Everyone simply throws away their trash in a trash can and don’t ever think about it again. On trash pick-up days, the trash can is just moved onto the curb and the workers simply take it away. Though the big question is, where is this trash taken? It is said that Americans produce 4.6 pounds of trash per person every day. While some of this trash gets recycled and some might be burned, the majority of trash taken by the workers is buried in landfills. A landfill is a designed structure that is either a depression in the ground or is built on top of the ground in which trash and different wastes are put in. With a bottom liner and a soil covering, the disposal of waste material is isolated from groundwater, keeping the trash dry and in no contact with air. There are two different landfills that could be used; a sanitary landfill is a landfill with a clay liner while a municipal solid waste landfill is a landfill with a synthetic or a plastic liner. Within the United States, the local government takes care of building landfills and has an environmental impact study on the land before anything can be built. The first item that has to be checked is if there is a sufficient amount of land available for the landfill. The second item that has to be checked is if the composition of the underlying soil and bedrock is proper. For example, the rocks should be watertight and the bedrock must be sturdy. The third item that has to be checked is the flow of the water in that specific area making sure that there is no excess water coming onto the landfill. The fourth item to be checked is the surrounding area of the landfill; you want to make sure that there are no potential negative effects on local wildlife around the area. The fifth item that needs to be checked is to make sure that there are no historical and/or archaeological artifacts within the area. After the environmental impact study, permits must be obtained to start building a landfill and money has to be raised to start the building of the landfill. The basic elements in a landfill include a bottom liner, a leachate collection system, a cover, and the natural hydrogeologic setting. The bottom liner is what separates the trash from the groundwater and outside soil. If the bottom liner fails to do its job, the trash/waste will simply just move into the environment. The municipal solid waste landfill’s have the most durable liner which is puncture-resistant synthetic plastic which is tough plastic made from high density polyethylene. The leachate collection system collects water that is percolated within the landfill and contains contaminated substances. The leachate is pumped up and is used as a wastewater treatment plant. A cover is a seal that covers the top of the landfill to keep water out. Each cell is covered daily with six inches of soil which seas the compacted trash from air and pests. If the cover is not well maintained, water may enter the landfill which will cause a buildup of leachate eventually meaning that it will overflow causing waste to come in contact with the environment. A natural hydrogeologic setting is having watertight rocks and sturdy bedrock. Over 250 million tons of trash/waste is buried in the United States in landfills. Living close by to a poorly maintained landfill can cause serious health effects. Landfills emit 5.6 million tons of methane, the second largest contributor to climate change. Toxic chemicals from the soil within the landfill could be vaporized which would lead to chemical gasses within the air. Because landfills create leachate, it can easily contaminate groundwater. Researchers have also noted the risk of birth defects could be due to living next to a hazardous was site. One could simply stop throwing away trash/waste that could be used while practicing the 4R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover). Sources: ejnet.org/landfills/ science.howstuffworks/environmental/green-science/landfill.htm
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:00:47 +0000
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