Chapter 5 - Emerging environmental contaminants: Fate at landfill sites and in leachate

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Although landfill is the widely used solid waste management technique, many of them are not properly engineered and maintained. Consequently, they lixiviate aqueous leachate that may pollute groundwater by percolation and surface water via surface runoff. There is abundant literature on the incidence, transportation, fate, and management of conventional pollutants in landfills and leachates. Conventional pollutants have been recognized and regulated for a long time, whereas emerging contaminants (ECs) have lately emerged as a source of scientific and environmental concern due to their potential effects on the environment. Although ECs have not been substantially examined or regulated in the past, growing evidence suggests that they can pose problems even at low concentrations. A large volume of work on ECs that gets published every year warrants periodic review on the occurrence, transportation, fate, and management of ECs in landfill and landfill leachate. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to ECs and their classification according to NORMAN. Subsequently, the journey and fate of ECs to landfill and landfill leachate are discussed. Recent case studies about EC contamination of both ground and surface water by landfill leachate and their environmental impact are presented next. Finally, the current and emerging management strategies for EC contamination through landfill leachate are discussed.