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Landfill Liners

Landfill liners are barriers placed under landfill sites to prevent contamination of local water sources from leachate and toxic byproducts migrating into aquifers or rivers. There are three main types of landfill liners: single liners using clay, geosynthetic clay, or plastic sheeting; composite liners with plastic and clay layers; and double liners with two single or composite layers to detect and contain leaks. While liners aim to protect groundwater, natural materials like clay are prone to cracking over time. Plastic liners can also degrade due to household chemicals, causing stress cracks. Even composite liners with multiple barriers will inevitably leak small amounts of liquid over time due to the semi-perme

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Archie Hisoler
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127 views17 pages

Landfill Liners

Landfill liners are barriers placed under landfill sites to prevent contamination of local water sources from leachate and toxic byproducts migrating into aquifers or rivers. There are three main types of landfill liners: single liners using clay, geosynthetic clay, or plastic sheeting; composite liners with plastic and clay layers; and double liners with two single or composite layers to detect and contain leaks. While liners aim to protect groundwater, natural materials like clay are prone to cracking over time. Plastic liners can also degrade due to household chemicals, causing stress cracks. Even composite liners with multiple barriers will inevitably leak small amounts of liquid over time due to the semi-perme

Uploaded by

Archie Hisoler
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LINERS

(LANDFILL LINERS)

Landfill Liners
used as a low permeable barrier which is placed under landfill sites prevents migration of leachate and its toxic byproducts into underlying aquifers or nearby rivers, preventing contamination of local water sources

TYPES of LINERS
Single-Liner Systems Composite-Liner Systems
Double-Liner Systems

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 landlls designed to hold construction and demolition debris (C&DD).

Box 1 : Example Single-Liner Systems

Composite-Liner Systems
A composite liner consists of a geomembrane in combination with a clay liner (Box 2) Composite-liner systems are more effective at limiting leachate migration into the subsoil than either a clay liner or a single geomembrane layer Composite liners are required in municipal solid waste (MSW) landlls

Box 2: Example Composite-Liner Systems

Double-Liner Systems
A double liner consists of either two single liners, two composite liners, or a single and a composite liner (Box 3) 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 landlls and in all hazardous waste landll

Example Double-Liner Systems

Liner Components
Clay: To protect the ground water from landll contaminants, clay liners are constructed as a simple liner that is two- to ve-feet thick. Geomembranes: are also called exible membrane liners (FML). These liners are constructed from various plastic materials, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and highdensity polyethylene (HDPE).

Geotextiles: In landll 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.

Geonet: A geonet is a plastic net-like drainage blanket which may be used in landll liners in place of sand or gravel for the leachate collection layer. Sand and gravel are usually used due to cost considerations, and because geonets are more susceptible to clogging by small particles. This clogging would impair the performance of the leachate collection system. Geonets do, however, convey liquid more rapidly than sand and gravel.

DISADVANTAGES
WHAT IS WRONG WITH A CLAY LINER? NATURAL CLAY is often fractured and cracked. A mechanism called diffusion will move organic chemicals like benzene through a three-foot thick clay landfill liner in approximately five years. Some chemicals can degrade clay.

DISADVANTAGES
WHAT IS WRONG WITH A PLASTIC LINER? The very best landfill liners today are made of a tough plastic film called high density polyethylene (HDPE). A number of household chemicals will degrade HDPE, permeating it (passing though it), making it lose its strength, softening it, or making it become brittle and crack. Not only will household chemicals, such as moth balls, degrade HDPE, but much more benign things can cause it to develop stress cracks, such as, margarine, vinegar, ethyl alcohol (booze), shoe polish, peppermint oil, to name a few.

DISADVANTAGES
WHAT IS WRONG WITH COMPOSITE LINERS? A Composite liner is a single liner made of two parts, a plastic liner and compacted soil (usually clay soil). Reports show that all plastic liners (also called Flexible Membrane Liners, or FMLs) will have some leaks. It is important to realize that all materials used as liners are at least slightly permeable to liquids or gases and a certain amount of permeation through liners should be expected. Additional leakage results from defects such as cracks, holes, and faulty seams. Studies show that a 10-acre landfill will have a leak rate somewhere between 0.2 and 10 gallons per day.

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