Landfills are the primary method of waste disposal in many parts of the world, including United States and Canada.
[1][2] Bioreactor landfills are monitored and manipulate oxygen and moisture levels to increase the rate of decomposition by microbial activity.
All three mechanisms involve the reintroduction of collected leachate supplemented with water to maintain moisture levels in the landfill.
The micro-organisms responsible for decomposition are thus stimulated to decompose at an increased rate with an attempt to minimise harmful emissions.
The exact biochemical pathway responsible for this increase is not well studied [1] Bioreactor landfills accelerate the process of decomposition.
[13] As decomposition progresses, the mass of biodegradable components in the landfill declines, creating more space for dumping garbage.
For the newly developed bioreactor landfills initial monitoring costs are higher to ensure that everything important is discovered and properly controlled.
Following is a list of bioreactor landfill projects which are being used to collect data for forming these needed guidelines and procedures:[17]