Dissertation
MEASUREMENT OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM COMPOSTING
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004639
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124776
Abstract
The composting process is known to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), and greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CH4 and N2O. VOCs can cause odor and act as precursors for photochemical ozone and PM2.5. Estimation of correct VOC and GG emission factors (EFs) allows air quality managers to implement applicable regulations and evaluate appropriate emission control technology. In this study, emissions monitoring was conducted using a 100-gallon tank filled with ~ 400 lbs of compost feedstock consisting primarily of solid manure waste from a diary. Tanks were positively aerated. Four experiments were conducted where GHG and VOC emissions were continuously measured. VOCs were measured using proton transfer mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Discrete canister sampling was also done, and VOCs were analyzed by GC-MS. Continuous measurements clarified that compounds such as alcohols and monoterpenes have the largest emission rates during the first days of composting. Monoterpenes, acetone, 2-butanone, methanol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, acetic acid, and formic acid were identified as the most abundant VOCs emitted. Total VOC emission factors (EF) were ~ 0.007 lbs/wet ton compost for three trials and 0.033 lbs/wet ton for one trial with a higher initial moisture level. These rates are significantly lower than emission factors of ~3.5 lbs VOC/ wet ton reported from green waste composting. The estimated emission factor for CH4 was in the range of 0.0005 to 0.009 MT CO2e / wet ton for three trials and 0.003 MT CO2e / wet ton for the tank with a higher initial moisture level. EFs for N2O varied in the range of 0.002 to 0.008 MT CO2e / wet ton and increased about 10 times, to 0.02 MT CO2e / wet ton. Emission rates of GGs are much lower than those reported by IPCC; 0.091 MT CO2e/ton for CH4 and 0.081 MT CO2e/ton for N2O. Lower emission factors of VOCs and greenhouse gases obtained in 5 trials of in-vessel composting is likely due to the role of the well-designed forced aeration system.
Metrics
31 File views/ downloads
101 Record Views
Details
- Title
- MEASUREMENT OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM COMPOSTING
- Creators
- Neda Khosravi
- Contributors
- Tom Jobson (Advisor)Von Walden (Committee Member)Shelley N. Pressley (Committee Member)Pius Ndegwa (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 300
- Identifiers
- OCLC#: 1365391482; 99900898735001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation