Long-term study suggests landfill methane emissions are far higher than estimates
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies .
The short version
- Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The primary method used by the U.S.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to calculate landfill methane emissions projects emissions based on a landfill's total waste, adjusted to account for gas captured on-site.
- Another method extrapolates whole-landfill emissions from those gas-capture readings.
What happened
But measurements of whole-landfill emissions, such as from methane-detecting satellite imagery or aircraft, suggest that actual emissions are higher than EPA estimates. The satellite and aircraft methods have their own limitations: Satellites can be blocked by clouds or confused by water vapor—a problem when landfills are located in or near wetlands—and both methods provide only snapshots of emissions.
Why it matters
Meanwhile, ground-level measurements sample small areas and are prone to missing methane-generating hotspots.
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