A Gaussian model for evaluating the release of CH4 by the landfill of Palermo

Many landfills for urban solid waste have been developed in sites very close to urbanised areas thus exposing the population to various dangerous pollutants. The landfill of "Bellolampo", located a few kilometres from the city ofPalermo is one of these. It was officially created in the eighties and only some years later it was decided convert it into a controlled landfill, soon becoming a catch basin of refuse for a large hinterland constituted by approximately 50 small towns. In recent years the city of Palermo has been equipped with a network of weather and air-quality stations for monitoring the main components that afe responsible for atmospheric pollution; it consists of 10 fixed stations located both in peripheral and centraI parts ofthe city. Four ofthem afe able to measure the CH4 concentration. In this work an analysis of the meteorological data and of the CH4 concentrations, acquired downwind the emission source, has been carried out. A dispersion Gaussian model of pollutants was applied in order to estimate the amount of the CH4 released by the landfill. The estimated values were validated by utilising the methane concentration values recorded by the biogas capture system installed in the landfill area.