Remediating Waste Disposals

Abstract

Waste disposals are often treated in combination with derelict industrial land since their impacts on the environment are comparable. Furthermore, industrial sites are often associated with landfills because production waste is usually dumped on or next to the site. There are, however, major differen­ces between a leaking landfill and industrial wasteland:

• Landfills may be characterised by a large spectrum of possible pollutants of uncertain origin whereas contamination on industrial wasteland is usually related to the production process.

• Within the landfill body a soil matrix is absent. Contaminants are therefore neither adsorbed nor retarded.

• Due to the absence of the soil matrix landfill waste consolidates and consequently settles in an excessive and uneven way.

• The degradation of waste produces a variety of gases.

• Landfill waste may be buried in bags or barrels that may corrode or open over time, thus leading to instantaneous point pollution.

• On landfills released contaminants may react between each other, producing further and perhaps more toxic pollutants and triggering chemical reactions difficult to control.