Monitoring Carbon Dioxide and Methane Levels above Retired Landfill and Forest Control Site with a Tethered Aerostat to Determine Remediation Effectiveness

Authors

  • Jesse Lee Banick University of Wisconsin Fox Valley
  • Jeshanah Jean Zolkowski University of Wisconsin Fox Valley
  • Kathryn Elizabeth Lenz University of Wisconsin Fox Valley
  • Jonathan Sanders University of Wisconsin Fox Valley

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17307/wsc.v0i0.142

Keywords:

Landfill, Ecology, Climate Change, Plant Species, Carbon Dioxide, Methane

Abstract

 

The chemical composition of the ambient air not only affects the health of human beings, but also the health of the planet. This study examined how the decay of waste matter influenced the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in ambient air. By measuring the level of these two gases above a forest control site and a retired landfill site, the researchers analyzed the effectiveness of the remediation methods utilized on the retired landfill in reducing carbon dioxide and methane emissions. Two carbon dioxide sensors, affixed to a payload, hung beneath a tethered aerostat. The collected data seemed to show that the concentration of carbon dioxide on the retired landfill was equal to the concentration at the control site. However, as the data may have been influenced by sensor limitations, more analysis needs to be done to make conclusions about the remediation effectiveness.

 

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Published

2016-03-01

How to Cite

Banick, J. L., Zolkowski, J. J., Lenz, K. E., & Sanders, J. (2016). Monitoring Carbon Dioxide and Methane Levels above Retired Landfill and Forest Control Site with a Tethered Aerostat to Determine Remediation Effectiveness. Proceedings of the Wisconsin Space Conference. https://doi.org/10.17307/wsc.v0i0.142

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Section

Team Projects