MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

18CEO306T
UNIT V
 TOPICS
• Tutorial 6: Identify suitable method of • Leachate Composition and properties

treatment for various types of solid waste • Leachate Formation-migration and control

• Waste Disposal Leachate treatment

• Key Issues in Waste Disposal • Landfill gas management system

• Gas monitoring, treatment methods
• Disposal Options and Selection Criteria
• Environmental Effects of Landfill
• Landfill and its essential components
• Landfill remediation and rehabitation of
• Types and methods of Landfill open dumps Integrated Waste
• Liner and its types Management (IWM)
• Materials used for liners • Public Education and Involvement

• Daily cover and their objectives, • Tutorial 7:Waste Disposal: A Case Study

materials used of Bangalore

 KEY ISSUES IN WASTE DISPOSAL
• Disposal is the final element in the SWM system. It is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, be
they residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, semisolid waste
(sludge) from municipal and industrial treatment plants, incinerator residue, compost or other
substances from various solid waste processing plants that are of no further use to society.
• It is, therefore, imperative to have a proper plan in place for safe disposal of solid wastes,
which involves appropriate handling of residual matter after solid wastes have been processed
and the recovery of conversion products/energy has been achieved.
• It follows that an efficient SWM system must provide an environmentally sound disposal
option for waste that cannot be reduced, recycled, composted, combusted, or processed
further (Ali, et al 1999).
• However, in these days, indiscriminate disposal of wastes in many regions is very common,
giving rise to such problems as:
 KEY ISSUES IN WASTE DISPOSAL

• Health hazards (e.g., residents in the vicinity of wastes inhale dust and
smoke when the wastes are burnt; workers and rag pickers come into
direct contact with wastes, etc.);
• pollution due to smoke;

• pollution from waste leachate and gas;

• blockage of open drains and sewers.

• Clearly, safe disposal of solid wastes is important for safeguarding both

public health and the environment
 DISPOSAL OPTIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA:
• The most common disposal option practiced currently in many countries is either
uncontrolled dumping or dumping with moderate control.
• The environmental costs of uncontrolled dumping include breeding of disease
causing vectors (e.g., flies, mosquitoes and rodents), pollution, odour and smoke.
• However it, should be noted that the option selected for waste disposal must mesh
with the existing socio-cultural milieu, infrastructure, etc.
Disposal options
• In this Subsection, we will touch upon some the options available for waste disposal,
and in that respect, we will consider the following:
 DISPOSAL OPTIONS
Disposal options

• In this Subsection, we will touch upon some the options available for waste disposal, and in that
respect, we will consider the following:

Uncontrolled dumping or non-engineered disposal:

• As mentioned, this is the most common method being practised in many parts of the world, and
India is no exception.

• In this method, wastes are dumped at a designated site without any environmental control.
• They tend to remain there for a long period of time, pose health risks and cause environmental
degradation.

• Due to the adverse health and environmental impact associated with it, the non-engineered
disposal is not considered a viable and safe option
 DISPOSAL OPTIONS
SANITARY LANDFILL:
• Unlike the non-engineered disposal, sanitary landfill is a fully engineered disposal option in that

the selected location or wasteland is carefully engineered in advance before it is pressed into

service.

• Operators of sanitary landfills can minimize the effects of leachate (i.e., polluted water which

flows from a landfill) and gas production through proper site selection, preparation and

management.

• This particular option of waste disposal is suitable when the land is available at an affordable

price, and adequate workforce and technical resources are available to operate and manage the

site.
 DISPOSAL OPTIONS
INCINERATION:

• This refers to the controlled burning of wastes, at a high temperature (roughly 1200 – 1500C), which
sterilises and stabilises the waste in addition to reducing its volume.

• In the process, most of the combustible materials (i.e., self-sustaining combustible matter, which saves the
energy needed to maintain the combustion) such as paper or plastics get converted into carbon dioxide and
ash.

• Incineration may be used as a disposal option, when land filling is not possible and the waste composition is
highly combustible.

