Method of transforming unauthorized dump into municipal solid waste landfill

Abstract

We resolved the issue of eliminating unauthorized dumps of municipal solid waste (MSW). The MSW placement problem attracts special attention of the urban residents in the Russian Federation. However, the number of unauthorized MSW dumps in our country continues to increase. The accumulation of municipal waste in certain localities of urbanized centers, as well as in unauthorized dumps near residential areas is a serious problem for the environment and human health. MSW decomposition products lead to chemical, physical, and biological pollution of the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. It is difficult to eliminate unauthorized dumps of municipal solid waste, since it is virtually impossible to have advance knowledge about the places of their formation. The objects of our investigation were MSW dumps. We conducted laboratory studies on the composition of wastewaters from the areas of unauthorized dumps within Saratov region, and discovered that precipitation-generated runoff from unauthorized dumps contained manifold excesses of toxic pollutants (heavy metals, organic matter, etc.). We proposed an original method for converting unauthorized dumps of solid household waste into the MSW landfills. The method includes two components: vertical planning of previously formed dump volume and annular surrounding drainage of the open type. The drainage ditch is connected to the water-collecting well, which is linked to the water storage tank joined, in its turn, to the water treatment plant.