Hydrogen Sulfide Production during Decomposition of Landfill Inputs

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of a number of landfill inputs on hydrogen sulfide production and on competition between methane production and sulfate reduction during refuse decomposition. Tests were conducted in four-liter reactors that contained residential municipal waste; decomposed refuse as a seed; and various mixtures of anaerobically digested polymer-treated sludge, anaerobically digested lime-stabilized sludge, and wallboard (calcium sulfate) simulating construction and demolition waste. Tests demonstrated that wallboard was the major cause of hydrogen sulfide production and that methanogenesis and sulfate reduction occur concurrently during refuse decomposition. Additionally, both polymer- and lime-treated sludge enhanced refuse decomposition. Despite the presence of excess sulfate, 2.9 to 7.0 times more organic carbon was biodegraded through methanogenesis than through sulfate reduction.