• An appropriate technology, infrastructure and skilled workforce are required to operate and maintain the
plant.

GASIFICATION:
• This is the partial combustion of carbonaceous material (through combustion) at high temperature (roughly
1000C) forming a gas, comprising mainly carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, water
vapour and methane, which can be used as fuel.
 DISPOSAL OPTIONS

PYROLYSIS:
• This is the thermal degradation of carbonaceous material to gaseous,

liquid and solid fraction in the absence of oxygen.

• This occurs at a temperature between 200 and 900C. The product of

Pyrolysis is a gas of relatively high calorific value of 20,000 joules per

gram with oils, tars and solid burned residue (Ali, et al 1999).
SITE SELECTION PROCESS AND CONSIDERATIONS

SITE SELECTION PROCESS AND CONSIDERATIONS:

• This requires the development of a working plan – a plan, or a series of plans,
outlining the development and descriptions of site location, operation,
engineering and site restoration.
• Considerations for site include public opinion, traffic patterns and
congestion, climate, zoning requirements, availability of cover material and
liner as well, high trees or buffer in the site perimeter, historic buildings, and
endangered species, wetlands, and site land environmental factors, speed
limits, underpass limitations, load limits on roadways, bridge capacities, and
proximity of major roadways, haul distance, hydrology and detours.
 LANDFILL PROCESS
LANDFILL PROCESSES:
The feasibility of land disposal of solid wastes depends on factors such as the type,
quantity and characteristics of wastes, the prevailing laws and regulations, and soil and
site characteristics. Let us now explain some of these processes.
SETTLING PROCESS:
The waste body of a landfill undergoes different stages of settling or deformation.
Figure below illustrates these stages:
 LANDFILL PROCESS
PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION:
• During this stage, a substantial amount of settling occurs.

• This settlement is caused by the weight of the waste layers.

• The movement of trucks, bulldozers or mechanical compactors will also enhance this
process.

• After this primary consolidation, or short-term deformation stage, aerobic

degradation processes occur.
SECONDARY COMPRESSION:

• During this stage, the rate of settling is much lower than that in the primary
consolidation stage, as the settling occurs through compression, which cannot be
enhanced.
 LANDFILL PROCESS
DECOMPOSITION:

• During the degradation processes, organic material is converted into

gas and leachate.

• The settling rate during this stage increases compared to the

secondary compression stage, and continues until all decomposable

organic matter is degraded.

• The settling rate, however, gradually decreases with the passage of

time.
 METHODS OF LANDFILLING
• Excavated / Trench Method:

• Ideally suited to areas where an adequate depth of

cover material is available at the site and water table is

not clear the surface.

• Soil excavated from the site is used for daily and final

cover.

• Excavated cells are lined with synthetic membrane

liners/ low permeability clay/combination of two to

limit the movement of landfill gas and leachate.

 METHODS OF LANDFILLING
• Area Method:

• Used when terrain is unsuitable for excavation

of cells / trenches and Ground water table is

high.

• Site preparation includes installation of liners

and leachate management system.

• Cover material must be obtained from adjacent

land/burrow, pit areas.

 METHODS OF LANDFILLING
• Area Method:

• Since there is limited material for covering, compost, foundary sand

has been utilized as intermediate cover material.

• Temporary cover material of soil and geosynthetic blankets placed

temporarily over completed cell and removed before lift is began.

• Leachate generation may occur and may be difficult to control.

 METHODS OF LANDFILLING
• Canyon / Depression method:

• Technique involves placement and compaction of SW in canyon depression

• It differs with geometry of site, characteristics of available cover material,

hydrology, geology of the site.

• Control of the surface drainage is often a critical factor in this method.

• Filling starts at the headed of canyon and ends at mouth to prevent accumulation of

water behind the landfill.

 ADVANTAGES OF LANDFILLING
• In addition to provide an option for waste management, it also serves

to improve/ reclaim poor quality land.

• It raises the ground elevation/ surface grade of the site. Completed

landfills have been converted to municipal parks, playgrounds, golf

courses, community land use projects.

