CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMOPHILIC

WASTE DECOMPOSITION AT A LANDFILL

EXPERIENCING ELEVATED TEMPERATURES
Florentino De la Cruz and Morton A. Barlaz

Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
NC 27695-7908, USA

ABSTRACT: Landfills exhibiting elevated temperatures, well above 55 °C, over a large surface area
can be referred to as elevated temperature landfills (ETLFs). ETLFs have unique characteristics and
challenges including changes in the composition and quantity of landfill gas and leachate, rapid waste
subsidence, and in some cases, elevated liquid and gas pressures. There is considerable uncertainty
as to the biological, chemical and physical processes that result in excessive heat generation and
accumulation in landfills, and the presence of ETLFs has resulted in increased focus on landfill
temperature. The overall objective of this research was to characterize the methanogenic activity of
cultures that were derived from refuse samples that were excavated from a section of a landfill that was
exhibiting temperatures above 55 ºC. The goal was to determine the range of temperatures at which
methanogenesis is possible using microbial populations enriched from landfills. The fines fraction (< 6
mm) of the excavated landfill sample was used as the inoculum in 30 mL culture tubes that contained
biological growth medium and synthetic municipal solid waste (MSW) as a substrate. In Experiment 1,
fines fraction of the excavated solids was incubated at a temperature within ± 2.5 °C of its excavation
temperature. Based on measured methane production as evidence of cell growth, six cultures covering
a temperature range where growth was observed were selected as inocula for Experiment 2. The goal
of experiment 2 was to identify the temperature range over which methane production occurs, when
these selected cultures are incubated at a range of temperatures outside its excavation temperature. In
addition, genomic characterization was conducted on excavated landfill samples as well as on samples
from experiments 1 and 2. The 30-day methane yield as a function of temperature confirms that the
optimum temperature thermophilic methanogenesis of around 55 °C as previously reported in the
literature for simimilar thermophilic environments such as anaerobic digesters. Genomic
characterization of landfill samples, and samples from cultures in experiment 1 and 2 confirms the
presence of thermophilic microorganisms.

Keywords: elevated temperature landfill, methane, methanogenic activity test.

Proceedings SARDINIA2019. © 2019 CISA Publisher. All rights reserved / www.cisapublisher.com

1. INTRODUCTION

Landfills that receive municipal solid waste (MSW) and other non-hazardous solid wastes typically
operate in a range between 40 and 65 °C and are generally less than 55 °C (Hanson, Yeşiller, & Oettle,
2010; Yeşiller, Hanson, & Liu, 2005). However, there have been some reports of MSW landfills that
have been experiencing temperatures in excess of 80 – 100 °C (Hanson et al., 2010; Jafari, Stark, &
Thalhamer, 2017; Yeşiller et al., 2005). Landfills exhibiting elevated temperatures over a large surface
area can be referred to as elevated temperature landfills (ETLFs). ETLFs have unique characteristics
and challenges including changes in the composition and quantity of landfill gas and leachate, rapid
waste subsidence, and in some cases, elevated liquid and gas pressures. There is considerable
uncertainty as to the biological, chemical and physical processes that result in excessive heat
generation and accumulation in landfills, and the presence of ETLFs has resulted in increased focus on
landfill temperature.
The overall objective of this research was to characterize the methanogenic activity of cultures that
were derived from refuse samples that were excavated from a section of a landfill that was exhibiting
temperatures above 55 ºC. The goal was to determine the range of temperatures at which
methanogenesis is possible using microbial populations enriched from landfills. The data presented
here allow insights into the expected impact of temperature on methane generation at field-scale.

2. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

Samples were excavated from a landfill that was exhibiting gas temperatures in excess of 55 °C but
was nonetheless producing methane. Solid waste samples were collected coincident with drilling for
the installation of gas collection wells. The fines fraction (< 6 mm) was isolated by screening and was
used as the inoculum in 30 mL culture tubes that contained biological growth medium and synthetic
municipal solid waste (MSW) as a substrate. Samples for chemical and molecular characterization were
also set aside. In the first experiment, the fines fraction of the excavated solids was incubated at a
temperature within ± 2.5 °C of its excavation temperature. Based on measured methane production as
evidence of cell growth, six culture covering the temperature range where growth was observed were
selected as inocula for experiment 2. The goal of experiment 2 was to identify the temperature range
over which methane production occurs for each culture grown in Experiment 1. Triplicate cultures in
experiment 2 were incubared at temperatures Tex – 5 °C, Tex, Tex + 5 °C, Tex + 10 °C, Tex + 15 °C, where
Tex is the temperature of the excavated solids. To compare the microbial community composition and
evaluate population shifts, molecular characterizations were done on the excavated samples, and the
initial and final samples obtained from experiments 1 and 2. Genomic 16S rRNA was extracted from the
samples, amplified and then sequenced. The sequencing data were then used to analyze for taxon
abundance, profiling community, compositional and diversity analysis.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The 30-day methane yield as a function of temperature from Experiment 1 confirms that the optimum
temperature for methane production is around 55 °C, consistent with literature. Experiment 1 also shows that
methane production decreases as the temperature increases well above 55 °C. Figure 1 shows that at 62.5
°C, the culture experiences temperature inhibition as manifested by lag. At temperatures greater than or
equal to 67.5 °C, temperature inhibition becomes more apparent. Figure 2 shows the microbial community
composition of excavated landfill samples at different excavation temperatures. Figure 2 illustrates the
occurence of thermophilic methanogens which is observed to be highest in a sample with an excavation
temperature of 54.4 °C.

Proceedings SARDINIA2019. © 2019 CISA Publisher. All rights reserved / www.cisapublisher.com

 17-11 (Tex = 54.4 °C) 17-57 (Tex = 74.4 °C)
350 350
47.5 °C 67.5 °C
300 52.5 °C 300 72.5 °C
57.5 °C 77.5 °C
250 62.5 °C 250 82.5 °C

CH4 Yield (mL/g)

CH4 Yield (mL/g)

67.5 °C 87.5 °C
200 200

150 150

100 100

50 50

0 0
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200
Day Day

(A) (B)

Figure 1. Decomposition behavior of synthetic MSW over a range of incubation temperatures. The rate of methane
production and methane yield strongly is correlated to incubation temerpature. (A) Excavation Temperature (Tex) =
54.4 °C; (B) Tex = 74.4 °C.
T= 47.2 °C
T= 52.2 °C
T= 54.4 °C
T= 61.7 °C
T= 69.4 °C

T= 74.4 °C
T= 74 °C

T= 81 °C

Figure 2. Microbial community composition of excavated samples with different excavation temperatures, showing
the presence of thermophilic microorganisms. The olive color band corresponds to thermophilic methanogens
(Methanothermobacter) which thrives at a temperature range 55-65 °C.

Proceedings SARDINIA2019. © 2019 CISA Publisher. All rights reserved / www.cisapublisher.com

4. CONCLUSIONS

The study confirms the occurrence of active thermophilc methanogens with an optimum temperature
around the 55 °C that is previously reported in other thermophilic anaerobic environments (e.g.
activated sludge digester). Genomic characterization data further support the presence of thermophilic
microorganisms.

REFERENCES

Hanson, J. L., Yeşiller, N., & Oettle, N. K. (2010). Spatial and temporal temperature distributions in municipal solid
waste landfills. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 136(8), 804-814. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-
7870.0000202.
Jafari, N. H., Stark, T. D., & Thalhamer, T. (2017). Progression of elevated temperatures in municipal solid waste
landfills. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 143(8), 05017004.
doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001683.
Yeşiller, N., Hanson, J. L., & Liu, W. (2005). Heat generation in municipal solid waste landfills. Journal of
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 131(11), 1330-1344. doi:11(1330).

For journal title abbreviations see: http://www.efm.leeds.ac.uk/~mark/ISIabbr/A_abrvjt.html

Proceedings SARDINIA2019. © 2019 CISA Publisher. All rights reserved / www.cisapublisher.com