EESC 1175 Lecture Notes - Landfill, Leachate, Mining
Document Summary
What are the major sources of solid waste in u. s. : on-site disposal kitchen food waste, composting. Sanitary landfills are a method of waste disposal that functions without creating a hazard to public health or safety. Alternate layers of compacted trash and a covering material: landfill design is important, barriers need to lock in toxins and chemicals cover (plastic liner) or soil (clay) must reduce leakage into the environment. Important to control the migration of leachate out of the landfill: potential hazards. Leachate is the liquid material generated in a landfill from infiltration of rainwater and snow, leakage of groundwater or internal generation from decay processes in the waste itself. Attempts to create dry landfills seek to minimize leachate production by eliminating all liquids from entering the accumulated waste. Lack of such liquids also retards the chemical decay processes, which create or mobilize some of the hazardous elements.