[Nitrous oxide emissions from municipal solid waste landfills and its measuring methodology: a review]

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of three major greenhouse gases and the dominant ozone-depleting substance. Landfilling is the major approach for the treatment and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), while MSW landfills can be an important anthropogenic source for N2O emissions. Measurements at lab-scale and full-scale landfills have demonstrated that N2O can be emitted in substantial amounts in MSW landfills; however, a large variation in reported emission values exists. Currently, the mechanisms of N2O production and emission in landfills and its contribution to global warming are still lack of sufficient studies. Meanwhile, obtaining reliable N2O fluxes data in landfills remains a question with existing in-situ measurement techniques. This paper summarized relevant literature data on this issue and analyzed the potential production and emission mechanisms of N2O in traditional anaerobic sanitary landfill by dividing it into the MSW buried and the cover soil. The corresponding mechanisms in nitrogen removal bioreactor landfills were analyzed. Finally, the applicability of existing in-situ approaches measuring N2O fluxes in landfills, such as chamber and micrometeorological methods, was discussed and areas in which further research concerning N2O emissions in landfills was urgently required were proposed as well.