Environmental impact of hazardous waste landfill breakdown

Abstract

The subject of the study was a hazardous waste landfill in Pozd'átky (Southern Moravia, Czech Republic), where toxic chemicals started to escape into surrounding area causing significant impact on environment. The source of pollution was waste ferrous sulphate deposited at the landfill in total amount 12 000 tons. Because of perforation of bottom linen, as well as destruction of upper coverage HDPE foil, the highly acidic and concentrated leachates (pH 2-3, SO42- up to 45 000 mg/1) were formed in landfill body and released into groundwater and in some cases even directly flowed on the ground surface. This paper reports the ecotoxicological analysis of the area impacted by landfill breakdown. Three different types of soil ecotoxicological tests were performed using samples taken at the area affected. The main adverse effect observed was caused by low pH. No additional toxic response was obtained after neutralisation.