Meshach Ando

University of North Florida, MS Civil Engineering

EREF Scholar 2024

Comparison of Field Measurements to Methane Emissions Models at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

My project aims to evaluate the accuracy of different models that estimate methane emissions from landfills by comparing their predictions with actual field measurements. Landfills are significant sources of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and accurate emission estimates are vital for developing effective mitigation strategies. Current models are likely to either over- or underestimate emissions, so we need to assess their reliability. will collect methane data from several landfills equipped with gas collection systems, and use various established models, such as EPA GHGRP and IPCC, to estimate emissions. By comparing these estimates with the real data, and performing sensitivity and Monte Carlo analyses, we’ll identify which models are most accurate and why. This research will help improve regulatory frameworks and operational practices by providing more reliable emission estimates, guiding better landfill gas management and resource utilization.

Biography

Meshach Ando grew up in Ghana where his interest in sustainable materials management started. Ando’s parents were fish farmers, and he saw first-hand how waste, especially plastics and fish scraps, impacted the environment. During his undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he learned how theory could be applied to real-world waste problems. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant Limited, where he learned that waste can be a valuable resource if managed well. In Fall 2024, Meshach began his 2-year master’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of North Florida. While working on his degree, Ando wants to use machine learning to improve landfill management and reduce methane emissions.