CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LEACHATE FROM THE GRAMACHO METROPOLITAN LANDFILL

摘要

This work is concerned with the characterization of the leachate generated in the Gramacho metropolitan landfill located in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil. Leachate characterization is fundamental for the development of any treatment process. The leachate was initially characterized by conventional sanitary procedures. Chemical analyses of the leachate were also conducted by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). These techniques allowed the identification of previously unreported organic substances originated from the biodegradation and/or decomposition of municipal solid wastes, from the chemical products found in the landfill itself or in disposed containers. In addition to an elevated load of organic material, the leachate exhibited high concentrations of dissolved salts and ammonia. The concentration of ammonia in the raw leachate was, most of the times, at least five hundred times the permissible limit. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fishes and this fact alone justifies its removal.