Assessment of Age Effect of Dumpsite on Biodegradability and Pollution Potentials of Leachate

Abstract

The increase in world’s population has led to increase in waste generation and is a source of concern for stakeholders across the world. These wastes end up in dumpsites which undergo different stages of decomposition thereby producing Leachate which have a tendency of polluting groundwater. This study assessed biodegradability and Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) of dumpsite relative to its age. Three dumpsites Orile (O), Solous 3 (S3) and Solous 1 (S1) dumpsites with different ages: – less than 5, between 5-10 and greater than 10 years old respectively were studied. Leachate samples were collected from each dumpsite; Physico-chemical parameters: pH, chloride, Iron, Zinc, Arsenic, Total nitrogen, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Dissolved Solid, Electricity Conductivity and heavy metal: Lead, Chromium and Copper were analysed to determine the LPI while BOD5/COD was determined to ascertain the level of biodegradability of the dumpsites. The BOD5/COD results for O, S3 and S1 leachates were in the decreasing order of 0.37, 0.29 and 0.21 respectively while LPI results for: O, S1 and S3 leachate were 10.00, 11.20 and 15.68 respectively which were above the standard limit of 7.38. The results showed that O and S1 dumpsite leachate had least and highest sign of biodegradability respectively. The LPI result showed that O and S1 dumpsite leachates had the highest and the least pollution potentials respectively. Leachate from dumpsites less than 5 years has higher pollution potentials and lesser biodegradable than leachates from dumpsites more than 5 years. Leachate from O dumpsite will impact negatively on groundwater quality than leachates from S1 and S3 dumpsites. The age of a dumpsite leachate determines its pollution potential and biodegradability.