MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND LANDFILL DESIGN

A Short Course Presented under the Auspices of the

First International Conference on Environmental Research, Technology and Policy
(ERTEP 2007)

Course Dates: July 14 and 16, 2007

Accra, Ghana

by
Prof. Hilary I. Inyang, Ph.D, BCM
Duke Energy Distinguished Professor and Director, Global Institute for Energy and
Environmental Systems (GIEES), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC, USA

Dr. Rao Y. Surampalli, P.E.

Engineer-Director, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Kansas City, Kansas, USA

Prof. Esi Awuah, Ph.D.

Head, Department of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology,
Kumasi, Ghana

Prof. Ernest K. Yanful, Ph.D., P. Eng.

Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Western Ontario,
London, Ontario, Canada

• Registration Fees: US $200 per participant who is not registered for the conference
US $150 per participant who is registered for the conference

INTRODUCTION TO THE SHORT COURSE

Urban population densities have grown in West Africa to levels that induce waste
management pressures. While a reasonable fraction of municipal and industrial wastes can be
recycled, the remaining fraction which can be managed mostly through disposal in landfills, is
very high. Environmental factors, soil type and waste generation patterns in sub-Saharan Africa
are different from those of temperate zones in which there is considerable experience in landfill
management. There is the need for landfill designers, constructors and operators to appreciate
these differences, modify traditional designs and operational systems, or develop innovative
systems altogether. In this four-part short course, participants will be exposed to different
aspects of municipal solid waste management, including waste types, waste sorting and

1
 recycling, waste treatment options and disposal using modern sanitary landfill technology. The
course will also cover the analytical aspects of standard and bioreactor landfill design, significant
physicochemical and biological processes in landfills, and methods of constructing, monitoring
and maintaining landfills in tropical regions. Participants will be provided with useful
information in the form of notes, charts, tables, mathematical equations and references to support
their current and future projects, and design assignments and examples. This short course is
beneficial to engineers, geologists, environmental agency personnel, regulators in government
and students who are preparing for professional careers in waste management.

SCOPE OF THE SHORT COURSE

Part I SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES

(2 hours): Prof. Esi Awuah)
1.0 Types of waste streams
2.0 Waste Management Options
2.1 Collection and sorting
2.2 Recycling and reuse
2.3 Treatment options and challenges
2.4 Sustainability and economics
2.5 Disposal

Part II FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF LANDFILL DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS (5 hours): Prof. Hilary I. Inyang
1.0 Design Objectives and Factors
1.1 General objectives and design functions
1.2 Type of landfills and their operations
1.3 Design configurations and component functions
1.4 Design approaches
1.5 Climatic and site factors
2.0 Optimization of Design Factors
2.1 Component dimensions and material properties
2.2 Infiltration and drainage of water
2.3 Leachate generation and transport through liners
2.4 Stability of landfill layers
3.0 Landfill construction and Monitoring
3.1 Methods of landfill construction
3.2 Typical deterioration patterns
3.3 Traditional monitoring systems
3.4 Innovative monitoring systems
3.5 Monitoring data introduction in risk assessments

Part III APPLICATION TO BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS (5 hours): Dr. Rao Surampalli

4.0 Introduction to Bioreactor Landfills
4.1 Configuration of bioreactor landfills

2
 4.2 Operational mechanism
4.3 Regulation of bioreactor landfills
5.0 Advantages and Research Challenges
5.1 Increase in stabilization rate
5.2 Increase in landfill capacity
5.3 Increase in gas generation
5.4 Economics
6.0 Fundamentals of Waste Decomposition
6.1 Stabilization components
6.2 Aerobic and anaerobic stabilization
6.3 Phases of stabilization
6.4 Enhancing stabilization
7.0 Bioreactor Landfill Design
7.1 Liner systems
7.2 Leachate collection system
7.3 Leachate recirculation system
7.4 Storm water control system
7.5 Leachate management system
7.6 Slope stability considerations
7.7 Capping and closure
8.0 Bioreactor Landfill Monitoring
8.1 Monitoring parameters
8.2 Leachate monitoring
8.3 Volatile and metals monitoring
8.4 Solids monitoring
8.5 Gas monitoring
8.6
Part IV DESIGN EXAMPLES AND ASSIGNMENTS (3 hours): Prof. Ernest K. Yanful
1.0 Ontario Regulation 232/98 and US Subtitle D Act
1.1 Final Cover Design Configuration of bioreactor landfills
1.2 Liner Design
1.3 Engineered Landfill Design