QUANTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT –A STUDY OF LAND FILL DESIGN FOR PATTUKKOTTAI

Quantification and characterization of municipal solid waste (MSW) is important for adequate decision-making in the management strategy of urban MSW of a city. The objective of this study was to characterize the MSW at a landfill in Pattukkottai, India, and suggest appropriate MSW management methods. The investigations showed that the biological treatment of MSW will be feasible as it contains high organic matter and moisture content. This would help to divert 70% of the total waste if solid waste treatment facilities were provided at the source, which would lead to enormous cost savings of waste collection, transport, and disposal. Energy generation through incineration of MSW was not feasible. The changing pattern of characterization of MSW in relation to socio-economic changes has been discussed. Though the study was focused on Pattukkottai, investigations will help solid waste management planners, materials recovery facility designers, and estimation of landfill design in developing metropolitan cities. The total amount of solid waste generated from different zones of Pattukkottai accounts for about 30000 kg/d. Food waste was the major component in the waste generated from the residential areas, which accounted respectively for 70% of the total waste. Ultimate analysis indicated that the main chemical constituent in the sample collected from all the zones was carbon. The carbon content varied from 152.90 kg/ton of solid waste in the waste collected from the residential areas. On the other hand, the component with the lowest occurrence was sulfur, with a weighted average of 1.05 kg per tone of collected waste. Based on the quantitative analysis of the solid waste generated in Pattukkottai city, a landfill was designed for the disposal of a non-biodegradable portion of solid waste, with a design period of 5 years and operating in 5 phases. The plan area requirement for the solid waste dumping was 20 m X 11 m, with a maximum height of 10 m. A proper liner, leachate collection system, and a landfill cover were also incorporated in the proposed landfill design.