Landfill biodegradation process and leachate

Abstract

Increasing landfill sites leads to serious environmental problems due to the generation of leachates. Leachates are the potentially hazardous waste from landfill sites and consist of many organic and inorganic, dissolved suspended, biodegradable or non-biodegradable matters. In this chapter, we are discussing various process involved during landfill biodegradation, generation of leachate and factor affecting biodegradation process. Microbes played an important role in the biodegradation and bioremediation of landfill waste and leachates. The different kind of microbes used organic material present in landfill and leachate for their metabolic activities and resulted in the production of gases like CH4 and CO2. The biodegradation processes of waste material depend on the various factors including characteristics of waste materials, moisture content, temperature, pH and the presence of inhibitors.