Water characteristics of landfill leachate in Uusikaupunki

The main aim of this bachelor thesis was to investigate the pH and conductivity of landfill leachate in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Landfill leachate varies from landfill to landfill and is governed by factors such as age, method of construction, region, and composition of the waste. Due to these factors, legislation often requires the leachate to be monitored to avoid potential harmful environmental impacts. \n \nDuring this work the previous monitoring program was expanded. As required by the environmental permit of the site, the landfill leachate conductivity must be measured and recorded weekly. The company (Lassila & Tikanoja) who operates the site wanted to gain a better understanding of the leachate characteristics and therefore had the monitoring program expanded to record both pH and conductivity; and increased the testing frequency to 3 times per week. The increased testing frequency has given a more accurate picture of the leachate characteristics. The obtained values were then compared with other published works on landfill leachate pH and conductivity for context. \n \nThe results showed that the 2016 landfill ban on organic matter has an impact on the leachate of the Uusikaupunki landfill. Also, the leachate pH and conductivity values fall within normal ranges of other landfills in Finland and around the world.