• It is the most economical alternative for Solid waste disposal which

accounts for its frequent application.

 ADVANTAGES OF LANDFILLING
• Other disposal methods are not entirely safe and efficient throughout

the year.

• Incineration is costly process, residue requires ultimate disposal on

land.

• Composting is a seasonal option.

• It is not possible to reclaim and recycle all solid waste material

• Thus landfilling is the most convenient option

 DISADVANTAGES OF LANDFILLING
• Difficult to find suitable site within economically feasible distance.

• It is not possible to build a completely safe and secure solid waste

landfill. Some of the pollutants may escape in the environment in the

form of leachate.

• Potential harm to public health due to air, soil, water and noise

• Damage to local ecosystem

• Public oppose.
 LINER AND ITS TYPES
• Landfill liners are designed and constructed to create a barrier between the waste and the

environment and to drain the leachate to collection and treatment facilities. This is done to

prevent the uncontrolled release of leachate into the environment.

• Society produces many different solid wastes that pose different threats to the environment

and to community health. Different disposal sites are available for these different types of

waste. The potential threat posed by the waste determines the type of liner system required

for each type of landfill. Liners may be described as single (also referred to as simple),

composite, or double liners.

 SINGLE-LINER SYSTEMS
• Single liners (Box 1) consist of a clay liner, a
geosynthetic clay liner, or a geomembrane
(specialized plastic sheeting).
• Single liners are sometimes used in landfills
designed to hold construction and
demolition debris (C&DD). Construction
and demolition debris results from building
and demolition activities and includes
concrete, asphalt, shingles, wood, bricks,
and glass.
 DOUBLE-LINER SYSTEMS
• A double liner consists of either two single liners,
two composite liners, or a single and a composite
liner . The upper (primary) liner usually functions
to collect the leachate, while the lower (secondary)
liner acts as a leak-detection system and backup to
the primary liner.
• Double-liner systems are used in some municipal
solid waste landfills and in all hazardous waste
landfills.
• Hazardous waste landfills (also referred to as
secure landfills) are constructed for the disposal of
wastes that once were ignitable, corrosive,
reactive, toxic.
 LEACHATE COLLECTION SYSTEM
• A leachate collection system basically consists of a drainage layer of inert
material with high permeability, of drainage pipes which have to collect the
leachate and to discharge it out of the dumping area, of collection and
inspection shafts, and of collection pipes.
 METHOD OF TREATMENT FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF
SOLID WASTE
Methods of Solid Waste Disposal and Management:
1) Solid Waste Open Burning

2) Sea dumping process

3) Solid wastes sanitary landfills

4) Incineration method

5) Composting process

6) Disposal by Ploughing into the fields

7) Disposal by hog feeding

8) Salvaging procedure

9) Fermentation/biological digestion
 OPEN DUMPS
• Open dumps refer to uncovered areas that are

used to dump solid waste of all kinds.

• The waste is untreated, and not segregated.

• It is the breeding ground for files, rats, and other

insects that spread disease.

• The rainwater run-off from these dumps

contaminates nearby land and water, thereby

spreading disease. In some countries, open dumps

are being phased out.

 SEA DUMPING PROCESS
• SEA DUMPING PROCESS:
• This sea dumping process can be carried out
only in coastal cities. This is very costly
procedure and not environment friendly.
• It consists of dumping materials from land or
from a vessel, or discharging them through a
pipe into marine waters. Ocean waste disposal
is purposeful as opposed to accidental. The
discharge is directly to marine waters as
opposed to indirectly through rivers or
groundwater.
 LANDFILLS
• A landfill may also refer to the ground that has been filled in with soil and

rocks instead of waste materials, so that it can be used for a specific purpose,

such as for building houses.

• Landfill, also known as a dump or tip, is a site for disposal of waste materials

by burial. Older, poorly designed or poorly managed landfills can create a

number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter,

attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leachate.

