Effects of Moisture Content in Solid Waste Landfills

<p>Solid waste landfills are an extremely complex and heterogeneous environment. Modeling the biodegradation processes within a landfill must involve an understanding of how environmental factors affect these processes. Arguably the most important environmental factor influencing biodegradation processes is solid waste moisture content. This thesis effort which is an extension of a system dynamics model previously presented by Colborn (1997) and amended by Benter (1999) attempts to understand and model the effects of moisture content on waste degradation and landfill gas generation. The new moisture structure that was added to the previous models provides a better representation of the impact of moisture on aerobic and anaerobic hydrolysis and bacterial populations and ultimately gas generation. It also gives a clearer picture of how moisture is distributed between the solid waste and the void spaces within a landfill. Leachate and moisture infiltration flows were introduced into the model as a means to replicate the wet-cell or bioreactor landfill.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>