SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT - MUNICIPAL LANDFILLS

Fifty years ago Public Health and Planning controls associated with sanitary landfills were virtually non-existent. Household and industrial waste was either burned or dumped into an open pit and liquids were discharged into the sewage system or a convenient watercourse.

Subsequently, dumps became "Sanitary Landfills" operating under license and waste became big business.

When household products i.e. solvents, paint, oils, cleaning compounds, degreasing compounds, caustic compounds, pesticides, herbicides, etc. are deposited in sanitary landfills, they degrade and produce by-products which can be more toxic than the products from which they originated.

When solid waste is deposited into a landfill a number of physical, chemical and biochemical reactions occur that result in the production of leachate. Leachate is a liquid and is a direct result of rain sinking into the wastes, picking up chemicals as it seeps downward. Leachate characteristics are significantly affected by the presence of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

In the initial stages of landfilling, the decomposition process is initiated by aerobic bacteria which readily metabolize the biodegradable component in organic waste. The resulting by-product consists of carbon dioxide, small quantities of water, low molecule fatty acids and heat. During these early stages leachate strength is relatively low and odor is practically non-existent.

As landfilling progresses the landfill goes through a transition. During this transition period the aerobic microbes are depleted and the anaerobic microbes become dominant resulting in a period of facilitative microbial activity. Typically, the transition is characterized by a sharp reduction in pH accompanied by an increase in BOD and COD. This sharp reduction in pH results in the solubilization and mobilization of metals and their accompanying anions. Typical observations of leachate at this juncture reveal increased levels of hardness and dissolved solids as well as metals. Generally, iron concentrations are characteristically high during this period. This imbalance results in the emission of foul odor and a leachate flow that, aside from being thick and dark in color, emits strong foul odor. Generally, fly, insect and pest infestations increase during this period.

EC-4000 can control odor, accelerate the decomposition of the biodegradable component in organic waste, reduce fly and insect infestations and increase the useful life of a landfill by a substantial period...CLICK for More Information