environmental impact of leachate pollution of ground water

Description

ABSTRACT

Groundwater pollution is mainly due to the process of industrialization and urbanization that has progressively developed over time without any regard for environmental consequences. Its quality is based on the physical and chemical soluble parameters due to weathering from source rocks and anthropogenic activities. In recent times, the impact of leachate on groundwater and other water resources has attracted a lot of attention because of its overwhelming environmental significance. Leachate migration from wastes sites or landfills and the release of pollutants from sediments (under certain conditions) pose a high risk to groundwater resource if not adequately managed.

Protection of groundwater is a major environmental issue since the importance of water quality on human health has attracted a great deal of interest lately. Assessing groundwater quality and developing strategies to protect aquifers from contamination are necessary for proper planning and designing water resources. Open dumps are the oldest and most common way of disposing of solid wastes, although in recent years, thousands have been closed, many are still being used. Because of these, waste management has become increasingly complex due to the increase in human population, industrial and technological revolutions and the processes that control the fate of wastes in the soil is complex and many of them are poorly understood. Issues such as nutrients release rate and other chemicals, leaching of nutrients, metals through macro pores as suspended solids and sludge organic matter on the degradation are often not understood by many.

Leaching of hydrophobic organics and fate of metals fixed by soil organic matter needed to be studied to have a better approach in handling groundwater pollution. Toxic chemicals that have high concentration of nitrate and phosphate derived from waste in the soil can filter through a dump and contaminate both ground and surface water. Insects, rodents, snakes and scavenger birds, dust, bad odour are some of the Aesthetic problems associated with sanitary landfill.

TABLE OF CONTENT

COVER PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENT

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
• PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
• AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION
• DEFINITION OF TERMS

CHAPTER TWO

2.0       LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

2.2       CONCEPT OF WASTE

2.3       RESEARCH GAP

 

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0       TYPES AND SOURCES OF DATA REQUIRED

3.1       SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

3.2       METHODUSED FOR PHYSICAL ANALYSIS

3.3       DATA ANALYSIS

 

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0       PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WELL WATER IN THE STUDY AREA

4.1       PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WELL WATER

4.2       HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION IN WELL WATER SAMPLE

 

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0       CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       CONCLUSION

5.2          RECOMMENDATIONS

 

• INTRODUCTION

Waste is defined as unwanted or undesired materials accumulating after the completion of a process (Cointreau, 2001). Waste is also characterized as items that are no longer used for any significant function. They are classified as items with hazardous properties. Such hazardous wastes include household dump items, sewage, sludge, waste from manufacturing industries etc. (Obeka, 2005).

Adekunle, et al., (2007) assessed the levels of some physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial water quality parameters in twelve hand-dug wells in Igbara area of South West region of Nigeria. From the results of analysis, it was discovered that most of the pollutants increased in concentration during the rainy season over dry periods. Coliform population, lead, nitrate and cadmium in most cases, exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended thresholds for potable water. It was therefore concluded that well water in the area is not safe for direct consumption. Regular monitoring of groundwater quality, abolishment of unhealthy waste disposal practices and introduction of modern techniques were recommended.

Longe and Balogun (2010) investigated the extent of groundwater contamination of six sampling points between 10 and 375 meters down-gradient of a landfill site.

From results of the analysis, it was discovered that the groundwater samples were generally acidic with a mean pH value of 6.13 which is below the World Health Organization WHO and Nigeria Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) guidelines for portable water, the study revealed that the quantity of the groundwater resource underlying soils landfill site has been moderately impacted.

It was also shown that nitrate, chromium and phosphate concentrations were above the highest permissible limits (WHO, 2004 NSDWQ, 2007). Observations revealed that with time, the accumulation of leachate at the base of the sanitary landfill can break through into the groundwater while gas emission also posed potential environmental and health risk. Yaya and Okafor (2010) also analysed the microbial status of groundwater and surface water in the Federal Capital City of Nigeria (Abuja), taking samples during the dry and rainy seasons. Result of the research revealed that coliform count in most of the water samples from borehole (deep well) satisfy the permissible level prescribed for drinking water in the two seasons in line with WHO and NSDWQ. This was not so for samples from rivers and streams in the same area.

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Waste is defined as unwanted or undesired materials accumulating after the completion of a process (Cointreau, 2001). Waste is also characterized as items that are no longer used for any significant function. They are classified as items with hazardous properties. Such hazardous wastes include household dump items, sewage, sludge, waste from manufacturing industries etc. (Obeka, 2005).

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Yearbook (2006) defines waste as those materials for which the initial user has no further use, either for purposes of production, transformation or consumption and can therefore be disposed of.

Adebibu (1985) grouped solid wastes into eight classes, namely domestic, municipal, industrial, agricultural, pesticides, residential and hazardous wastes. However, solid waste can be classified as biodegradable, or non-biodegradable, soluble or insoluble, organic or inorganic, toxic or non-toxic (Kostawa, 2006; Ajadike, 2007). Irrespective of the classification of solid wastes, most of the urban wastes are degradable which aids the rate of leachate formation and migration compared to non-biodegradable that can last for many years without any sign of decomposition. There is therefore a possibility of leachate generation; plume extension and migration at the base of urban land fill owing to the decomposition of discarded materials and frequent surface water ingression from urban precipitation.

Because of the inability to sort waste at source, household waste and industrial wastes including toxic waste are often handled together leading to soil and underground water pollution (Osibanjo, 2008).

Supply of adequate fresh water in large quantity to meet man’s demand and maintaining the quality is therefore a thing of concern (Elinge, Itodo, Birn, Yauri and Mobongo, 2011). Hence contamination of groundwater through the infiltration of leachates via the soil and rocks needs to be avoided.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem of this study is to determine the environmental impact of leachate pollution of ground water supplies in Olukori, Ila-Orangun, Osun state

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to know to what extent, increase in waste generation and disposal resulted in the increase of groundwater pollution, and how it has affected the well water in Olukori area of Ila-Orangun.

1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To know the physical properties and chemical properties of the water samples in the area
2. To determine the effect of landfill leachate in groundwater and its effect on human health

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Leachate migration from waste sites or landfills and the release of pollutants from sediments (under rain conditions) pose a high risk to groundwater resource, and also to human if not adequately managed.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work covers landfill leachate and how it affects groundwater supply in Olukori area.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1. Financial constraints
2. The study is limited to landfill leachate in Olukori area, Ila-Orangun
3. Time constraints

iii. Lack of mobility to the area.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

GROUNDWATER: This is the water located beneath the surface of the earth’s surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations.

LANDFILL: This is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial, the oldest form of waste disposal.

QUALITY: This refers to an attribute or a property of something

POLLUTION: This is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change.

LEACHATE: this is any liquid that in passing through matter, extracts solutes, suspended solids or any other components of the materials through which it has been passed.