A Study to Understand Reduction Behavior of Toxic Metal in Leachate Using Bentonite

Abstract

Landfills are the most popular municipal solid waste disposal system. The landfill liner is designed to isolate the waste from the soil beneath to minimize the passage of leachate into the groundwater. Usually, compacted liner materials consist of soil rich in clay minerals for their low hydraulic conductivity. This study is an attempt to assess the use of bentonite as a potential liner material. With the addition of bentonite in landfill liner, the toxicity of leachate is expected to decrease. It was found that bentonite bed works as a shield against percolation of heavy toxic metals from leachate of landfills into soil and groundwater.