Call 0118 466 4000
Get in touch
Biogenic gases produced at landfill sites are primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, with trace amounts of other organic vapours and gases. The quantities of these gases vary over time, and with different operational conditions. If they are released into the atmosphere they can have a negative impact on environmental and human health.
EnviroDat can help you to take a proactive approach to prevent subsurface migration of biogenic gases. With regular checking of perimeter wells we can establish whether your gas control system and liner are performing correctly. Ideally, the methane values at perimeter wells should be below 1% and carbon dioxide below 1.5%.
If these compliance levels are approached or exceeded, we can identify the reason and recommend the remedial action to take. In many cases the elevated values can be attributed to other sources, such as nearby coalmines, rather than the landfill site itself.
To help you determine the right management process, we sample to establish the exact breakdown of the gases that are migrating. We perform fingerprinting of both methane and carbon dioxide by investigating the isotope ratios. These ratios can be used to identify whether:
We can also install subsurface analysers to record gas concentrations over time, and use trace compounds and radio-isotopes to pinpoint the age of the gaseous material (whether it’s recent or ancient). C12, C13 and C14 isotopes can all be investigated.
"They are happy to spend time talking through and interpreting test results BUT... never make us feel silly."