Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a small municipal landfill on the aquatic environment over 9 years, using advanced statistical tools. The results of the study of surface, ground- and leachate waters from 2008 to 2016 were subjected to detailed statistical analysis based on 15 physicochemical indicators. Factor analysis accounted for the requirements of the WHO, the European Union and the nation of Poland using 8 statistical analytical methods. The analysis of leachate contamination from the landfill site with the use of advanced statistical tools revealed its interaction with groundwater. The assessment was based on increased and statistically significant values and correlations of temperature, Zn and N–NO3 between leachate and groundwater, factors demonstrating the negative impact of the landfill. In the case of Zn, there was also a correlation between the tested waters below the landfill. The increased PAH values in the examined surface and ground waters were not a consequence of waste disposal. However, the deterioration of the chemical state of groundwater in the vicinity of the landfill could result from a certain dysfunction of the facility’s infrastructure after operating for more than 20 years.
Highlights
Growing material consumption has led to a massive increase in waste generation, especially municipal solid waste (MSW), and waste management has become a major problem for governments (Rajaeifara et al 2017)
& The quality of water in the area of the landfill below its location resulted in changes in the classification of its quality, confirming the negative impact of a small and organized municipal landfill on groundwater quality
& The deterioration of water quality, both above and below the landfill, was influenced by the excessive concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), causing it to be classified as the worst non-class quality
Summary
Growing material consumption has led to a massive increase in waste generation, especially municipal solid waste (MSW), and waste management has become a major problem for governments (Rajaeifara et al 2017). One of the elements of waste management is storage. Despite the actions taken to minimize the mass of generated waste and its rational recovery, waste storage remains the most widely used waste management solution in the world (Laner et al 2012). The functioning of landfills as engineering facilities should help to minimize their negative impact, especially on the aquatic environment. Such a process should be fulfilled by locating, constructing and operating landfills in a manner that accounts for hydrological and geotechnical conditions (Przydatek 2019a)
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