Landfill Leachate and Gas Management

The origins of the liquid are rainfall, moisture, and other liquids contained in the wastes deposited in the landfill, and by-products of decomposition. G. F. Lee and A. Jones-Lee point out that the landfill leachate recycle process has potential limitations and problems. The most common method of treating leachate collected from municipal landfills is to use conventional wastewater treatment processes. A simple estimate of leachate quantity generated after a steady state condition is attained can be developed using a water balance approach. Modern landfills are designed with monitoring wells and ongoing monitoring programs to detect contamination of groundwater and leachate movement resulting from failure in a liner. Landfill gas production depends upon the organic content of the refuse, moisture, pH, and the age of the landfill. Changes in the barometric pressure have been observed to affect the rate of gas movement.