Nitrous oxide emission from landfill leachate accumulation ponds
Greenhouse gases, leachate, municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste represents a major challenge in the area of management, as its inadequate disposal can generate several harms. The sanitary landfill is one of the ways of disposing of these residues, being also the most used technique in several countries. One of the by-products of landfills is leachate. Its composition is quite complex, with a high concentration of organic compounds and nitrogenous forms. High concentrations of nitrogen can promote the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas with a high warming potential. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate N2O emission in leachate accumulation ponds and compare these emissions with different sources. Leachate samples were collected in lagoons of a landfill located in the State of Rio de Janeiro. In each sample, the following parameters were evaluated: COD, nitrite, nitrate, NTK, ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen. For the analysis of the emission of N2O emission, the static chamber technique was used and the emission rate per area of each lake was calculated. These values were extrapolated to landfill leachate ponds located in the State of Rio de Janeiro.