Factors affecting temporal H2S emission at construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfills

•H2S emission rates were measured for a 10-month period in a landfill testing plot.•The H2S emission rate is not constant but varies from time to time.•In general, H2S emissions increase from morning to afternoon.•H2S emission rates are affected by H2S concentration, soil moisture, and temperature.•Due to atmospheric dispersion, high H2S emissions may not cause odor problems. Odor problems associated with H2S emissions often result in odor complaints from nearby residents of C&D debris landfills, especially in the early morning. As part of a field study conducted on H2S removal ability using different cover materials, daily and seasonal H2S emissions through a soil cover layer were monitored at a C&D debris landfill to investigate factors affecting H2S emissions. H2S emission rates were not a constant, but varied seasonally, with an average emission rate of 4.67×10−6mgm−2s−1. During a the 10-month field study, as the H2S concentration increased from 140ppm to about 3500ppm underneath the cover soil in the testing cell, H2S emissions ranged from zero to a maximum emission rate of 1.24×10−5mgm−2s−1. Continuous emission monitoring indicated that H2S emissions even changed over time throughout the day, generally increasing from morning to afternoon, and were affected by soil moisture and temperature. Laboratory experiments were also conducted to investigate the effects of H2S concentration and cover soil moisture content on H2S emissions. The results showed that increased soil moisture reduced H2S emissions by retarding H2S migration through cover soil and dissolving H2S into soil water. The field study also indicated that due to atmospheric dispersion, high H2S emissions may not cause odor problems.