Technology and Engineering
  • ISSN: 2333-2581
  • Modern Environmental Science and Engineering

Theoretical Estimation of the Potential for the Production of Methane Gas in the Controlled Dump of K'ara K'ara in Cochabamba, Bolivia



Oscar Angel Nogales Escalera

Independent Consultant, Bolivia


Abstract: Throughout the entire project, it was confirmed that the percentage of solid waste generated by the big cities is higher than that of organic waste. This event is literally common all around the countries of Latin America, especially in Bolivia. During the process of waste recollection, both kinds are taken to disposable sites, known as “Final Disposable Sites”, or “Controlled Waste Sites”. It was detected that during all the dumping process of organic matter, biochemical decomposition is permanently being generated; this procedure is acknowledged as anaerobic process generating biogases like Methane (CH4). Although this biogas is one of the main causes of Global Warming on Earth, it has been detected that it may be useful since it can be considered as an alternate resource for renewable energy. The following research and duly studies presented here will be implemented on the Controlled Waste Site K’ara K’ara in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The determination of this study is to give estimates of the theoretical potential of the volume of Methane gas that was generated in the last thirty months (from September, 2014 to February 2017). In order to obtain such estimate, the First Order of the Mathematic Model Degradation from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, acronym) was applied. Also, the characteristics and percentages of organic matter buried in Botadero K’ara K’ara were taken into account. This data gave an estimate of the volume of how much Methane gas is generated; the result was 66.96 m3 per ton of solid waste. Moreover, it was also estimated that its yearly emission is about 2.075 m3, equivalent to 43.575 m3 of CO2, an advantage, as long as it is considered, that it is twice as more favorable to global warming. This work was presented at the XXXVI Congress of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering of AIDIS in 2018 in Guayaquil (Ecuador).


Key words: solid waste, controlled dump, biogas generation, climate change, methane






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