Correction factors for large-scale greenhouse gas assessment from pulp and paper mill sludge landfill sites

Assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in managed areas are facing various challenges. A non-flowthrough, non-steady-state (NFT-NSS) chamber coupled to a frame permanently inserted into the landfilled substrates is a standard method for quantifying GHG emissions in managed areas, such as pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) landfill sites. Frequent measurements are needed to minimize uncertainties on GHG emission factors at the landfill site scale. However, maintaining a frame inserted into the substrates for a long time period is often impossible due to landfilling management operations. Therefore, GHG measurements using NFT-NSS chambers placed directly on substrates' surface could be an interesting option. Our objectives were to determine the relationships between CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes measured with (F + ) and without (F-) a frame inserted in the substrates' surface and to develop correction factors for fluxes measured without a frame. Measurements were made at different PPMS landfill sites in the province of Que ' bec, Canada. Stronger GHG flux relationships were observed at the provincial (across sites) than the specific site scale: the variance in GHG fluxes from Fchambers explained up to 80 % of variance in fluxes from F + chambers. The measured CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes in Fchambers were on average 53, 78, and 63 % lower, respectively, than those estimated by the models at provincial scale. The correction factors developed with this approach could greatly extend the number of sites where in situ GHG measurements can be done and would help refining GHG inventories at the provincial and national levels.