Toxicological assessment of closed municipal solid-waste landfill impact to the environment

Jūratė Žaltauskaitė,Iveta Vaitonyte

doi:10.5755/j01.erem.72.4.16555

Abstract

The large number of municipal solid waste landfills in Lithuania poses a serious environmental threat to the quality of soil, surface and ground water. The physicochemical characteristics and toxicity of closed Panevėžys municipal solid-waste landfill leachate and its impact to soil and surface water were assessed. Landfill leachate is complex mixture of various inorganic and organic compounds. The toxicity of municipal solid waste landfill leachate and surface water was evaluated using bioassays with aquatic plants (Lemna minor L.) and microinvertebrates (Daphnia magna). The leachate was shown to be toxic to D. magna, reduced the growth and biomass of L. minor. The toxicity has been linked with ammonium and heavy metals content as the prime contributors to the toxicity.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.72.4.16555

Highlights

Landfills are of great environmental importance in Lithuania, which currently disposes approximately 80% of its waste in landfill sites
The main aim of this paper was to determine the impact of Panevėžys municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachate on the soil and surface water quality and toxicity to aquatic macrophyte Lemna minor and micro-invertebrate Daphnia magna
Chemical analysis conducted on the soils and the surface water around the closed landfill showed that nutrients and heavy metals may be present in relatively high concentrations even after the closure of the landfill

Summary

Introduction

Landfills are of great environmental importance in Lithuania, which currently disposes approximately 80% of its waste in landfill sites. Landfilling accounts for more than 70% of waste treatment in Lithuania (Eurostat, 2014). Municipal landfills are the sources of a wide range of chemicals and may pose ecological and human health risks. The chemicals are released into the environment in the form of leachate, gas and particulate matter. Landfills affect soil quality in the surroundings, and usually increased concentrations of chlorides, sulphates, nitrates and heavy metals are detected in the vicinity of a landfill (Hernández et al, 1998).

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