Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association
Publication Date
5-11-2018
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Online
First Page
1
Last Page
13
Abstract
Solid or sludgy hydrocarbon waste is a byproduct of oil and gas exploration and production. One commonly-used method of disposing of this waste is landfarming. Landfarming involves spreading hydrocarbon waste on soils, tilling it into the soil, and allowing it to biodegrade. We used a dynamic flux chamber to measure fluxes of methane, a suite of 54 non-methane hydrocarbons, and light alcohols from an active and a remediated landfarm in eastern Utah, U.S.A. Fluxes from the remediated landfarm were not different from a PTFE sheet or from undisturbed soils in the region. Fluxes of methane, total non-methane hydrocarbons, and alcohols from the landfarm in active use were 1.41 (0.37, 4.19) (mean and 95% confidence limits), 197.90 (114.72, 370.46), and 4.17 (0.03, 15.89) mg m-2 h-1, respectively. Hydrocarbon fluxes were dominated by alkanes, especially those with 6 or more carbons. A 2 ha landfarm with fluxes of the magnitude we observed in this study would emit 95.3 (54.3, 179.7) kg day-1 of total hydrocarbons, including 11.2 (4.3, 33.9) kg day-1 of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes).
Recommended Citation
Seth N. Lyman & Marc L. Mansfield (2018): Organic compound emissions from a landfarm used for oil and gas solid waste disposal, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2018.1459327
