Landfill Gas Analysis and Monitoring
What is Landfill Gas?
The disposal of large quantities organic waste in land voids, typically disused quarries, sand pits, gravel pits, open cast mine workings etc. leads to a natural process of degradation caused by the bacteria contained within it.
In particular, bacteria that thrive on the oxygen depleted conditions found deep within the waste convert the material from solid or liquid form to a mix of gases containing approximately 60% methane and 40% Carbon dioxide along with significant quantities of water.
Historically this process was largely ignored and the gases produced simply escaped into the air, however the methane containing gas is highly flammable and is detrimental to plant growth and in the late 1970's and early 1980's these dangers and environmental hazards were finally recognised and this lead to the environmental laws and regulations that control the operation of now highly organised and engineered landfill waste disposal sites of today.
Not only are the hazards associated with the gas well controlled but all commercially viable opportunities are take to harness the gas as a renewable source of heat and electricity.
Monitoring and Analysis Instrumentation
Gas Data's products play a key role in current landfill engineering practices. The GFM400 range of landfill gas analysers is designed for quantifying the environmental problems caused by gas and others for enabling the efficient clean use of the gas as an energy source.
The GFM400 and GFM410 models have proven to be excellent for the analysis of the mix of gases to be found in landfill gas - methane(CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), Oxygen (O₂), hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and carbon monoxide (CO) and can be expanded to make other field measurements such as atmospheric pressure, gas temperatures, gas pressures and gas flow rates.
The GFM430 and GFM435 models are similar in function to the other models but are made unique by having a built in gas flow transducer that is capable of measuring the minute flows to be found emanating from the ground immediately adjacent to the landfill. This type of monitoring is termed peripheral monitoring and plays a vital role in the prevention of gas migrating from the landfill to adjacent properties where it would cause potential explosion hazards, health problems and environmental damage.
Safety of operation and quality of results is always important in this application and Gas Data's GFM400 series instruments are both ATEX certified for safe use in the flammable methane atmosphere of landfill gas. They are also compliant with the UK Environment Agency's MCERTS standard that specifies a high standard of measurement accuracy and best practice.
Discover more about our landfill analysis and monitoring equipment by calling our expert technical sales team today on +44(0) 247 630 3311 or via email: enquiries@gasdata.co.uk.