Chemical Composition and Hazardous Effects of Leachate from the Active Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Surrounded by Farmlands

Magdalena Daria Vaverková,Antonín Kintl,Dana Adamcová,Vojtěch Lukas,Eugeniusz Koda,Anna Podlasek,Ayla Bilgin,Jakub Elbl,Małgorzata Wdowska,Jan Zloch,Martin Brtnický

doi:10.3390/su12114531

Abstract

Landfill leachates are potentially harmful to the environment and to human health. The objective of this study was to characterize leachates in order to analyze whether a relationship exists between the stored waste and the composition of leachates, and to detect possible leakages of pollutants into the environment. To achieve these objectives, field data, Global Positioning System data and physico-chemical data were used. Biological tests are becoming increasingly popular in determining leachate toxicity; therefore, two toxicity tests were performed with the seeds of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and duckweed (Lemna minor L.). Leachates were sampled from the leachate pond. Groundwater quality was monitored by using drill holes. The research and analysis carried out are important to determine their potential impact on agricultural areas located near the landfill. Demonstrably increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of heavy metals were detected only in the leachate pond which closes the landfill body, where it links up with the landfill insulation layer. Water sampled from drill holes reaching into groundwater was not contaminated. The results showed that the leachates did not leak outside the landfill. Nevertheless, they were found to be phytotoxic. Both toxicity tests showed that the increasing amount of leachates resulted in the increasing growth inhibition of the tested plants. The proper handling of leachates should have been ensured.

Highlights

The amount of waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), has been rapidly growing in many countries worldwide due to the increasing standard of living or because of industrial and business development [1,2,3]
The water quality and the quality of leachates from the landfill body were monitored in the selected monitoring objects of municipal solid waste landfill
The monitoring points were drill holes reaching into the groundwater outside the landfill body

Summary

Introduction

The amount of waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), has been rapidly growing in many countries worldwide due to the increasing standard of living or because of industrial and business development [1,2,3]. MSW disposed in landfills is subject to chemical, physical and biological reactions and transformations during which nutrients, elements and gases are released [5,6]. These come into contact with water and create a leachate. Since the leachates from MSW landfills are characterized by various compositions, biological tests are becoming more popular in determining their toxicity [12,13,14,18]. Sinapis alba L. is ideal for studying the leachate toxicity because it is sensitive to a range of chemicals [14,18]. Research conducted by Mackenzie et al [20] and Marchand et al [21] proved that Lemna minor L. was effective in assessing leachate toxicity

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion