Evaluation of simultaneous biodegradation of methane and toluene in landfill covers

The biodegradation of CH4 and toluene in landfill cover soil (LCS) and waste biocover soil (WBS) was investigated with a serial toluene concentration in the headspace of landfill cover microcosms in this study. Compared with the LCS sample, the higher CH4 oxidation activity and toluene-degrading capacity occurred in the WBS sample. The co-existence of toluene in landfill gas would positively or negatively affect CH4 oxidation, mainly depending on the toluene concentrations and exposure time. The nearly complete inhibition of toluene on CH4 oxidation was observed in the WBS sample at the toluene concentration of ∼ 80,000 mg m(-3), which was about 10 times higher than that in the LCS sample. The toluene degradation rates in both landfill covers fitted well with the Michaelis-Menten model. These findings showed that WBS was a good alternative landfill cover material to simultaneously mitigate emissions of CH4 and toluene from landfills to the atmosphere.