
n-Propylbenzene
3-Ethyltoluene
4-Ethyltoluene
2-Ethyltoluene
1,3,5Trimethylbenzene
1,2,4Trimethylbenzene
1,2,3Trimethylbenzene
alpha-Pinene
Ethanol
Acetone
Butanone

OH Reactivity and Ozone Production

Hydroxyl radical reactivity: Assess

photochemical activity of NMOCs and O 3
formation potential

Oxidation of NMOCs by OH O3

OH reactivity can be used to estimate O3 production

OH Reactivity
7.5

s-1

67.4% Total NMOCs

2.8

s-1

13.9
%

1.0

s-1

18.7
%

Landfill Concentrations
Methane : 9,198 ppbv
Carbon Monoxide: 220
ppbv
Total NMOC: 54 ppbv

Conservative Background
ROH
47.9% NMOC
18.1% Methane
34.0% CO

Normal Background
ROH
23.5% NMOC
31.7% Methane
44.8% CO

OH Reactivity

Oxygenates

Ethanol made up 83% of oxygenate OH

reactivity (3.4 s-1) Conservative

Compound

Landfill
Concentration
(pptv)

Ethanol

37,147

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

7,203

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

OH Reactivity
(s-1)

832

2.8

Sources
Largest use of ethanol is as a fuel additive

Environmental Impact
Ethanol produces acetaldehyde a major ozone
precursor
Suarez-Bertoa et al. 2015

Aromatics

Toluene and m,p,o-xylene made up 45% of

aromatic OH reactivity (1.1 s-1)

Compound

Landfill
Concentration
(pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

OH Reactivity
(s-1)

Toluene

798

209

54

0.1

m,p,oXylene

975

187

13

0.4

Sources
Toluene is used as a precursor to benzene and as a
solvent for paints, rubber, and adhesives
Xylenes naturally occur in petroleum and are used
as solvents in printing, rubber, and leather industries
EPA, 2012; ATSDR, 1995

Alkanes

i-Pentane and n-Pentane made up 55% of

alkane OH reactivity (0.3 s-1)

Compound

Landfill
Concentratio
n (pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentratio
n (pptv)

Background
Concentratio
n (pptv)

OH Reactivity
(s-1)

i-Pentane

1298

463

166

0.02

n-Pentane

651

217

65

0.01

Sources
i-Pentane is used as a fuel additive and as a
propellant (replacing CFCs)
n-Pentane is primarily used as a blowing agent
to manufacture polystyrene foam

National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2016; Global Trust Enterprises, 2011

Results

The Bena Landfill is emitting hazardous air

pollutants including benzene,
trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene
Non-methane organic compounds made up a
larger proportion of total OH reactivity than
methane and carbon monoxide combined
Oxygenates, aromatics, and alkanes were the
largest contributors to total OH reactivity

Discussion Potential Health Impacts

Previous studies
have only focused
on leachate and
the potential for
groundwater
pollution
The can was taken
at an open
dumping site
Serious health
threat to people
dropping off waste,
living in the area,

More regulation is
necessary to limit the
emission of hazardous air
pollutants

Discussion Potential Environmental

Impacts

Results can help to shape future policy regarding landfill

emissions

Place the focus on the emission of NMOCs in addition to methane

If NMOCs have a high ozone-forming potential, what can we do
to reduce them?

In this case, target oxygenates, alkanes, and aromatics

Determine what types of waste are generating these NMOCs and place
restrictions on what can be dumped

Future Research

Future SARP missions can collect more ground

cans from the Bena landfill to determine how
NMOC emissions change from year-to-year
Fly the DC-8 over the landfill to see if there is
a distinct signature that can be detected from
the air

Acknowledgements

Donny Boy Blake

Stacey Hughes
Gloria Wietz
Brent Love
Simone Meinardi

Cam

Barb Chisholm
Rafe Day
WAS team
Dr. Emily Schaller
NSERC

References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 1995, Toxicological Profile for Xylenes, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA.
EPA, 2016, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures, April 11, 2016, Available from:
https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-sustainable-materials-management-facts-and-figures
EPA, 2016, Landfill Methane Outreach Program, May 5, 2016, Available from: https://www3.epa.gov/lmop/basicinfo/
EPA, 2016, Trichloroethylene, February 23, 2016, Available from: https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/tri-ethy.html
EPA, 2012, Benzene, April 21, 2016, Available from: https://www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/benzene.html#ref4
EPA, 2012, Toluene, February 23, 2016, Available from: https://www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/toluene.html
EPA, 2010, Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Natural Sources, U.S. EPA, Washington DC, USA
Global Trust Enterprises, 2011, Normal Pentane and Its Industrial Uses, September 23, 2011, Available from:
http://globaltrustenterprises.blogspot.com/2011/09/normal-pentane-and-its-industrial-uses.html
Goldman et al. 2011, Solvent exposures and Parkinson disease risk in twins, Annals of Neurology, vol. 71, pp. 776784.

National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2016, 2-Methylbutane, July, 30, 2016, Available from:
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/2-Methylbutane#section=Top
Scheutz, C., Bogner, J., Chanton, J.P., Blake, D., Morcet, M., Aran, M., & Kjeldson, P., 2008, Atmospheric emissions
and attenuation of non-methane organic compounds in cover soils at a French landfill, Waste Management,
vol. 28, pp. 1892-1908.
Suarez-Bertoa et al. 2015, Primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol formation from the exhaust of a flexfuel (ethanol) vehicle, Atmospheric Environment, vol. 117, pp. 200-211.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014, Toxicological Profile for Tetrachloroethylene, Available
from: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=265&tid=48

Additional Landfill Information

Under the Clean Air Act, any large landfill that

emits more than 50 Mg/year of NMOCs is now
required to capture and reuse or destroy these
gases

OH Reactivity

Aromatics
Landfill
Concentration (pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentration (pptv)

Background
Concentration (pptv)

Benzene

145

72

36

Toluene

798

209

54

Ethylbenzene

179

41

m,p,o- Xylene

975

187

13

57

14

3-Ethyltoluene

179

33

4-Ethyltoluene

64

14

2-Ethyltoluene

70

15

1,3,5- Timethylbenzene

90

17

1,2,4- Trimethylbenzene

287

52

1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene

78

22

Cyclopentane

75

24

Methylcyclopentane

199

73

24

Cyclohexane

136

47

13

Compound

n-Propylbenzene

Alkanes
Compound

Landfill
Concentration
(pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

i-Pentane

1298

462.9

166

n-Pentane

651

217.3

65

n-Heptane

165

48.7

11

n-Octane

76

24.2

n-Nonane

66

27.9

n-Decane

54

16.1

2,3- Dimethylbutane

80

30.2

15

2- Methylpentane

263

92.7

25

2,3Dimethylpentane

100

35.4

2,2,4Trimethylpentane

141

72.9

20

Biogenics
Compound

Landfill
Concentration
(pptv)

Conservative
Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Background
Concentration
(pptv)

Alpha-Pinene

137

25.8

Landfill OH
Reactivity

Conservative
Background OH
Reactivity

Background OH
Reactivity

0.17

0.034

0.001

Sources
Released by vegetation

Environmental Impacts
Tropospheric ozone precursor
Can react with ozone and the OH radical or the NO3
radical to produce a compound which will partly
condense on existing aerosols, resulting in the
formation of secondary organic aerosols

Reference