In Situ Measurement of Methane Flux from Residential Compost Using Automated Static Chamber and Electrochemical Sensor

A process for measuring methane flux from residential compost using automated static chamber and electrochemical sensor has been developed. The system consists of an MQ-4 semiconductor sensor mounted on a stainless steel chamber with a fan-damper mechanism. The mechanism is controlled by an Arduino Uno that enables the gas to accumulate in the chamber and transfer the gas for flux measurement. The influence of accumulation time on methane flux has been studied. Results showed that the minimum and optimum chamber deployment time is 15 minutes. In-situ real-time flux measurement of residential compost for a seven-day lifecycle is presented. The system is promising in measuring flux values that can be used in evaluating mitigation capacity and developing flux ratios for GHG treatment designs.