2013 Volume 24 Issue 5 Pages 79-87
It is essential to predict the quantity of leachate derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) in comparison to the quantity of leachate generated from precipitation in semi-aerobic landfills in developing countries, which primarily handle MSW by direct disposal.
In this study, in order to clarify the generating mechanism of leachate from a semi-aerobic landfill comprised mainly of MSW, the authors used an estimation method of related substance quantities that was devised by considering the material balance stoichiometrically to analyze past experimental data collected with a large-scale lysimeter filled with MSW at a semi-aerobic MSW landfill. This was based on existing knowledge of the biodegradation process, which is the main material conversion in MSW landfill layers.
The results clarified the generating mechanism of leachate from a semi-aerobic landfill comprised mainly of MSW, which retains water consisting of both the moisture carried with the MSW and the moisture derived from the MSW biodegradation. This water becomes leachate when it is squeezed out of the landfill due to subsidence. In addition, the results also clarified that it is possible to predict separately the quantity of leachate derived from precipitation and the quantity of leachate derived from MSW in semi-aerobic landfills under specific conditions.
