Rural Landfill Research Articles

The removal efficiency of constructed wetlands filled with the zeolite-slag hybrid substrate for the rural landfill leachate treatment.

The removal efficiencies of two horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF CWs, down-flow (F1) and up-flow (F2)) filled with the zeolite-slag hybrid substrate for the rural landfill leachate treatment were investigated. The adsorption experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of zeolite and slag as the wetland substrate. The effects of distance variations along the longitudinal profile of wetland bed on pollutant removal were assessed by sampling at four locations (inlet, outlet, 0.55m, and 1.10m from the inlet). During the operation time, the influent and effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN), heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) were measured. The results showed that the constructed wetlands were capable of removing COD, 20.5-48.2% (F1) and 18.6-61.2% (F2); NH3-N, 84.0-99.9% (F1) and 93.5-99.2% (F2); TN, 80.3-92.1% (F1) and 80.3-91.2% (F2); and heavy metals, about 90% (F1 and F2). The zeolite-slag hybrid substrate performed excellent removal efficiency for the nitrogen and heavy metals. The inlet area was the most active region of leachate removal. The up-flow constructed wetland (F2) has a higher removal efficiency for the PAH compounds. The significant removal efficiency illustrated that the rural landfill leachate can be treated using the horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland filled with the zeolite-slag hybrid substrate.

EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL METHANE GENERATION IN THE INVESTIGATION OF AN ABANDONED CONTAMINATED LANDFILL IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

This study presents the environmental evaluation of an abandoned and potentially contaminated landfill using analyses for the presence of heavy metals and for methane generation potential. The site is located in the city of Santiago, Chile, and was used as a rural landfill for domestic, industrial and construction waste until 1978, but is now in a heavily urbanized area and surrounded by houses. Analyses performed on 24 samples taken in and around the site show Potential Methane Generation (PMG) values between 1.6% and 11.3% of maximum projected levels. These low values, compared to those of an active landfill, indicate that waste material stored in the site has a low capacity to generate methane. Concentrations of heavy metals in the surface and deep soil are similar to typical levels for these metals in normal soil, according to international USEPA standards, and do not present imminent risk to human health. The use of the PMG test technique for the study of the health risk of an abandoned landfill is a new contribution to the Chilean evaluation methodology and management program for Abandoned Sites with Potential Presence of Contaminants (SAPPC). As part of the environmental management strategy for the site, two of the five operable units studied were transformed into a park after this study.

LOCATING THE RURAL WASTE LANDFILLS BY USING INTEGRATING MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING MODEL IN GIS ENVIRONMENT (CASE STUDY: SHAHREKORD COUNTY)

1. INTRODUCTION lack of control on wastes and inattention to qualitative and quantitative condition of all productive waste, collecting method, transportation and their correct and hygiene removal result in special problems, threatening the health and environment. in any rural and urban centers, study on waste condition is differently Done because of various factors including waste management manner, type of the services presented by medical-hygiene centers, admission numbers, cultural and economic condition of The society, etc. wastes and their distribution in the environment Is one of the most Important problems of Human society and Its extent is increasingly increasing with regarding to rubbish production rate. 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Locating in the sciences related to earth is an operation In which by presenting the needs, aims and information about the existing condition to the other experts and summing them in his/her aims and opinions, an individual tries to attaining at the best choice among the available alternatives for the intended operation. Optimum locating is possible when the researcher can establish a scientific and logical relationship between the data and information obtained by the related experts in location area. Man chooses his activity place in order to attain at bearing less cost, more earnings and easy access to the resources. However, as the effective factors on locating become complex, we have to use scientific and modern methods (especially after world war2). In this respect, different theories, assumptions and Models have been presented, each one has its own advantages and disadvantages and is intended for the special operations. In term of approach and problem analysis, locating theories are divided into three groups: 1) theories based on minimizing the cost, 2) theories based on access analysis (most emphasize on demand and market factors a maximizing the intended earning), 3) theories based on maximum earning and in fact they are the result of two above methods. As more local models are employed for finding the optimum locations or optimum design, they are called as site selecting models or locating models. the aim of these models is to find the best location for an activity or settlement. 3. METHODOLOGY this investigation is in applied type and descriptive-analytical method. The aim of this study, the optimum locating for the waste rural landfill in shahrekord. In this respect establishing the required installations and equipment’s in order to locating the hygiene burial of the rural wastes requires using many various criteria. Then, in the present study, hierarchical analysis process model has been used for pair comparison by the experts and determining the final weight of sub-criteria. Then, by creating the information layers of sub-criteria and integrating them in arc Gis environment with regarding to the final weight abstracted from this model, the best sites for the final locating of the hygiene waste landfill have been prioritized. 4. DISCUSSION in this investigation, the best location for the establishment was identified by integrating 13 information layers in GIS environment. In the identification process, three locations were chosen as the proposed locations. AHPF model was used to select the best location. 5. CONCLUSION in the analysis, three proposed sites (first site 18.2 km2, second site 12.6 km2, third site 6.7 km2) were identified as he best places for waste rural waste landfill which were located in the west and east regions of county sharekord. With regarding to the results of the investigation, some suggestions can be presented as the following: in preparation step of information layers, if possible use the figure data provided by mapping organization which should be update as much as possible, so that in addition to assuring the geometric accuracy and precision of the input data, excess costs and longtime spending for providing the information layers will be prevented. it is necessary to study the ownership type and land cost in the located places so that final decision will be made about the intended ownership. present the selected place characteristics in the form of an intelligent model.

