Disposal by Sanitary Landfill-Encode

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DISPOSAL BY SANITARY LANDFILL [CONTINUATION.......

LEACHATE COLLECTION
Must be designed so that the depth of leachate above the liner does not exceed 0.3 m. The
leachate collection system is designed by sloping the floor of the landfill to a grid of underdrain pipes that are
placed above the geomembrane. A 0.3 m deep layer of granular material w/ a high hydraulic conductivity is
placed over the geomembrane to conduct the leachate to the underdrains. In addition to carrying the leachate,
this layer also protects the geomembrane from mechanical damage from equipment and solid waste. In some
instances a geonet (a synthetic matrix that resembles a miniature chain link fence), w/ a geofabric (an open-
weave cloth) protective layer to keep out the sand, is placed under the sand and above the geomembrane to
increase the flow of leachate to the pipe system.

LEACHATE TREATMENT
The composistion of landfill leachate varies greatly,but is generally highly contaminated w/
ammonia, organic contaminants measured as chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen
demand,halogenated hydrocarbons,and heavy metals. In addition, leachate usually contains high concentrations
of inorganic salts-mainly sodium chloride,carbonate and sulphate. Thus,it must be collected and treated before
discharge. Leachate from young landfills w/ large deposits of municipal waste,for example, will often contain
very high concentrations of ammonia and organic chemicals. In contrast, leachate from old landfills will have
high salt concentrations w/ distinctly lower ammonia, heavy metals, and organic chemical concentrations.
Therefore, state-of-the-art leachate treatment plants should be designed as multistage units that can cope w/
the changing leachate characteristics over time.
Landfill leachate treatment varies greatly. In some cases, the collected leachate is sent w/out any
pretreatment to municipal wastewater treatment plants, where it is treated along w/ municipal wastewater. In
other cases, the collected leachate is pretreated by chemical flocculation followed by sedimentation and
filtration before it is sent to the municipal wastewater system. In other cases, it is necessary to treat the
leachate separately on site before discharge.

METHANE AND OTHER GAS PRODUCTION


The principal gaseous products emmited from a landfill (methane&CO2) are the result of microbial
decomposistion. During the early life of the landfill, the predominant gas is CO2,w/c is produced from aerobic
decomposistion of the waste. During this time the nitrogen gas concentration is also high. As the landfill
matures, the gas is composed almost equally of CO2 and methane. In the methanogenic phase, the
concentration of nitrogen will decrease. Once methanogenesis is complete, methane generation will cease.
Landfill gas(LFG) collection systems can be active or passive. ACTIVE SYSTEMS provide a pressure
gradient to force the gas from the cells. Mechanical blowers or compressors are used. PASSIVE SYSTEMS allow a
natural pressure gradient to build up, w/c causes the gas to move from the cells into the collection devices.

LEACHATE MONITORING
All landfill operators must monitor for both gaseous and liquid contaminants that have the potential
to be released from the landfill. The goal of any groundwater monitoring plan is to have reliable and
representative information on aquifer characteristics, groundwater flow directions, and chemical and physical
characteristics of groundwater being monitored. The goals of surface water monitoring are to assess the
characteristics of surface waters that have the potential to be affected by leachate releases, contaminated
groundwater seepage, or contaminated surface water run-off.

LANDFILL DESIGN
The design of the landfill has many components, including site preparation, buildings, monitoring
wells, size, liners, leachate collection system, final recover, and gas collection system.

LANDFILL CLOSURE
The major function of the final cover is to prevent moisture from entering the finished landfill. If the
moisture enters, then at some time the leachate production will reach minimal proportions and the chance of
groundwater contamination will be minimized.
Modern final cover design consists of a surface layer, biotic barrier,drainage layer, hydraulic barrier,
foundation layer,and gas control. The surface layer is to provide suitable soil for plants to grow. This minimizes
erosion. A soil depth of about 0.3m is appropriate for grass. The biotic barrier is to prevent the roots of the
plants from penetrating the hydraulic barrier. At this time there does not seem to be an optimal material for this
barrier. The drainage layer serves the same function here as in the leachate collection system-that is,it provides
an easy flow path to a grid of perforated pipes. This collection piping system is subject to differential settling and
may fail bcoz of it. Some designers do not recommend installing it bcoz they prefer to use the funds to develop a
thicker hydraulic barrier. The hydraulic barrier serves the same function as the liner by preventing movement of
water into the landfill. The EPA recommends a composite liner consisting of a geomembrane and a low hydraulic
conductivity soil that also serves as the foundation for the geomembrane. This soil also protects the
geomembrane from the rough aggregate in the gas control layer.

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