A quartz ampoule with grains is mechanically activated in a dry air-like atmosphere 0.5 % of one the major greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, and N2O. The rub against each other walls during activation, leading to triboelectric charging erosion. IR spectroscopy shows disappear activation. After rests for five days. spectra recorded after this period show no reappearance gases.

Since municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills emit significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, there is considerable interest in quantifying surficial methane emissions from landfills. The authors propose a new and easier method by which to estimate methane emissions. The technique uses hundreds of ambient air VOC measurements taken within a landfill, as receptors, and solves the sta...