Estimation of the Aftercare Period of Danish Landfills

The purpose for the aftercare period, the time period a landfill undergoes after it can no longer accept waste, is to monitor the landfill for any potential problems. Danish landfills are unique because they are left uncapped which allows water to flow through the landfill. This accelerates the dilution of chemicals in leachate and thus the emissions potential of the landfill is reduced. Danish legislation requires that the aftercare period be 30 years, or however long it takes for the surrounding groundwater to fall below set substance concentration limits. This legislation is based on the concept that each generation should deal with their own problems. Our goal was to investigate current aftercare period practices, evaluate the amount of time needed for the aftercare period, and make recommendations to better address the problems associated with the aftercare period. While landfilling is relatively simple in concept, the chemistry of a landfill is a highly complex and dynamic process. A thorough understanding of landfill chemistry is necessary to model landfill behavior and determine an appropriate length for the aftercare period. Although this project does not define an appropriate length for this period, it does address several issues surrounding the length and demonstrates preliminary analysis. 

Udførende: Worcester Polytechnic Institute