 LANDFILL
•A municipal solid waste landfill
(MSWLF) is a discrete area of land or
excavation that receives household waste.

•A MSWLF may also receive other types of

nonhazardous wastes, such as commercial
solid waste, nonhazardous sludge,
conditionally exempt small quantity
generator waste, and industrial
nonhazardous solid waste.
 SOLID WASTES SANITARY LANDFILLS
• Solid wastes sanitary landfills process is simple, clean
MAIN FEATURES OF A MODERN
and effective. In this procedure, layers are compressed LANDFILL
(SANITARY LANDFILL)
with some mechanical equipment and covered with

earth, leveled, and compacted.

• A deep trench of 3 to 5 m is excavated and

micro-organisms act on the organic matter and degrade

them.

• Sanitary Landfills are designed to greatly reduce or

eliminate the risks that waste disposal may pose to the

public health and environmental quality.

 LANDFILL LINER
•A landfill liner, or composite liner, is intended to be a low permeable barrier, which
is laid down under engineered landfill sites. Until it deteriorates, the liner retards
migration of leachate, and its toxic constituents, into underlying aquifers or nearby
rivers, causing spoliation of the local water.

MATERIALS USED

1. Clay
2. Geomembrane
a. PVC
b. HDPE
3. Geotextiles
4. Geosynthetic clay
liner
5. Geonets
 CLAY
•Clay soils are widely accepted as major components of lining systems in waste
containment barriers due to its impermeable nature having the value is less
than 10^-6 cm/sec.
ADVANTAGES:

1. Low hydraulic conductivity

2. High Attenuation of Chemicals
3. Low Diffusivity
4. Ductility
5. Slope stability
6. Adequate Interface Strength
7. Long Term Stability
8. Constructability

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Desiccation cracking
2. Freeze-thaw cracking
3. Thermal stress cracking
4. Chemical degradation
 GEOMEMBRANES
•Geomembranes are also called flexible membrane liners (FML). These liners are
constructed from various plastic materials, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and
high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
ADVANTAGES OF GEOMEMBRANE:
• It is thick impervious sheets having thickness 3mm
to 5mm approximately and it contains liquid and
gases.
• It is a flexible sheet of polymeric material and is
virtually impermeable.
• Geomembranes are available in the form of rolls of
about 6.5 m width and 150m length.
• Geomembrane liners are generally provided along
with the clay.
• The HDPE membranes are hugely in demand
because of their environmental friendly and
mechanical characteristics.
 GEOTEXTILES
•In landfill liners, geotextiles are used to prevent the movement of small soil and refuse
particles into the leachate collection layers and to protect geomembranes from
punctures.

•These materials allow the movement of water but trap particles to reduce clogging in
the leachate collection system.
 GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINER
•Geosynthetic clay liners are becoming more common in landfill liner designs. These liners
consist of a thin clay layer (four to six millimeters) between two layers of a geotextile.
•These liners can be installed more quickly than traditional compacted clay liners, and the
efficiency of these liners is impacted less by freeze-thaw cycles.

ADVANTAGES:
1. Consists of a core of Bentonite clay
sandwiched between layers of thick
non-woven geotextile.
2. Applied below and above geomembrane
layers in land fills.
3. It has self repair mechanism

4. Bentonite expands when fluid leaks

through punctured geomembrane – closes
the gap.
 GEONETS
•A geonet is a plastic net-like drainage blanket which may be used in landfill liners
in place of sand or gravel for the leachate collection layer

• Geonets are planar products HDPE DRAINAGE

GEONET
• Consists of rips in two directions
• Apertures are of diamond shape
• Rips in the two directions are at
different planes.
• Water flows along the geonet because of
large thickness.
• Geonets are also referred to as
geospacers.
 LANDFILL COVER
•It used to minimize infiltration of storm water in the landfill body and to allow storm water
runoff, a surface sealing system has to be installed after the final completion of each landfill
part.

