Mapping of the environmental impact linked to clandestine sites for the final disposal of solid waste using remote sensors

Abstract

<p>Throughout Mexico, there is an alarming situation due to the contamination generated by solid waste, because many of the final disposal sites do not have adequate measures to avoid contamination, and that waste when decomposing or burning releases a large number of toxins that severely affect soil and air pollution. Also, not all the waste that is generated ends up in the final disposal sites. In Puebla city, 300 of the 1,700 tons of municipal solid waste generated per day are deposited daily in streets, vacant lots, rivers, and ravines, severely affecting the environment and the health of the nearest population. The study area is part of the metropolitan area of ​​the Puebla city, southeast of Mexico City, capital of the Mexican Republic. At an altitude of 2,137 meters above sea level, where most of the year it has a temperate subhumid climate and with rains from June to October. Around 2,322,686 people live within the study area, which represents 37.6% of the total population of Puebla state. In the study area, cases have been observed where solid waste, such as plastic, cardboard, etc. accumulates near kilns for the manufacture of bricks, which means the use of this waste as fuel for the kilns. Besides, a large number of old quarries have been found where construction material was extracted, which have become clandestine landfills, which accumulate a great diversity of waste, especially waste from construction. These cases were mostly found in the northern part of the city, where the main industrial zones are located. Therefore, the inadequate disposal of solid waste enhances the environmental impact, increases the vulnerability to present greater environmental pollution of the air and soil. Map the environmental impact factors and the location of misplaced waste and evaluated the correlation between them. This mapping will also serve to make zoning of places of priority attention towards management policies of the sites. For this, some environmental factors affected by the presence of solid waste in Puebla city were evaluated. Using remote sensing and geographic information systems, the water stress of the vegetation, change in land use, air pollution, soil temperature was evaluated, and the results were correlated with the location of the residues through an analysis of principal components. The result is a zoning map of priority attention areas. Where the highest areas correspond to a severe environmental impact, containing poorly located solid waste and coinciding with socioeconomic factors of high vulnerability.</p>