Adsorption of heavy metals from landfill leachate: A case study of Valmiki Nagar Landfill of Nanded city, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Landfill leachate is one of the most contaminated waste types, which has created excessive health and environmental concerns due to the widespread use of urban landfill for final wastes disposal. Presence of heavy metals due to biological accumulation property of these materials endangered the health of living creatures especially human. The objective of the study was to assess and compare the physical chemical and heavy metals properties of leachate samples collected from the Valmiki nagar landfill of Nanded city. The leachate produced by waste disposal sites contains a large amount of substances which are likely to pollute the ground water. The different parameters were studied from the four sites viz. color, pH, EC, chlorides, alkalinity, sulphate, phosphate, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium exchangeable cations, fluoride, Iron, chromium, Zinc, Aluminum, Barium, Copper, nickel and cadmium. The maximum amount of Alkalinity 6500 mg/l, chloride 9286.2 mg/L, fluoride 12.223 mg/L, Sodium 1153 mg/L, zinc 32 mg/L, Aluminium 3.21 mg/L and Nickel 2.26 mg/L was found and is at alarming level.