ABSTRACT
Many hazardous volatile organic compounds have been detected in municipal solid waste landfills. These compounds are derived from the hazardous wastes brought in with incoming waste or from the chemical and biological conversion reactions that occur within the landfill. This chapter presents the study to determine which organic compounds are most likely to be found in the emissions from landfills. Twelve of the 26 volatile organic compounds to be monitored at California landfills for which sufficient physical property data could be found, were selected and ranked according to their estimated emission rates through a landfill cover. The trace compounds occurs in the gaseous state as a result of three related processes: volatilization of chemical wastes, volatilization of liquid chemical wastes in water and leachate, and volatilization of chemical wastes adsorbed onto soil or other solids. Factors that must be considered in estimating the emission rates of trace gases include advection, diffusion, accumulation, and generation.
