Groundwater Pollution Threats in the Republic of Macedonia due to Uncontrolled Landfills

Abstract

AbstractWaste management practices are among the most important environmental issues in the Republic of Macedonia. Reusing, recycling, recovery and treatment of municipal solid waste are very limited. Nearly all municipal solid wastes in the country are disposed on landfills, out of which some are sanitary, while most are uncontrolled landfills/dumps and do not comply with the Directive 99/31/EC of 26 April 1999 set by the European Commission. This is a major environmental concern due to pollution of surrounding soil, ground and surface waters, human and wildlife food sources, animal habitat patterns and aesthetic impacts in the countryside. Available data about uncontrolled landfills locations are mapped and compared to the geology, hydrogeology, groundwater vulnerability as well as rainfall maps, upon which appropriate analysis is performed related to the groundwater contamination potential. The uncontrolled landfill sites and surrounding regions are then ranked according to their threats for groundwater contamination and prioritized for sustainable remediation.