DAILY COVER:
•Daily cover is generally applied to the

working surface, flanks and working

face of an active site to minimize the

potential of the site to pollute the

environment, harm human health or

detrimentally affect the amenity of the

locality.
 OBJECTIVE
• To control the amount of storm water filtration into the waste to reduce leachate quantities
• To prevent erosion
• To minimise the migration of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere

• To protect the base sealing (impermeable) layer

• To minimise other emissions causing negative impacts on the environment

• To prevent odors causing a problem off site

• To minimise the risk of fire on or within the site
• To ensure the visual appearance of the site is not seriously detrimental to the amenity of the
locality
 MATERIAL USED FOR
SOIL AS A COVER
COVER
SHREDDED TYRES
1. Soils
2. Quarry waste
3. Foundry sand
4. Foams
5. Geotextile matting
6. Plastic film
7. Shredded tyres
HESSIAN SHEET
8. Shredded green waste
9. Synthetic mesh
10. Hessian sheet
11. Ash
GEOTEXTILE COVER
FOAM SPRAY

COAL ASH SYNTHETIC MESH

What is leachate?
 LEACHATE
•Leachate - formed when rain water filters through wastes placed in a landfill. When this
liquid comes in contact with buried wastes, it leaches, or draws out, chemicals or
constituents from those wastes.
• It is a mixture of organic degradation products, liquid waste and rain water.

• It has high organic carbon content, high concentrations of nitrogen and is usually
slightly acidic.
 PROBLEMS OF LANDFILL LEACHATE
•Leachate can pollute both groundwater and surface water supplies. The degree of pollution will
depend on local geology and hydrogeology, nature of waste and the proximity of susceptible
receptors. Once groundwater is contaminated, it is very costly to clean it up. Landfills, therefore,
undergo siting, design and construction procedures that control leachate migration.
• LEACHATE MIGRATION :

• It is generally difficult to predict the movement of escaped leachate accurately.

• The main controlling factors are the surrounding geology and hydrogeology.

• Escape to surface water may be relatively easy to control, but if it escapes to groundwater
sources, it can be very difficult both to control and clean up.
• The degree of groundwater contamination is affected by physical, chemical and biological
actions.
• The relative importance of each process may change, however, if the leachate moves from the
landfill to the sub-surface region.
 LEACHATE MANAGEMENT
• Prevention of leakage
– Laying impermeable member
– Natural and synthetic liners
• Leachate collection
– Providing drainage layer and pipes
• Reducing the infiltration of water
– Top cap and drainage layer
• Treatment
– Water reduction and purifier
LEACHATE MANAGEMENT
 LEACHATE CONTROL SYSTEM
• The best way to control leachate is through prevention, which should be integral to
the site design.
• In most cases, it is necessary to control liquid access, collection and treatment, all of
which can be done using the following landfill liners.

NATURAL LINERS:
•These refer to compacted clay or shale, bitumen or soil sealants, etc., and are generally
less permeable, resistant to chemical attack and have good sorption properties.
•They generally do not act as true containment barriers, because sometimes leachate
migrates through them.
 LEACHATE CONTROL SYSTEM
SYNTHETIC (GEO-MEMBRANE) LINERS:
•These are typically made up of high or medium density polyethylene and are generally less permeable,

easy to install, relatively strong and have good deformation characteristics.

•They sometimes expand or shrink according to temperature and age. Note that natural and

geo-membrane liners are often combined to enhance the overall efficiency of the containment system.

•Some of the leachate collection systems include impermeable liner, granular material, collection piping,

leachate storage tank; leachate is trucked to a wastewater treatment facility.

 LEACHATE TREATMENT
NATURAL SYSTEM:

• Stabilization pond

• Wetland construction

• Leachate circulation

• Aerated lagoons

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT:

• Activated sludge

• Up flow anaerobic sludge blanket

PHYSIOCHEMICAL TREATMENT:

• Coagulation sedimentation

• Filtration

• Advanced oxidation process

 BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
• Biological treatment is worldwide the most common practice for leachate treatment.

Biological systems can be divided in anaerobic and aerobic treatment processes. Both

can be realized by using different plant concepts.

