Abstract:
A wide range of waste characterization methods are available, each developed for
a specific purpose such as determining compost stability, or for landfill
acceptance criteria. Here test methods have been evaluated for the purpose of
assessing waste treatment process performance and monitoring the diversion of
biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill. The suitability factors
include the timescale of the method, applicability to a wide range of materials
and ability to indicate the long-term biodegradability of organic waste samples.
The anaerobic test methods, whilst producing reliable results, take at least
several weeks to complete, therefore not allowing for regular routine analysis
often required for diversion assessments. Short-term tests are required which
can correlate with, and therefore estimate, values obtained from long-term
anaerobic methods. Aerobic test methods were found to offer a significantly
improved timescale compared with anaerobic test methods; however they have
limitations due to not measuring the full extent of sample biodegradability. No
single test method was found to be completely sufficient for routine
biodegradability analysis suitable for monitoring the BMW diversion from
landfill. Potential areas for further research include spectrographic FT-IR or
enzyme-based approaches such as the ECD or EHT methods.
