Spatial and Temporal Variability in Emissions of Fluorinated Gases from a California Landfill

Emissions of twelve (hydro)­chlorofluorocarbons (F-gases) and methane were quantified using large-scale static chambers as a function of cover type (daily, intermediate, final) and seasonal variation (wet, dry) at a California landfill. The majority of the F-gas fluxes was positive and varied over 7 orders of magnitude across the cover types in a given season (wet: 10–8 to 10–1 g/m2-day; dry: 10–9 to 10–2 g/m2-day). The highest fluxes were from active filling areas with thin, coarse-grained daily covers, whereas the lowest fluxes were from the thick, fine-grained final cover. Historical F-gas replacement trends, waste age, and cover soil geotechnical properties affected flux with significantly lower F-gas fluxes than methane flux (10–4 to 10+1 g/m2-day). Both flux and variability of flux decreased with the order: daily to intermediate to final covers; coarser to finer cover materials; low to high fines content cover soils; high to low degree of saturation cover soils; and thin to thick covers. Cover-specific F-gas fluxes were approximately one order of magnitude higher in the wet than dry season, due to combined effects of comparatively high saturations, high void ratios, and low temperatures. Emissions were primarily controlled by type and relative areal extent of cover materials and secondarily by season.