• This removes BOD, ammonia and suspended solids.

• Leachate from land filled waste can be readily degraded by biological means, due to high content

of volatile fatty acids (VFAs).

 BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
• The common methods are aerated lagoons (i.e., special devices which enhance the aerobic

processes of degradation of organic substances over the entire depth of the tank) and activated

sludge process, which differs from aerated lagoons in that discharged sludge is recirculated and

is often used for BOD and ammonia removal.

• While under conditions of low COD, rotating biological contactors (i.e., biomass is brought into

contact with circular blades fixed to a common axle which is rotated) are very effective in

removing ammonia.

• In an anaerobic treatment system, complex organic molecules are fermented in filter. The

common types are anaerobic filters, anaerobic lagoon and digesters.

 PHYSICOCHEMICAL TREATMENT
• After biological degradation, effluents still contain significant concentrations of

different substances.

• Physicochemical treatment processes could be installed to improve the leachate

effluent quality.

• Some of these processes are flocculation-precipitation. (Note that addition of

chemicals to the water attracts the metal by floc formation).

• Separation of the floc from water takes place by sedimentation, adsorption and

reverse osmosis.
 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT
• Landfill gas (LFG) is a natural byproduct of
the decomposition of organic material in
landfills.

• LFG is composed of roughly 50 percent

methane (the primary component of natural
gas), 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2) and a
small amount of non-methane organic
compounds.

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas 28 to 36

times more effective than CO2 at trapping
heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year
period,
 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT
PHASES OF DECOMPOSITION OF WASTE AND GENERATION OF GAS WITH THE TIME
 COLLECTING AND TREATING LANDFILL GAS
• Instead of escaping into the air,
LFG can be captured, converted,
and used as a renewable energy
resource.

• Using LFG helps to reduce odors

and other hazards associated with
LFG emissions, and prevents
methane from migrating into the
atmosphere and contributing to
local smog and global climate
change.

• In addition, LFG energy projects

generate revenue and create jobs in
the community and beyond.
 COLLECTING AND TREATING LANDFILL GAS
• The graphic illustrates the collection and processing of LFG to produce methane for multiple uses.
• First, LFG is collected through vertical and horizontal piping buried in an MSW landfill. The LFG
is then processed and treated for use.
• The graphic shows potential end uses of LFG including industrial/institutional uses, arts and crafts,
pipeline gas, and vehicle fuel.
FLOWCHART OF A BASIC LFG COLLECTION AND
PROCESSING SYSTEM
 LANDFILL WITH WASTE IN PLACE
• A municipal solid waste
COMPACTING WASTE WASTE TRUCK
(MSW) landfill is a discrete AT AT
AN ACTIVE LANDFILL ACTIVE
area of land or excavation LANDFILL
that receives household waste,
and may also receive other
types of nonhazardous wastes.
Collection of LFG typically
begins after a portion of a
CLOSED CELL OF ACTIVE CLOSED
landfill, known as a “cell”, is
LANDFILL LANDFILL
closed to waste placement.
 LANDFILL GAS EXTRACTION WELLS AND PIPING
• LFG collection systems can be configured as vertical wells or horizontal trenches. The most common method is drilling
vertical wells into the waste mass and connecting the wellheads to lateral piping that transports the gas to a collection
header using a blower or vacuum induction system.
• Horizontal trench systems are useful in areas of active filling. Some landfills use a combination of vertical wells and
horizontal collectors. Collection system operators “tune” or adjust the well field to improve collection.
 PRIMARY PROCESSING OF LANDFILL GAS AND FLARE
• A basic LFG processing skid includes a knock-out drum to remove moisture, blowers to provide a vacuum to
“pull” the gas and pressure to convey the gas, and a flare. System operators monitor parameters to maximize
system efficiency.
 ADDITIONAL TREATMENT OF LANDFILL GAS
• Using LFG in an energy recovery system usually requires some treatment of the gas to remove excess moisture,
particulates and other impurities. The type and extent of treatment depend on site-specific LFG characteristics
and the type of energy recovery system. Some end uses, such as pipeline injection or vehicle fuel projects, require
additional cleaning and compression of the LFG.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF LANDFILL
• The environmental effects of a landfill include wind-blown litter and dust, noise,
obnoxious odor, vermin and insects attracted by the waste, surface runoff and
inaesthetic conditions.
• Gas and leachate problems also arise during the operation phase and require significant
environmental controls. In what follows, we will describe some of the major
environmental effects below:

