Consequences of vertical and lateral biogas diffusion: the case of "Ca' dei Ladri" Landfill (Italy)

The "Ca' dei Ladri" landfill is located in the Northern Apennines between Firenze and Bologna. This paper, starting from a geological introduction of the area in which the landfill is located, briefly presents the main technical features of the plant and analyses its gaseous outputs, which are the focus of the research. To characterize the nature of these emissions, the composition of biogas, as it comes out from the head of biogas wells placed on them surface of the landfill, has been chemically analised. Afterwards, boreholes have been drilled on the clay cap that is used to cover the waste material, as to control possible vertical gaseous dispersions. Finally, the research concentrated on the interactions between the landfill gaseous outputs and the surrounding environment. The ultimate purpose of the research is to point out and predict how the gaseous outputs, coming from the "Ca' dei ladri" landfill, could damage, or interact with, the surrounding environment. Preliminary results show that this kind of survey, when correctly and routinely applied, encompasses an important set of advantages for a sustainable management that should not be neglected by policy makers.