IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON SOIL DUE TO BHALSWA LANDFILL

Abstract

The disposal of waste from anthropogenic activity has been done by landfilling for centuries. This technique of waste disposal provides an efficient and cost-effective methodology of the urban waste elimination. However, this technique suffers from many imperfections such as odour, biogas, and especially leachate. Field studies carried out by researchers proved that solid waste leachates may migrate to superficial water, even in landfills with geotextile protection at the base. These contaminants can percolate to greater depths. Consequently, it is necessary to control compacted soil layers to prevent the advance of contamination front as well as the effect of leachate to soils that are exposed to pollutants. In this study a physiochemical analysis is done of soil samples around Bhalswa Landfill near Rohini (Delhi), which is based on parameters like pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, chloride content, total hardness, calcium, magnesium content of soil in liquid form and other parameters from centrifuged sample of soil to find content of sulphate, nitrate and phosphate. At present 10 soil samples are collected between Bhalswa Landfill and Delhi Technological University. Some samples collected had pH of 8.0-8.2 which shows that soil is alkaline. The results obtained are compared with the virgin soil samples in DTU area so as to understand the horizontal variation of physiochemical parameters of soil and comparison with the standard range of chemical contents in soil.