In the largest and most comprehensive assessment to date of hundreds of U.S. landfills, scientists from Arizona State University, who are part of a research collaboration with Carbon Mapper, have discovered that many landfills in the U.S. are releasing high volumes of methane and are responsible for a disproportionately large share of pollution from this important sector.
In the largest and most comprehensive assessment to date of hundreds of U.S. landfills, scientists from Arizona State University, who are part of a research collaboration with Carbon Mapper, have discovered that many landfills in the U.S. are releasing high volumes of methane and are responsible for a disproportionately large share of pollution from this important sector.
The study, published online today in Science, shows there are significant gaps in landfill leak detection and protocols for quantification. Current walking surveys with handheld sensors are often an ineffective way to completely sample a landfill surface, including methane plume activity that can dominate the facility’s emissions while remaining undetected for extended periods. The findings demonstrate a need for long-term, holistic monitoring in the context of creating climate change mitigation policies.
The research team used direct observations through airborne surveys over a four-year period to survey the landfills. Scientists from ASU participated in this Carbon Mapper-led project, alongside University of Arizona, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Scientific Aviation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Read more at: Arizona State University
