Leachate Characterization and Assessment of Groundwater Pollution Near Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Site

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generation, treatment and disposal are, both economic and environmental problem of concern, for the urban communities, especially in fast population exploding countries like India. The insanitary methods adopted for disposal of solid wastes are, therefore, a serious health concern. The poorly maintained landfill sites are prone to groundwater contamination because of leachate production. The leachate from the dump is allowed to stagnate in a ditch next to the dump and slowly finds its way into surface and groundwater aquifers. The present work aims to determine the effects of solid waste on groundwater quality those close to refuse dumps sited within and around Mavallipura in Bangalore city. Over the years all drinking water sources in the vicinity have been adversely affected, and the threat looms large of contaminating the groundwater, which is the major source of drinking water.