Characterization and toxicity effect of leachate from municipality landfill

Abstract Leachate from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill has long known to be an environmental concern worldwide. The composition of landfill leachate may contain metals, ammonia, organics, other toxicants and carcinogens, having major environmental concern, with implications for plant, animal and human health. The pollution of soil, surface and ground water is also some of the major immediate concern related to leachate. This problem is growing at alarming rate in some of the developing countries including Ethiopia, and Adigrat happens to one such fast growing small city Ethiopia. However, in the absence of any significant relevant study for Adigrat City MSW leachate, the present work was undertaken to study the physico-chemical characterization of leachate from the Adigrat MSW leachate and investigate its toxicity effect on pea seed germination (Pisum sativum). The characterization was performed on the leachate from Adigrat MSW landfill. Subsequently, the leachate toxicity assessment on pea seed germination was also carried out. The result shows presence of several unacceptable components in the leachate that in some instance was detected at such levels that may pose environmental risk. It was also found that the low pH may add corrosiveness to any contaminated environmental components. Anions (like Cl−) and heavy metals (like Pb, Zn and Cd) detected in the leachate may also be concern for any possible environmental exposure. Additionally, the pea seed germination experiment suggests existence of such components in the leachate that possibly mask its nutritional property during germination.