| Abstract
| - The objective of this research was to characterize theanaerobic biodegradability of municipal refuse componentsby measuring methane yields, the extent of cellulose andhemicellulose decomposition, and leachate toxicity.Testswere conducted in quadruplicate in 2-L reactors operatedto obtain maximum yields. Measured methane yields forgrass, leaves, branches, food waste, coated paper, oldnewsprint, old corrugated containers, and office paperwere144.4, 30.6, 62.6, 300.7, 84.4, 74.3, 152.3, and 217.3 mL ofCH4/dry g, respectively. Although, as a general trend, themethane yield increased as the cellulose plushemicellulosecontent increased, confounding factors precluded establishing a quantitative relationship. Similarly, the degreeoflignification of a particular component was not a goodpredictor of the extent of biodegradation. With theexceptionof food waste, leachate from the decomposition of refusecomponents was not toxic as measured by using ananaerobic toxicity assay.
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