Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling for Odor Buffer Distances from Florida Landfills
Cause for Research
The recent and projected population growth in Florida has put more development pressure on areas surrounding landfills. Development has been getting closer and closer to landfill boundaries, which has caused an increase in landfill odor complaints. Counties need an objective and scientifically defensible means to establish buffer zones to prevent future housing from coming too close. With an accurate modeling tool to help predict appropriate buffer distances, local governments will have more ammunition to help preserve these buffer zones.
Research
Our research project is centered around using the latest dispersion model, CALPUFF, to predict odor levels near landfills, and to help determine appropriate buffer distances around landfills.
Objectives
Our research will develop a dispersion modeling approach to odors transport from landfills so that solid waste managers can have an impartial and technically-sound tool to predict and justify appropriate buffer distances around landfills. This is a multi-year research project; the objectives are listed by year as follows:
- Year 1: Develop a modeling methodology for using CALPUFF to predict odors and appropriate odor buffer distances around landfills, and demonstrate the modeling methodology for one selected landfill in Florida
- Year 2: Compare CALPUFF results to ISC-AERMOD results, and extend the modeling methodology to other landfills.
- Year 3: Develop simplified modeling tool for use by solid waste managers, publish papers, and transfer the technology.
Odors
Human reactions to odor depend on the type and concentration of odorous compounds in the air, the duration and frequency of encountering high concentrations of odorous compounds, place of exposure, time of day of exposure, and personal odor sensitivity. If odors are encountered at home in the evening or on weekends, the annoyance factor may be higher than if the same odors were encountered elsewhere or at other times. The main determining factors that influence the concentrations of odors encountered at any particular place or time are the odor emission rate at the source, the distance from the odor source, the local meteorology (including wind speed, wind direction, temperature, atmospheric stability class), the time variability of meteorological parameters, and the local topography.
Why Model Odors?
- It provides impartial, reproducible, and quantitative estimates of odor concentrations at many points throughout the domain of interest
- It allows for evaluation of numerous factors individually and in concert
- It allows for numerical experiments, which would be cost-prohibitive or impossible the the real world
- It allows for "worst-case" scenario planning
- It allows for evaluation of potential source reduction steps
- It is substantially lower in cost than ambient air quality monitoring studies, and
- It is the ONLY way to evaluate the impact from systems that are not yet built
Models
AERMOD Modeling System - A steady-state plume model that incorporates air dispersion based on planetary boundary layer turbulence structure and scaling concepts, including treatment of both surface and elevated sources, and both simple and complex terrain.
CALPUFF Modeling System - A non-steady-state puff dispersion model that simulates the effects of time- and space-varying meteorological conditions on pollution transport, transformation, and removal. CALPUFF can be applied for long-range transport and for complex terrain.
Contact
Principal Investigator: C. David Cooper |
Veronica Figueroa |
 Venus Smith |
 Nick Guarriello |