Viability of ‘Dilute and Attenuate’ Landfill as a Final Disposal Method for Solid Waste in Nigeria

Rabia Lawal Batagarawa ,John W Williams

doi:10.7176/cer/11-10-07

Abstract

The predominant disposal method of solid waste management in the world is landfilling while that of Nigeria remains open dumping and open burning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the viability of ‘Dilute and Attenuate’ landfill as a final disposal method for solid waste in Nigeria. A ‘dilute and attenuate’ landfill was evaluated by assessing groundwater and landfill gas. Water samples for laboratory tests were collected upstream and downstream of the landfill site. Laboratory tests are pH, Conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), volatile suspended solids, ammonia and heavy metals. The landfill gas was assessed onsite from seven (7) gas sampling points across the landfill site using an infrared gas analyser. The presence of methane and carbon dioxide at all the gas sampling points except Cell D shows that the landfill has not reached full stabilization and therefore, has a mild potential to contaminate the surrounding. There is no significant difference between the values of pH, conductivity, COD, BOD and Ammonia of groundwater in the wells upstream and downstream of the landfill site the values generally within acceptable limits for potable water. Keywords: ‘Dilute and Attenuate’ Landfill, Nigeria, final disposal, solid waste, contained landfill DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-10-07 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Highlights

There is a general lack of human resources with technical expertise necessary for solid waste management planning and operation as well as inappropriate selection of waste management techniques in most developing countries such as Nigeria (Barton et al 2008; Adewole, 2009)
This is in addition to a steady increase in waste quantity and variety due to population growth and industrialization in Nigeria, while the basic solid waste management system based on collection, transportation and disposal remains highly inefficient and ineffective, especially in the urban centres (Ayotamuno and Gobo, 2004; Imam et al, 2007)
3.2 Ground water quality upstream and downstream of the landfill site The results of groundwater evaluation before and after the dilute and attenuate landfill site is shown in Table 2. 3.2.1 PH, Conductivity, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) & Ammonia There is no significant difference between the values of pH, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Ammonia of groundwater in wells A and D

Summary

Introduction

There is a general lack of human resources with technical expertise necessary for solid waste management planning and operation as well as inappropriate selection of waste management techniques in most developing countries such as Nigeria (Barton et al 2008; Adewole, 2009). 1.1 Landfills The predominant disposal method of solid waste management in the world is landfilling despite its low position on the disposal hierarchy compared to composting, incineration, recycling and anaerobic digestion and accounts for over 50% of municipal solid waste disposal in high, medium and low income countries with the exception of a few European countries (Hoornweg et al, 2012). It is the cheapest, simplest and most practical waste disposal method considering economic, technical and regulatory aspects (Bialowiec, 2011). Many affluent developed countries such as Germany, Netherland and Austria with their high level of technological expertise and educational level are moving towards 0% landfilling (EU, 2009)

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