Similitude in landfill research: sizing of refuse for laboratory studies. (Social Science, Environmental, Field Biology Poster Session 02:00 PM-03:00 PM).

Hughes, Kerry L. ; Murphy, Timothy J. ; Christy, Ann D. 等

BOARD 07

Preferential flow in landfills affects the success of in situ biological treatment of the refuse because microorganisms are transported by the flow of leachate, and degradation can occur only when the moisture content of the refuse exceeds 40% (m/m). During laboratory-scale studies of waste, refuse has usually been shredded to a uniform size before use. This has the effect of homogenizing the spatial distribution of the waste within the laboratory reactor and reducing the potential for preferential flow through the refuse. To create laboratory bioreactors that more closely represent full-scale landfills, it may be necessary to scale the size of all refuse components. The goal of this ongoing research is to develop a shredding protocol to create standardized refuse for laboratory studies that accurately and precisely represent the size distribution of refuse emplaced in landfills and that can maintain the spatial heterogeneity of the landfill system in small-scale experiments. In this study, a LMS 200 Laser Sensor, mounted on an overhead rail, was calibrated using objects of a known size. The volumes measured by the laser could be correlated to the known volumes ([R.sup.2]=0.94, n=18) of the objects. This apparatus was then used to determine the volume of irregularly shaped items (volumes ranging from 11 [cm.sup.3] to 3780 [cm.sup.3]), representative of those found in refuse. Potential limitations of this method of volume determination include interference due to shading and the non-detection of items less than 10mm high. The results from this study illustrate the potential use of this technology to determine the volume distribution of items typically found in refuse. This information will enable refuse for use in laboratory reactors to be scaled to more accurately reflect the spatial heterogeneity of the landfill.

KERRY L. HUGHES HUGHES.416@OSU.EDU, TIMOTHY J. MURPHY MURPHY.464@OSU.EDU, ANN D. CHRISTY CHRISTY.14@OSU.EDU, DEPT OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, 590 WOODY HAYES DRIVE, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, COLUMBUS OH 43210