Environmental impact of landfill on soils – The example of the Czech Republic

Abstract

This study focuses on the impact of a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill on the environment. Phytotoxicity test was determined to assess ecotoxicity of landfill soil (Zdounky- Kuchyňky). White mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants were allowed to grow in earthen pots, treated with soil samples to study the potential effect of landfill to the plant biomass production. Twenty-one days from the establishment of the experiment, sprouts and the number of growing plants occurring in the earthen pots were counted. The conducted research shows that the soil from the area of the landfill is not phytotoxic. According to the results of this research, it is possible to claim that the Zdounky-Kuchyňky MSW landfill is not a considerable source of pollution for the environment in present days.