A prospective study on methane gas emission from Saqqez solid waste landfills

Background and Aim: One of the main resources of methane emissions is waste disposal buried in landfill sites. To control the negative effects of methane emission on Ozone layer known as greenhouse effect, the routine is to capture methane and use it as an energy resource. The objective of this study was to assess the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Saqqez municipal solid wastes and to estimate the potential methane gas emission from the city’s landfills using LandGEM software over 2015-2034. Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the amount of solid wastes, the population of Saqqez city, and the characteristics of municipal solid waste landfills were used to estimate the methane gas emission using LandGEM software. Initial population and the population growth of Saqqez were obtained from the last census of 2012. Results: The amount of annual waste was 62050 tons with methane emissions of 32m3/h in 2016. It is estimated that this amount to increase to 108805 tons with methane emissions of 2203m3/h in 2034. Conclusion: In summary, the results of this study can assist city managers to prepare the appropriate actions to control and manage methane emissions to reduce its negative effects especially on environment.