THE APPLICATION OF DRASTIC MODEL IN WASTE RURAL LANDFILL SITE SELECTION (CASE STUDY: VILLAGES OF KARUN COUNTY)

THE APPLICATION OF DRASTIC MODEL IN WASTE RURAL LANDFILL SITE SELECTION (CASE STUDY: VILLAGES OF KARUN COUNTY)

COUPLED NITROGEN AND OXYGEN ISOTOPE STUDY OF NITRATE AT A RURAL UNLINED LANDFILL IN WESTERN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Understanding of site-scale physical and chemical heterogeneities will inform remediation strategies for unlined rural landfills worldwide. The aim of this study was to characterize potential sources of nitrogen contamination to groundwater at an unlined landfill in rural western Victoria, Australia. Results revealed simultaneously high concentrations of both nitrate and ammonia within several wells, indicative of heterogeneous redox potentials within the unconfined aquifer. Combined isotopic analyses of δ15N and δ18O in nitrate identified a leachate-derived source and active denitrification across two sites hydraulically down-gradient from the landfill cell. Groundwater at an up-gradient site, as well as nearby surface water samples from a riparian creek, reflected primarily the isotopic signature of agriculturally-derived nitrate with overprinting from atmospheric exchanges of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrate and ammonia in the creek were interpreted to result from a mixture of leachate and agricultural sources. Results illustrate how redox gradients across a landfill leachate plume impact biogeochemical nitrogen cycling.

Natural Gas as the Source of Benzene in Groundwater

An investigation to evaluate the source of benzene in groundwater samples at a rural landfill in southwestern Louisiana was performed using isotopic and geochemical parameters as tracers of the fluids potentially transporting the benzene to groundwater. Leachate water had 2,649 tritium units while background groundwater and samples with benzene detections were both below 1. 14C in groundwater methane was 2.3% modern carbon compared to 120% in landfill methane. Groundwater methane stable isotopes were consistent with natural gas methane and not landfill methane. Ethane in the groundwater samples correlated with benzene and dissolved CO2 did not. The direction of partitioning of methane was assessed by comparing the headspace and dissolved methane concentrations and results showed a source below the water table. These results were consistent with natural gas as the source of benzene in the groundwater.

Passive drainage and biofiltration of landfill gas: Australian field trial

In Australia a significant number of landfill waste disposal sites do not incorporate measures for the collection and treatment of landfill gas. This includes many old/former landfill sites, rural landfill sites, non-putrescible solid waste and inert waste landfill sites, where landfill gas generation is low and it is not commercially viable to extract and beneficially utilize the landfill gas. Previous research has demonstrated that biofiltration has the potential to degrade methane in landfill gas, however, the microbial processes can be affected by many local conditions and factors including moisture content, temperature, nutrient supply, including the availability of oxygen and methane, and the movement of gas (oxygen and methane) to/from the micro-organisms. A field scale trial is being undertaken at a landfill site in Sydney, Australia, to investigate passive drainage and biofiltration of landfill gas as a means of managing landfill gas emissions at low to moderate gas generation landfill sites. The design and construction of the trial is described and the experimental results will provide in-depth knowledge on the application of passive gas drainage and landfill gas biofiltration under Sydney (Australian) conditions, including the performance of recycled materials for the management of landfill gas emissions.

