@article{sun_wang_decarolis_barlaz_2019, title={Evaluation of optimal model parameters for prediction of methane generation from selected US landfills}, volume={91}, ISSN={["0956-053X"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.wasman.2019.05.004}, abstractNote={In practice, methane generation at U.S. landfills is typically predicted by using the EPA's Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM), which includes two parameters, the methane production potential (L0, m3 CH4 Mg-1 wet waste) and the first-order decay rate constant (k, yr-1). Default parameters in LandGEM (L0 = 100 and k = 0.04) were determined using data that reflect landfill management practices in the 1990s. In this study, methane collection data from 21 U.S. landfills were used to estimate the best fit k by inverse modeling of measured methane collection data in consideration of a time-varying gas collection efficiency. Optimal values of k were identified at a range of L0s between 55 and 160. The best fit k was greater than the U.S. EPA's default parameter of 0.04 yr-1 at 14 of the 21 landfills studied. Surprisingly, the best fit k was often observed at L0 values greater than 100 m3 CH4 Mg-1 wet waste which again is the U.S. EPA default. The results show that there is wide variation in the best estimate of k. While there was a tendency for landfills, or sections of landfills that received more moisture to exhibit higher decay rates, the results were not consistent. Some landfills exhibited high decay rates even though the data suggested that they were relatively dry while some wet landfills exhibited low decay rates. The results suggest that L0 captures many factors and that the data may be most useful for site specific analysis as opposed to general landfill predictions.}, journal={WASTE MANAGEMENT}, author={Sun, Wenjie and Wang, Xiaoming and DeCarolis, Joseph F. and Barlaz, Morton A.}, year={2019}, month={May}, pages={120–127} }
 @article{sun_sun_barlaz_2016, title={A batch assay to measure microbial hydrogen sulfide production from sulfur-containing solid wastes}, volume={551}, journal={Science of the Total Environment}, author={Sun, M. and Sun, W. J. and Barlaz, M. A.}, year={2016}, pages={23–31} }
 @article{sun_barlaz_2015, title={Measurement of chemical leaching potential of sulfate from landfill disposed sulfate containing wastes}, volume={36}, ISSN={["0956-053X"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.wasman.2014.11.014}, abstractNote={A number of sulfate-containing wastes are disposed in municipal solid wastes (MSW) landfills including residues from coal, wood, and MSW combustion, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Under anaerobic conditions that dominate landfills, the sulfate can be reduced to hydrogen sulfide which is problematic for several reasons including its low odor threshold, toxicity, and corrosive nature. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate existing protocols for the quantification of total leachable sulfate from solid samples and to compare their effectiveness and efficiency with a new protocol described in this study. Methods compared include two existing acid extraction protocols commonly used in the U.S., a pH neutral protocol that requires multiple changes of the leaching solution, and a new acid extraction method. The new acid extraction method was shown to be simple and effective to measure the leaching potential of sulfate from a range of landfill disposed sulfate-containing wastes. However, the acid extraction methods do not distinguish between sulfate and other forms of sulfur and are thus most useful when sulfate is the only form of sulfur present.}, journal={WASTE MANAGEMENT}, author={Sun, Wenjie and Barlaz, Morton A.}, year={2015}, month={Feb}, pages={191–196} }