Methane Oxidation in Three Alberta Soils: Influence of Soil Parameters and Methane Flux Rates

• Published in: Environmental technology Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 101 - 111
• Main Authors: Stein, V. B., Hettiaratchi, J. P. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2001; Selper
• Subjects: Alberta; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biodegradation of pollutants; biofilter; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Canada, Alberta; Climate; Environment and pollution; Euryarchaeota - metabolism; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heavy oil; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Kinetics; landfill; Methane - chemistry; Methane - metabolism; methane oxidation; Methanotrophs; Oxidation-Reduction; Pollution; Prevention and purification methods; Refuse Disposal; Soil; Soil Pollutants; Transports and other; Canada; Alberta; North America; America; Biodegradation; Methane; Waste dumping; Methanotrophy; Hydrocarbon; Pollution prevention; Temperature effect; Pollutant emission; Greenhouse gases; Oil well; Optimization; Sanitary landfill; Flux density; Medium effect; Concentration effect; Water content; Air pollution; Soil interaction; Oxidation; Kinetics; Heavy oil
• ISSN: 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593332208618315

Current concern over the potentially negative impacts of climate change has brought attention to anthropogenic sources of methane, a primary greenhouse gas. Two such emission sources are methane leakage at heavy oil wells and sanitary landfills. At both of these sources, substantial quantities of methane could potentially be oxidised by methanotrophic microbes living in soils. Optimisation of this phenomenon may serve as an inexpensive technique for reducing methane emissions. Soil column and batch incubation experiments were performed on a landfill loam, an agricultural loam and a sedge peat to gain a better quantitative understanding of the biological and physical processes limiting CH 4 oxidation in soils that undergo the freeze-thaw cycles associated with northern climates. Moisture content emerged as a critical variable that can limit a soil's CH 4 oxidation potential. For example, the oxidation rate of the agricultural soil was seen to increase by an order of magnitude after increasing its moisture content from 6% to 10% of its dry weight.