1. Wind-blown litter and dust are continuous problems of the ongoing landfill

operation and a nuisance to the neighborhood.

2. Covering the waste cells with soil and spraying water on dirt roads and waste

in dry periods, in combination with fencing and movable screens, may

minimize the problem of wind-blown litter and dust.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF LANDFILL
3. Movement of waste collection vehicles, emptying of wastes from them,

compactors, earthmoving equipment, etc., produce noise.

4. Improving the technical capability of the equipment, surrounding the fill

area with soil embankments and plantations, limiting the working hours and

appropriately training the workforce will help minimize noise pollution.

5. Surface run-off, which has been in contact with the land filled waste, may be

a problem in areas of intense rainfall. If not controlled, heavily polluted

run-off may enter directly into creeks and streams. Careful design and

maintenance of surface drains and ditches, together with a final soil cover on

completed landfill sections, can help eliminate this problem.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF LANDFILL
6. Gas released, as a result of degradation or volatilisation of waste components, causes

odour, flammability, health problems and damage of the vegetation (due to oxygen

depletion in the root zone). The measures to control this include liners, soil covers,

passive venting or active extraction of gas for treatment before discharge into the

atmosphere.

7. Polluted leachate appears shortly after disposal of the waste. This may cause

groundwater pollution and pollution of streams through sub-surface migration.

Liners, drainage collection, treatment of leachate, and groundwater and

downstream water quality monitoring are necessary to control this problem.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF LANDFILL
8. Birds (e.g., scavengers), vermin, insects and animals are attracted to the

landfill for feeding and breeding. Since many of these may act as disease

vectors, their presence is a potential health problem.

9. An operating landfill, where equipment and waste are exposed, appears

inaesthetic. This problem may be reduced by careful design of screening

soil embankments, plantings, rapid covering and re-vegetation of filled

sections.
 LANDFILL GAS EMISSION
• Landfill gas contains a high percentage of methane due to the anaerobic decomposition of

organic matter, which can be utilized as a source of energy.

• A typical landfill gas contains:

• Methane: This is a colourless, odourless and flammable gas with a density lighter than air,

typically making up 50 – 60% of the landfill gas.

• Carbon dioxide: This is a colourless, odourless and non-inflammable gas that is denser than

air, typically accounting for 30 – 40%.

• Oxygen: The flammability of methane depends on the percentage of oxygen. It is, therefore,

important to control oxygen levels, where gas abstraction is undertaken.

• Nitrogen: This is essentially inert and will have little effect, except to modify the explosive

range of methane.
 HAZARDS OF LANDFILL GASES
• Landfill gas consists of a mixture of flammable, asphyxiating and noxious gases and

may be hazardous to health and safety, and hence the need for precautions. Some of

the major hazards are listed below:

• Explosion and fire: Methane is flammable in air within the range of 5 – 15% by

volume, while hydrogen is flammable within the range of 4.1 – 7.5% (in the presence of

oxygen) and potentially explosive. Fire, occurring within the waste, can be difficult to

extinguish and can lead to unpredictable and uncontrolled subsidence as well as

production of smoke and toxic fumes.

