Implementation of a Degassing System at the MSW Landfill

Aitolo-Akarnania prefecture, western Greece, is an area with strong earthquakes and large active fault systems. The most, the second half of the 20th century was characterized for the world community by the aggravation of the environmental problem. Anthropogenic pollution of the environment with the growth of industrial and agricultural production, the growth of cities, the size of the population, the volume of their consumption clearly indicates that the world community is on the brink of an abyss. The destruction of forests, pollution of water bodies, degradation of soil, flora and fauna, the emergence of new diseases clearly shows that if urgent and drastic measures are not taken to save the environment, the life of future generations is problematic. In Russia, as in other countries of the world, the amount of solid household waste has been sharply increasing lately. Therefore, their processing and disposal is becoming an increasingly urgent problem that requires the adoption of complex solutions. At the same time, overcrowded and smoking landfills, as well as formed unauthorized landfills are the main sources of environmental pollution. Landfills of solid municipal waste not only cause an epidemiological hazard, but due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste, causing the formation of explosive biogas, become a powerful source of biological pollution. Biogas generated at MSW landfills in the process of decomposition has a toxic effect on living organisms, contributes to the outbreak of fires, and is a source of unpleasant odors. This problem must be solved by introducing a degassing system at municipal solid waste landfills already at the stage of their operation. The proposed degassing system at the MSW landfill is aimed at reducing the negative impact of biogas on the environment. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091706 Full Text: PDF

Research and Assessment of Biogas Composition at the TKO Running and Recommendations for Its Use

The article deals with the main problems, namely the emission of biogas into the atmospheric air, during operation and after the closure of MSW landfills. Biogas, which contains methane, is considered not only as a strong greenhouse gas, but also as a valuable fuel that can be used as an energy resource. To assess the biogas potential at the operating landfill, field studies were carried out, which made it possible to determine the intensity and composition of gas emissions. The main points of landfill gas sampling at the landfill have been selected. Methods have been worked out and the equipment necessary for environmental monitoring at a real operating landfill has been selected. Using gas-geochemical surveys, environmental monitoring of biogas emissions from the MSW landfill was carried out at 49 sampling points. Coordinates in the WGS84 coordinate system, maps of the concentration distribution of the main components of biogas (methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, oxygen) were obtained at a depth of 50 cm from the surface of the landfill body. A zone recommended for drilling biogas wells was selected and recommendations were developed for installing a degassing station and using biogas as a source of electricity

Characterization and toxicity effect of leachate from municipality landfill

Leachate from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill has long known to be an environmental concern worldwide. The composition of landfill leachate may contain metals, ammonia, organics, other toxicants and carcinogens, having major environmental concern, with implications for plant, animal and human health. The pollution of soil, surface and ground water is also some of the major immediate concern related to leachate. This problem is growing at alarming rate in some of the developing countries including Ethiopia, and Adigrat happens to one such fast growing small city Ethiopia. However, in the absence of any significant relevant study for Adigrat City MSW leachate, the present work was undertaken to study the physico-chemical characterization of leachate from the Adigrat MSW leachate and investigate its toxicity effect on pea seed germination (Pisum sativum). The characterization was performed on the leachate from Adigrat MSW landfill. Subsequently, the leachate toxicity assessment on pea seed germination was also carried out. The result shows presence of several unacceptable components in the leachate that in some instance was detected at such levels that may pose environmental risk. It was also found that the low pH may add corrosiveness to any contaminated environmental components. Anions (like Cl−) and heavy metals (like Pb, Zn and Cd) detected in the leachate may also be concern for any possible environmental exposure. Additionally, the pea seed germination experiment suggests existence of such components in the leachate that possibly mask its nutritional property during germination.

