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Development of a Mobile Tracer Correlation Techniques for Assessment of Air Emissions from Landfills and Other Area Sources
Citation:
Foster-Wittig, T., E. Thoma, R. Green, G. Hater, N. Swan, AND J. Albertson. Development of a Mobile Tracer Correlation Techniques for Assessment of Air Emissions from Landfills and Other Area Sources. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, December 09 - 13, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
This is a poster presentation for AGU in December 2013 on our work with Waste Mangment and EREF to develop a mobile tracer correlation approach for large are source measurements.
Description:
Improved understanding of air emissions from large area sources such as landfills, waste water ponds, open-source processing, and agricultural operations is a topic of increasing environmental importance. In many cases, the size of the area source, coupled with spatial-heterogeneity, make direct (on-site) emission assessment difficult; methane emissions, from landfills for example, can be particularly complex [Thoma et al, 2009]. Recently, whole-facility (remote) measurement approaches based on tracer correlation have been utilized [Scheutz et al, 2011]. The approach uses a mobile platform to simultaneously measure a metered-release of a conservative gas (the tracer) along with the target compound (methane in the case of landfills). The known-rate tracer release provides a measure of atmospheric dispersion at the downwind observing location allowing the area source emission to be determined by a ratio calculation [Green et al, 2010]. Although powerful in concept, the approach has been somewhat limited to research applications due to the complexities and cost of the high-sensitivity measurement equipment required to quantify the part-per billion levels of tracer and target gas at kilometer-scale distances [ref]. The advent of compact, robust, and easy to use near-infrared optical measurement systems (such as cavity ring down spectroscopy) allow the tracer correlation approach to be investigated for wider use. Over the last several years, Waste Management Inc., the U.S. EPA, and collaborators have conducted method evaluation activities to determine the viability of a standardized approach through execution of a large number of field measurement trials at U.S. landfills. As opposed to previous studies [Scheutz et al, 2011] conducted at night (optimal plume transport conditions), the current work evaluated realistic use-scenarios; these scenarios include execution by non-scientist personnel, daylight operation, and full range of atmospheric condition (all plume transport conditions). The trials tested a novel tracer gas (acetylene), chosen for its performance and cost characteristics. This presentation will summarize method development activities for the field test trials (107 test days, with repeat measurements at 14 separate landfill sites). In addition to a brief description of the measurement technology, the method performance will be described, and primary data quality indicators and use conditions will be explored. Because measurements were taken under daylight and a variety of atmospheric conditions, the range of distance and wind conditions allows us to make conclusions about the strengths and limitations of the method. This enables us to show when and where it is possible to make a quality measurement using this technique and therefore develop a standardized method for large area emission measurements. Green, R. et al (2010). “Methane Emission Measured at Two California Landfills by OTM-10 and an Acetylene Tracer Method.” Global Waste Management Symposium. San Antonio, Texas. Scheutz, C. et al. (2011). “Quantification of multiple methane emission sources at landfills using a double tracer technique." Waste Management 31(5): 1009-1017. Thoma, E., et al (2009). “Development of EPA OTM 10 for landfill applications." Journal of Environmental Engineering 136(8): 769-776.