Effect of Landfill Leachate on the Stream water Quality

Abstract

The influence of leachate from open solid waste dumping near Salhad stream (Abbottabad, Pakistan) was investigated to quantify the variations of water quality during August 2007 to April 2008. Samples were collected from five different sites located along the Salhad stream. Two sites were located before the mixing of solid waste leachate with the surface water. One sampling site was of leachate and other two sampling sites were affected with solid waste leachate. Samples were analyzed for various physical and chemical parameters like pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), Biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Microbiological analysis was done by using Membrane filter technique. The results of various parameters determined strongly suggested that landfill leachate had severe deleterious impact on the water quality of Salhad stream. The parameters exceeding the allowable limits of WHO, EC and National Environmental Quality Standards included pH, TDS, BOD, COD, total bacterial counts and total coliform counts. Heavy metals like Pb, Cd and Cu were released from the leachate into the Salhad stream which might affect the sustainability of the aquatic life. Integrated, multi-sector approaches are required to deal with the contamination problem and sustainable management of the Salhad stream water.