Potential Environmental and Human Health Risks Caused by Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (ARB), Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs) and Emerging Contaminants (ECs) from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill

The disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) directly at landfills or open dump areas, without segregation and treatment, is a significant concern due to its hazardous contents of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and metal resistance genes (MGEs). The released leachate from landfills greatly effects the soil physicochemical, biological, and groundwater properties associated with agricultural activity and human health. The abundance of ARB, ARGs, and MGEs have been reported worldwide, including MSW landfill sites, animal husbandry, wastewater, groundwater, soil, and aerosol. This review elucidates the occurrence and abundance of ARB, ARGs, and MRGs, which are regarded as emerging contaminants (ECs). Recently, ECs have received global attention because of their prevalence in leachate as a substantial threat to environmental and public health, including an economic burden for developing nations. The present review exclusively discusses the demands to develop a novel eco-friendly management strategy to combat these global issues. This review also gives an intrinsic discussion about the insights of different aspects of environmental and public health concerns caused due to massive leachate generation, the abundance of antibiotics resistance (AR), and the effects of released leachate on the various environmental reservoirs and human health. Furthermore, the current review throws light on the source and fate of different ECs of landfill leachate and their possible impact on the nearby environments (groundwater, surface water, and soil) affecting human health. The present review strongly suggests the demand for future research focuses on the advancement of the removal efficiency of contaminants with the improvement of relevant landfill management to reduce the potential effects of disposable waste. We propose the necessity of the identification and monitoring of potential environmental and human health risks associated with landfill leachate contaminants.

Site selection for municipal solid waste landfills in arid regions based on fuzzy decision-making：A Case Study in the Hexi Corridor of China

The rational and scientific selection of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill sites is becoming increasingly important, due to the continuous growth of MSW worldwide. Multi-source information is employed to ensure the accuracy of the evaluation criteria, including hydrogeological, morphological, environmental, climatic and socio-economic data. In the fuzzy logic environment, a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and GIS spatial technique have been utilized to locate potential landfill sites. Landfill Site Selection Results (LSSR) were divided into three categories: suitable, less suitable, and unsuitable. Suitable areas were further divided into high, moderate, and low levels. We used the field investigations of 28 standardized landfill sites in the Hexi Corridor of China that comply with the China National Standard (CNS) to verify the LSSR. These sites are then ranked utilizing group fuzzy MULTIMOORA. These methods were more feasible and accurate in assessing the suitability of MSW landfills. The highlights of our methods were as follows: (1) The uncertainty of AHP expert scoring reduced by employing the fuzzy membership function, and the decision efficiency of spatial analysis improved as well. (2) Verification results showed that the main LSSR met the CNS perfectly and located suitable areas, with an accuracy of 93% (26 out of 28 sites). (3) In the highly suitable areas, 11 candidate areas were selected for the MSW landfill site construction in the Hexi Corridor. Furthermore, technical countermeasures for the standardized management of MSW landfills were proposed for the Hexi Corridor, which is critical for ecological/environmental protection.

Monitoring Chlorofluorocarbons in Potential Source Regions in Eastern China

Recent studies have indicated that Eastern China might be a potential source region of increased atmospheric chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). To investigate this possibility, a field measurement was carried out from October to December 2017 for identifying the ambient concentration levels of representative trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12), trifluorotrichloroethane (CFC-113), and tetrafluorodichloroethane (CFC-114) at the residential and municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and industrial sites in Eastern China. The ambient mixing ratios of CFCs at residential sites were almost within 20% enhancements of the global background sites. The highest levels of CFCs were observed at the MSW landfill sites. Moreover, CFC-11 and CFC-113 concentrations at MSW landfill, which was in service, were two times higher than that at completed MSW landfill. Mean concentrations of 322 pptv for CFC-11, 791 pptv for CFC-12, 91 pptv for CFC-113, and 16 pptv for CFC-114 at various industrial sites were higher than those at residential sites, but they were obviously lower than that at MSW landfill in use. A poor intercorrelation between the CFCs indicated that they did not come from the same source. Higher concentrations measured in this study compared with background sites indicates that MSW landfills could be an unintentional emission source and there are still substantial amounts of CFCs being stored in banks that may discharge CFCs into the atmosphere in Eastern China.