Characterization of Lakhodair Landfill Leachate

Abstract

Leachate is the water contained in the solid waste dumped in a landfill and comes out during its decomposition but continues to ooze out even after stabilization of the solid waste and many years after the closure of the landfill. It contains a number of toxic and hazardous compounds, and is likely to contaminate the environmental sinks. Moreover, this leachate varies in its flows and characteristics over different phases of a landfill life. Leachate management is one of the major concerns and tough task associated with the landfill operation, and comprises monitoring and predicting landfill leachate and the variation in its flows and composition, associated risk assessment and hazard rating, and designing the most accurate treatment system before disposing it into environmental sinks. This study has analyzed the characteristics of a newly designed landfill site on modern lines at Lakhodair, Lahore, finding it to be slightly alkaline and high in organic matter (BOD 5 , COD), Na, K and a few heavy metals (Ni and Cr) of the sixteen pollution indicators (EC, turbidity, hardness, TDS, TSS, BOD 5 , COD, Na, K, Cl, Ni, Cr, Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn), which indicates it can easily be treated with simple physic-chemical methods; such as coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and biological treatment, and brought into some reuse such as irrigation.