Temporal variation of leachate quality in seawater saturated fills

Many waste fills are located along the coast, often encroaching into the sea, and are consequently subjected to seawater intrusion. Although previous investigations have demonstrated the beneficial effects of moisture addition on biodegradation processes, these studies have not considered the potential effects of seawater intrusion into a sea fill. In this study, a preliminary laboratory-scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential effects of seawater intrusion on biodegradation processes and leachate quality. Chemical analysis was performed on leachate samples for a period of 230 days to study the temporal variation of leachate quality in the early stages of refuse decomposition. Leachate samples were collected weekly and several parameters were monitored including pH, GOD, TOC, TDS, EC, chlorides, sulfates, orthophosphates, nitrates, ammoniacal nitrogen, hardness, and heavy metals. Chemical concentration levels were related to biological activity within the test cells, and the results indicate that salt water could delay MSW biodegradation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.