Systems and Methods for Studying Microbial Processes and Communities in Landfills

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to review research on the microbiology of landfills. This chapter focuses on anaerobic reactions that dominate waste decomposition in engineered landfills and begins with a brief description of the major components of a sanitary landfill followed by a discussion of MSW (municipal solid waste) composition. The processes by which cellulosic substrates are converted to CH 4 and CO 2 are described. Systems for studying landfill processes (including testing setups and sampling) are then discussed, followed by traditional and molecular methods that have been used to investigate the microbial ecology of landfills.