Low-cost treatment of landfill leachate using peat

The EU Landfill Directive obliges member states to collect and treat leachate from landfill sites. In regions of high population density, this is commonly achieved through discharge of the leachate to the municipal sewerage system. In Ireland, rural landfills can be a long distance from a suitable sewerage system, resulting in high transportation costs. On-site treatment systems, when used elsewhere, are mainly aerobic treatment systems, which are costly to construct and operate. There is a particular need for low-cost, low-maintenance leachate treatment systems for small low-income landfills, and for closed landfills, where long-term running costs of aerobic systems may be unsustainable. In 1989, this research work was initiated to investigate the use of local peat for the treatment of leachate from a small rural landfill site. In 1997, following the award of grant-aid under the EU LIFE Programme, a full-scale leachate treatment plant was constructed, using local un-drained peat as the treatment medium. When the LIFE Project ended in February 2001, leachate treatment research continued at the site using a pre-treated peat as the treatment medium. The treatment levels achieved using both types of peat are discussed in this paper. It is concluded that landfill leachate may be successfully treated using a low-cost peat bed to achieve almost 100% removal of both BOD and ammonia.

Hazard Ranking of Landfills Using Fuzzy Composite Programming

The environmental and health risks posed by unregulated landfills are concerns that must be addressed. These concerns have been highlighted with the recent reauthorization of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D, which requires the closure of all unregulated landfills by October 1993. Most communities with unregulated landfills do not have the financial resources to conduct full-scale risk assessments. This paper proposes the use of a multicriteria assessment system as a tool for screening and prioritizing unregulated disposal sites according to their level of environmental and health hazard. This multicriteria assessment system uses a technique termed composite programming and allows for the use of imprecise information through fuzzy set theory. Using this methodology in landfill hazard assessment allows for the consideration of uncertainty associated with parameters that impact the hazard assessment. Additionally, the user can specify hazards that are most detrimental. The complexity of input parameters (first level indicators) were selected to minimize the time required to collect and/or analyze site-specific data. The result obtained in the assessment is a fuzzy number that indicates the most likely range of hazard and the largest likely range of hazard relative to the best and worst case scenarios. A case study, in which this method is applied to a small rural landfill, is presented to illustrate the methodology.

Hazardous material loading to municipal landfills in resource-based communities

Landfills in rural, resource-based communities are receiving unknown quantities of potentially hazardous materials, including household hazardous wastes (HHHW) and industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) wastes in self-hauled and collection vehicle loads. Rural generation and disposal rates are expected to be higher than in urban areas.The research program was conducted in a resource-based community consisting of a town of about 5500 residents and the surrounding rural area with an equal number of residents in Alberta. The research objective was to determine the weight fraction of hazardous materials in the refuse through physical sampling of the waste stream at the community landfill. Over a 1-year period (1991), large collection vehicle loads and self-hauled private and ICI loads from the town and the rural area were sampled during 1 week in each season using a two-staged systematic random sampling design to measure the average weight fraction and variation by season and by type of load. The results show the annual average weight fraction of hazardous materials to be 6.7% with a 95% confidence interval of 4.0% to 9.4%. Seasonal differences are apparent, but are not significant. Self-hauled ICI and rural wastes tend to contain higher percentages of potentially hazardous materials, but the variation is also higher so the values are not significantly different from those from the town. The detected materials consist mainly of oily wastes (debris, oil containers, and vehicle oil filters), other automotive products, and paints. As a result, the hazardous material content of rural community refuse appears to be substantially higher than the 0.3% to 1.0% reported for HHHW in urban refuse streams. While the rural composition suggests that vehicle and home maintenance contribute some of the difference, this study also shows that ICI wastes and self-hauled loads contribute noticeable quantities of potentially hazardous materials. The results suggest that it is essential for rural communities to consider waste management alternatives for potentially hazardous materials because rural waste streams contain significantly higher percentages and because rural landfills are often not designed to as high a standard as large urban facilities. Key words: household hazardous waste, ICI waste, waste stream analysis, rural landfills, refuse waste stream.

Hazardous‐Waste Management in Rural Areas

Engineers are increasingly involved in designing comprehensive solid‐waste management plans for rural areas and small towns. Hazardous waste from households, farms, and some small businesses is part of the solid‐waste stream in rural areas. Rural areas are characterized by a combination of lower per‐^capita solid‐waste generation rates and equal or higher hazardous‐waste generation rates than urban areas. Thus, the fraction of hazardous waste in a rural landfill may be larger than that in an urban landfill. Farms are unique as generators of hazardous waste because they generate the normal household hazardous waste as well as pesticide residues and petroleum products associated with farm equipment management. In rural areas, small businesses, which generate hazardous waste, include primarily vehicle and farm maintenance shops, dry‐cleaning establishments, print and photography shops, and school shops and laboratories. A framework for hazardous‐waste management should include product substitution, good hous...