Decomposition of Specific Materials Buried within Sanitary Landfills

Eleven samples of typical solid waste components, ranging from high to low predicted degradability, were analyzed prior to burial within three landfills representing different climates. Sets of these samples were retrieved periodically over 6 years and analyzed for changes in moisture content, dry weight, cellulose (holocellulose), and lignin. Results were that carbohydrates such as cellulose (holocellulose) and starch were the quickest degrading portions of the waste, and the samples with high lignin contents degraded more slowly than those samples with lower lignin contents. Finally, degradation was found to increase with higher moisture contents and higher temperatures. The uniqueness of this research is that it was performed in full-scale landfills, yet having baseline values for the samples.