Effect of Age and Seasonal Variations on Leachate Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

The paper discusses the effect of age and seasonal variations on leachate characteristics of leachate generated from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill site of Ludhiana City, Punjab (India). Leachate samples were collected and analyzed for various physicochemical parameters to estimate its pollution potential. MSW landfill site is non-engineered low lying open dump. It has neither any bottom liner nor any leachate collection and treatment system. Therefore, all the leachate generated finds its paths into the surrounding environment. The landfill site is not equipped with any leachate collectors. Leachate samples were collected from the base of solid waste heaps where the leachate was drained out by gravity. It has been found that leachate contains high concentrations of organic and inorganic constituents beyond the permissible limits. While, heavy metals concentration was in trace amount as the waste is domestic in nature. The data presented in this study indicated that with the passage of time and with seasonal variations particularly during rainy season values of various parameters increased, reason being with time the solid waste material degraded and the waste constituents percolated down along with rainwater. Thus, the age and seasonal variations has a significant effect on leachate composition. Indiscriminate dumping of MSW without proper solid waste management practices should be stopped or some remedial measures were required to be adopted to prevent contamination.