 HAZARDS OF LANDFILL GASES
• TRACE COMPONENTS: These comprise mostly alkanes and alkenes, and their
oxidation products such as aldehydes, alcohols and esters. Many of them are
recognized as toxicants, when present in air at concentrations above occupational
exposure standards.
• GLOBAL WARMING: Known also as greenhouse effect, it is the warming of the
earth’s atmosphere by the accumulation of gases (methane, carbon dioxide and
chlorofluorocarbons) that absorbs reflected solar radiation.
• MIGRATION: During landfill development, most of the gas produced is vented to
the atmosphere, provided the permeable intermediate cover has been used. While
biological and chemical processes affect gas composition through methane oxidation,
which converts methane to carbon dioxide, physical factors affect gas migration.
 CONTROL OF LANDFILL GAS EMISSION
• To control gas emission, it is necessary to control the following:

• Waste inputs (i.e., restrict the amount of organic waste).

• Processes within the waste (i.e., minimize moisture content to limit gas production).

• Migration process (i.e., provide physical barriers or vents to remove the gas from the

site and reduce gas pressure). Since gas migration cannot be easily prevented,

removal is often the preferred option. This is done by using vents (extraction wells)

within the waste or stone filled vents, which are often placed around the periphery of

the landfill site.

EFFECTIVE LANDFILLING
 INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT (IWM)
• Basic idea of ISWM is to segregate wet and dry waste at source.

• Have separators in transport vehicles and track where the waste is being disposed off through GPS
in vehicles.

• Analyze suitable site locations for landfill.

• By following segregation and tracking any city can be made clean and hygiene.

• Garbage bins can be removed through this process.

• Health and safety have been, and still remain, the major concerns in waste management, and,
therefore, waste must be managed in such a way as to minimize risks to human health.

• Today, the society demands a waste management system that is not only safe but also
environmentally and economically sustainable.

• Note that sustainability refers to development that addresses the needs of the present generation
without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT
• Developing integrated solutions for waste management problems requires public

involvement.

• To operate a waste management programme economically and efficiently, significant

cooperation is expected from waste generators, regardless of the strategies chosen –

buying products in bulk, separating recyclables from non-recyclables, dropping off

garden trimmings at a compost site, removing batteries from materials sent to a

waste-to-energy facility, or using designated containers for collecting materials.

• To sustain a long-term programme support, the public needs to know clearly the

purpose and necessity of desired behaviours.

 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT
• Involving people in the waste management requires a significant educational effort by
the community.
• Ineffective or half-hearted education programmes may confuse the public, reduce
public confidence or elicit hostility towards the programme.

• Successful education programmes must be consistent and ongoing.

• Public education stimulates interest in how waste management decisions are made,
and when citizens become interested in their community's waste management
programmes, they frequently demand to be involved in the decision-making process.
• Communities should anticipate such interest and develop procedures for involving the
public.
 WASTE DISPOSAL: CASE STUDY – BANGALORE

• About two-thirds of the waste (about 1600 tonnes/day) in the Bangalore city is
getting dumped in the outskirts of the city. As there are no sanitary landfills in the
city for proper dumping of waste, it is merely transported to the outskirts and
disposed of in any abandoned open land, usually along public highways.
• The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) along with the Karnataka State
Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has, however, identified 9 abandoned quarries
around the city for sanitary landfills.
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF SWM, BANGALORE MAHANAGARA PALIKE, BANGALORE,
1998
Sl No. Name of site Area (acres)

1 B. Narayanpura 10.15
2 Vibuthipura 8.01
3 Devanachikkanahalli 6.09
4 Sarakki 2
5 Hongasandra 4.02
6 Lakkasandra 10.04
7 Hennur 10
8 Kudittally 0.36
9 Adugodi 2
10 Mavalipura 35
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF SWM, BANGALORE MAHANAGARA PALIKE, BANGALORE,
1998
• Of the sites listed in Table, only 3 have been selected after an assessment of

suitability, viz. B. Narayanpura (situated about 10 km northeast of the city in

Krishnarajapura hobli), Hennur (situated at a distance of about 9 km north of the

city) and Devanachikkanahalli (situated about 10 km to the southeast of the city).

• These sites were selected on the basis of the geo-technical assessment carried out

after a site visit and review of data.

• However, a periodical assessment of ground water and air quality, before and

during the process of land filling, is necessary.