CHARACTERIZATION OF LEACHATE FROM SELECTED LANDFILLS AND ITS EFFECTS ON GROUNDWATER RESOURCES -A REVIEW

Abstract

Managing landfills unscientifically and the leachate migration from these landfills poses a serious
environmental degradation of groundwater resources causing these resources unfit for water withdrawals for human,
agricultural and other uses. The major prospective environmental influence of the landfill leachate is pollution of the
groundwater as well as surface water. The magnitude and type of environmental degradation of groundwater resources
depends on the leachate characteristics which predominantly relies on the configuration of the solid waste dumped at the
landfill sites, age of the landfill, hydrology in terms of precipitation of the area where landfill is located, leachate
collection and treatment systems. In this paper the leachate characteristics in terms of different components namely
BOD, COD, Total Dissolved Solids, Nitrates, Calcium, magnesium, total Iron, Sulfates Zinc, Lead, EC & pH and other
toxins from selected landfills located in different metropolitan cities in India were reviewed from published literature.
Based on these characteristics of the leachate from the landfills, the contamination effects on the groundwater resources
available at the landfill sites were reviewed. The various factors contributing to groundwater pollution were also
reviewed and based on these the strategies for managing, collection and treatment of the leachate were suggested so as to
curtail the effect of leachate on the quality of the groundwater.