MONITORING of LANDFILL GAS 11 33 Monitoring of Landfill Gas of Landfill Monitoring
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Oxygen, carbon dioxide, not always) characterize levels of only methane, the data are generally vapor space of soils. Measurements of and nitrogen are frequently reported. Sometimes H S and other useful for evaluating risks of explosion and for getting a qualitative sense Soil Gas 2 soil gas levels are taken at depth with specific NMOCs, such as vinyl chloride, might be reported if fed- of whether landfill gases are migrating in the soils to off-site locations. the use of probes or wells. eral or state regulators suspect a significant problem. Pressure, in inches of water, is also frequently reported from permanent soil gas probes. Measures the concentrations of gases Methane is the most common gas monitored but VOCs and H2S Outside air methane concentrations do NOT pose an inhalation or explo- Near Surface at a point no higher than 4 inches are sometimes reported. sion hazard. Near surface monitoring of methane on the landfill does not Gases above the ground surface. provide useful information to determine impacts on the health of adjacent residents. Monitoring can qualitatively indicate whether high levels of landfill gas are escaping from the landfill surface or whether the landfill gas collection and control system is working well to minimize emissions. Emissions monitoring programs meas- Landfill studies have measured emission rates for various pollu- Chemical-specific emissions data are useful for identifying potential contami- Emissions ure the rate at which chemicals are tants, such as methane and NMOCs, from landfill surfaces and nants of concern at landfills, but they do not characterize the concentrations released from a particular source, such combustion by-products of flares and other treatment units. of chemicals that people actually breathe. Exposure concentrations can be as landfill surfaces, flares, or stacks. estimated from emissions data, but such estimates can be highly uncertain. Ambient air monitoring programs Ambient air monitoring can be conducted for a wide range of Because ambient air monitoring data characterize levels of pollution in the measure levels of pollution in outdoor pollutants. Near landfills, air monitoring is most commonly con- Ambient Air air that people breathe, they usually provide the best measure for air expo- ambient air, or the air that people ducted for EPA's criteria pollutants and NMOCs. sure concentrations in the vicinity of landfills. Of course, environmental breathe. health professionals still need to critically evaluate ambient air monitoring data to put them into proper perspective. Indoor air monitoring programs meas- Indoor air monitoring for methane is required at structures on Indoor air monitoring data are useful for evaluating risks of explosions and Indoor Air ure levels of contamination in indoor air many landfill properties. Methane monitoring at off-site locations exposures to contaminants within homes. Emissions from household prod- spaces. and NMOC monitoring is usually only performed to address site- ucts and tasks might confound these measurements, and levels measured specific concerns. Oxygen levels in confined spaces, such as in one home generally are not representative of levels in other homes, even buried utilities, are measured to determine if carbon dioxide nearby residences. and/or methane gases have replaced sustainable oxygen. Landfill_2001_ch4.qxd 1/2/02 4:53 PM Page 33 Location of Landfill Gas Monitors Landfill gas monitors are typically placed in three types of locations at or near landfills; these are subsurface, surface, or enclosed space. The three types of monitoring locations address different landfill gas concerns and can be used either alone or together in a sampling program. Note that these systems generally do not measure landfill gas levels at points of human exposure. Subsurface Systems—Subsurface systems measure concentrations of contaminants in the soil gas at locations beneath the soil-air interface. The depth of sampling can range from a few inches to many feet below the surface. Surface Systems—Surface systems measure concentrations of gas within a couple of inches above the soil-air interface. Enclosed Space Systems—Enclosed space systems monitor gases in indoor air or confined areas overlying or adjacent to landfills, such as buildings, subsurface vaults, utilities, or any other spaces where the potential for gas buildup is of concern. In addition to the sampling location, several methods of landfill gas collection can be used in a landfill gas sampling approach. Examples of these methods, and their implications, follow: • Portable vs. stationary sampling equipment. Some gas sampling can be performed with portable monitors, which typically are hand-held instruments that can be easily carried around a landfill. This type of device is useful for conducting an initial screening of landfill gas migration pathways or for identifying the source of methane leaks. Stationary monitors, on the other hand, usually are installed at fixed locations, where they remain for the duration of the intended monitoring. Stationary monitors are typical- ly, though not always, capable of generating higher quality data than portable monitors. • Grab sampling vs. continuous monitoring. This distinction applies to most types of landfill gas monitoring (e.g., soil gas, emissions, ambient air, and indoor air). By defini- tion, grab sampling is a one-time measurement of gas concentrations, thus providing a M “snapshot” of landfill gas composition at a given place and time. This type of sampling O is generally not useful for evaluating changes in landfill gas composition over the long N I term, unless it is conducted at regular intervals according to a detailed plan. In contrast, T O continuous monitoring devices constantly sample and analyze gas concentrations. Some R I are capable of documenting fluctuations in concentrations over short intervals, while N others can measure only average concentrations. All continuous monitors, however, pro- G vide insight into changes in gas composition over the long term. O F • Analysis of samples in the laboratory vs. analysis in the field. Depending on the data L A needs, gas samples are usually either collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis or N analyzed directly in the field. Laboratory analysis may take days or weeks to perform D F and can be expensive, but this approach generates highly accurate and precise results I L and can measure concentrations of many different pollutants. Alternatively, real-time L monitoring (or analysis in the field) reports concentrations as soon as they are measured; G A in some cases, these devices can measure changes in concentration from minute to S minute. Most real-time monitors, however, measure concentrations of only one pollutant and are not as sensitive as