A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine.

This study is an evaluation of Post Closure Care (PCC) duration of landfills using performance based methodology. The post closure care phase begins once the landfill is closed. As required by the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D, PCC duration for municipal solid waste landfills is 30 years. During the PCC period, the landfill operator/owner is required to conduct monitoring for leachate, landfill gas, and ground-water and maintain the integrity of the cap so that the landfill does not impose a threat to surrounding human health and environment (HH&E). The duration of PCC can be reduced by the director of an approved State if an owner/operator of a landfill demonstrates that the landfill exhibits no threat to the surrounding HH&E or can be increased if the director of the approved State determines that an increased PCC period is required for the protection of HH&E. RCRA provides flexibility in optimizing PCC duration of landfills, although it does not identify the criteria/methodology which can be used in demonstrating the status of a landfill from the point of PCC. Researchers worldwide recognize that the threat imposed by a landfill after closure depends on the extent of degradation occurring inside the landfill. The increased functional stability of landfills reduces its risk to the surrounding HH&E. However, there is a wide range of opinions in defining functional stability of a landfill. The present thesis applies performance based methodology, developed by Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF), to making a decision on the PCC of landfills. Performance based methodology is a modular approach encompassing all four PCC components of landfills (Leachate, gas, groundwater and cap maintenance). This methodology was applied to Alachua County Southwest Landfill (ACSWLF) in Alachua County, Florida. Each module was analyzed individually and recommendations on the PCC monitoring at the landfill site were provided.

This work took place a procedure for processing the data fluxes measured by a system eddy covariance in an experimental site with representative vegetation of the Pampa biome in conjunction with measures of a meteorological station for the period 2013-11-20 to 2015-09-07. From this set of data was performed an analysis of the seasonality of surface energy fluxes and meteorological variables. The results showed that the application of different methods of corrections for the calculation of energy fluxes produces fluxes with different quality levels in relation to the energy balance closure (EBC). The slope varies up to 20% due to different combinations of corrections applied in the processing of data for calculating the average within a 30 minute interval. The correction options that showed greater sensibility were the time constant and the method of removing the turbulent fluctuations. By the diagnosis EBC has found that the change of IRGA closed path to open path improved to about 12% of the EBC, indicating a deficiency of IRGA closed path. It was also verified that the soil term (flow and storage) increased by ~ 4% EBC, indicating its importance for the natural pasture energy balance. Due to non-closure of the energy balance observed in most studies, and this also, a new method of post-closure of the energy balance was proposed, simple but careful because it is based on the quality of classification of energy fluxes (H and LE). The objective of the method is to generate a corrected series of fluxes, it is important for the calibration and validation surface models. In relation to energy partition, evapotranspiration (ET) was the predominant component, with a Fev = 61% of the available radiation and β = 51%. It varies from ~ 4 mm d-1 in the summer to ~ 1 mm d-1 in winter and is mainly controlled by atmospheric forcing (Rn, DPV, Tar) which determined its seasonal variation. In winter, its reduction was also associated with low photosynthetic activity of the vegetation. The daytime average albedo of natural grasslands of Rio Grande do Sul was 18%, with little seasonal variation. Finally, it is here suggested the inclusion of the procedures carried out in this work for the processing of data from the experimental sites SULFLUX. / Neste trabalho realizou-se um procedimento para o processamento dos dados de fluxos medidos por um sistema de covariância dos vórtices turbulentos em um sítio experimental com vegetação representativa do bioma Pampa, em conjunto com medidas de uma estação meteorológica para o período de 20/11/2013 a 07/09/2015. A partir deste conjunto de dados foi realizada uma análise da sazonalidade dos fluxos superficiais de energia e das variáveis meteorológicas. Os resultados mostraram que a aplicação de diferentes métodos de correções para o cálculo dos fluxos de energia produz fluxos com diferentes níveis de qualidade em relação ao fechamento do balanço de energia (FBE). O coeficiente angular (CA) variou até 20% em razão das diferentes combinações de correções aplicadas no processamento dos dados para o cálculo das médias num intervalo de 30 minutos. As opções de correção que mostraram maior sensibilidade foram a constante de tempo e o método de remoção das flutuações turbulentas. Pelo diagnóstico do FBE constatou-se que a mudança de IRGA caminho fechado para caminho aberto melhorou cerca de 12% o FBE, indicando alguma deficiência do IRGA caminho fechado. Também foi verificado que o termo de solo (fluxo e armazenamento) aumentou ~4% o FBE, indicando sua importância para o balanço de energia de pastagem natural. Em virtude do não fechamento do balanço de energia observado na maioria dos estudos, e neste também, foi proposto um novo método de pós-fechamento do balanço de energia, simples, mas criterioso, pois se baseia na classificação de qualidade dos fluxos de energia (H e LE). O objetivo do método é gerar uma série de fluxos corrigidas, importante para a calibração e validação de modelos de superfície. Em relação à partição da energia, a evapotranspiração (ET) foi a componente predominante, com uma Fev = 61% da radiação disponível e β = 51%. Ela variou de ~4 mm d-1 no verão para ~1 mm d-1 no inverno, sendo controlada principalmente pelas forçantes atmosféricas (Rn, DPV, Tar) que determinaram a sua variação sazonal. No inverno, a sua redução foi associada também a baixa atividade fotossintética da vegetação. O albedo médio diurno da pastagem natural do Rio Grande do Sul foi 18%, com pouca variação sazonal. Por fim, fica sugerido aqui a inserção dos procedimentos realizados neste trabalho para o processamento de dados dos sítios experimentais da SULFLUX.

Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires a post closure period of 30 years for non hazardous wastes in landfills. Post closure care (PCC) activities under Subtitle D include leachate collection and treatment, groundwater monitoring, inspection and maintenance of the final cover, and monitoring to ensure that landfill gas does not migrate off site or into on site buildings. The decision to reduce PCC duration requires exploration of a performance based methodology to Florida landfills. PCC should be based on whether the landfill is a threat to human health or the environment. Historically no risk based procedure has been available to establish an early end to PCC. Landfill stability depends on a number of factors that include variables that relate to operations both before and after the closure of a landfill cell. Therefore, PCC decisions should be based on location specific factors, operational factors, design factors, post closure performance, end use, and risk analysis. The question of appropriate PCC period for Florida’s landfills requires in depth case studies focusing on the analysis of the performance data from closed landfills in Florida. Based on data availability, Davie Landfill was identified as case study site for a case by case analysis of landfill stability. The performance based PCC decision system developed by Geosyntec Consultants was used for the assessment of site conditions to project PCC needs. The available data for leachate and gas quantity and quality, ground water quality, and cap conditions were evaluated. The quality and quantity data for leachate and gas were analyzed to project the levels of pollutants in leachate and groundwater in reference to maximum contaminant level (MCL). In addition, the projected amount of gas quantity was estimated. A set of contaminants (including metals and organics) were identified as contaminants detected in groundwater for health risk assessment. These contaminants were selected based on their detection frequency and levels in leachate and ground water; and their historical and projected trends. During the evaluations a range of discrepancies and problems that related to the collection and documentation were encountered and possible solutions made. Based on the results of PCC performance integrated with risk assessment, projection of future PCC monitoring needs and sustainable waste management options were identified. According to these results, landfill gas monitoring can be terminated, leachate and groundwater monitoring for parameters above MCL and surveying of the cap integrity should be continued. The parameters which cause longer monitoring periods can be eliminated for the future sustainable landfills. As a conclusion, 30 year PCC period can be reduced for some of the landfill components based on their potential impacts to human health and environment (HH&E).

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD(Geotechnical))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Civil Engineering / PhD / unrestricted