The garbage generated by a human group or settlement is destined for current traditional landfills. This usually contains mixed organic remains (such as food), plastics, paper, glass, metals, paints "Paint (material)"), fabric "Fabric (textile)"), diapers, batteries, and a great diversity of objects and substances considered undesirable.[5]​.

In the process of decomposition of matter in landfills, leachates are formed that carry the toxic products present in the garbage, and contaminate groundwater, which is sometimes used for human consumption and irrigation.[6]​[7]​ There is also the risk of proliferation of anaerobic microorganisms that produce compounds based on ammonia and sulfur that emit bad odors and also cause pathogenic microorganisms to multiply (that cause diseases).

Because organic waste is allowed to decompose underground, without exposure to oxygen, methanogens and other microorganisms produce significant quantities of gases such as methane, CO (greenhouse gases) or toxic gases such as benzene, trichloroethylene, etc., which can aggravate the greenhouse effect and global climate change.[8]​.

During accidental or arson fires in these landfills, chlorinated products are released into the atmosphere as they burn, some as toxic as dioxins, declared carcinogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite efforts to recover materials contained in waste, landfills are still necessary as infrastructure for waste disposal.

The reduction of environmental impacts, previously noted, can be achieved by designing landfills in such a way as to avoid contamination of the environment in which they are located.

In this sense, measures must be taken to waterproof landfills and install leachate collection systems, so that contamination of water and soil is avoided.

Some impacts of landfills can also be prevented through recovery systems for biogas produced in the decomposition of organic matter and through oxidation systems.[9]​.

A solution to eliminate the problems of both biogas emissions and highly contaminated leachate is biological mechanical treatment which, in addition to the elimination of biogas and leachate contamination, significantly reduces the volume to be confined and opens the option of making profits with the certification and commercialization of carbon credits.

A landfill is a place intended for the final disposal of waste or garbage, in which multiple measures are intended to be taken to reduce the problems generated by another method of garbage treatment such as landfills. These measures are, for example, the meticulous study of environmental, economic and social impact from the planning and choice of the place to the monitoring and study of the place throughout the life of the landfill.

To build a sanitary landfill, it is important to select the land that meets adequate technical conditions such as: topography, level of groundwater and availability of material to cover the garbage.

In a landfill, as the garbage is placed, it is compacted with machinery and covered with a layer of earth and other materials to later cover it with a layer of earth that is around 40 cm thick and on top of it deposit another layer of garbage and so on until the landfill is considered saturated.

It is an engineering method for the disposal of solid waste on the ground in a way that protects the environment, by spreading the waste in small layers, compacting it to the smallest practical volume and covering it with soil at the end of the work day, preventing adverse effects on the environment.

There are two landfills to manage urban solid waste: the uncontrolled landfills (in some places they remain in force) are the most primitive. The danger lies in the pollution they produce, due to their leaching, in the water layers, in nearby rivers or lakes and also in the soil. Controlled landfills represent a great advance in the management of this waste. There the discharges are compacted and arranged between layers of soil; Vents are left for the gases that originate from putrefaction and precautions are taken for the collection and purification of leachate. Some archaeological investigations of landfills show that the biodegradation of waste occurs at longer rates of time than expected, because landfills are better equipped to preserve their contents than to decompose them. worldwide.[11]​.

Furthermore, as a way to minimize the environmental impact and as an implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, landfills include treatment of leachates, which are the liquids produced by garbage, burning of decomposition gases, mainly methane, reforestation plans in the landfill area and odor control. Because untreated confined waste contains a high potential danger to the environment (damage to the waterproofing over time), Europe already has regulations that require waste treatment before confinement to eliminate its potential danger to both the environment and human health.

Contenido

Los vertederos tienen el potencial de causar una serie de problemas. Se pueden producir interrupciones en la infraestructura, como daños en las vías de acceso por parte de vehículos pesados. La contaminación de las carreteras locales y los cursos de agua por las ruedas de los vehículos cuando salen del vertedero puede ser significativa y puede mitigarse con sistemas de lavado de ruedas"). También puede ocurrir la contaminación del medio ambiente local, como la contaminación de aguas subterráneas o acuíferos o contaminación del suelo.

Leachate

When precipitation falls into open landfills, water seeps through the trash and becomes contaminated with suspended and dissolved material, forming leachate. If not contained, it can contaminate groundwater. All modern landfills use a combination of impermeable liners several meters thick, geologically stable sites, and collection systems to contain and capture this leachate. It can then be treated and evaporated. Once a landfill is full, it is sealed to prevent the entry of precipitation and the formation of new leachate. However, coatings must have a useful life of either several hundred years or more. At some point, any landfill liner could leak,[12]​ therefore the soil around landfills should be tested for leachate to prevent contaminants from contaminating groundwater.

decomposition gases

Rotting food and other decaying organic waste create decomposition gases, especially CO and CH from aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, respectively. Both processes occur simultaneously in different parts of a landfill. In addition to available O, the fraction of gas constituents will vary depending on the age of the landfill, the type of waste, the moisture content, and other factors. For example, the maximum amount of landfill gas produced can be illustrated with a simplified net diethyl oxalate reaction that accounts for these simultaneous reactions:[13]​.

4 CHO + 6 HO → 13 CH + 11 CO.

On average, about half of the volumetric concentration of landfill gas is CH and slightly less than half is CO. The gas also contains about 5% molecular nitrogen (N), less than 1% hydrogen sulfide (HS), and a low concentration of non-methane organic compounds (NMOC), around 2700 ppmv.[13]​.

Landfill gases can leak out of the landfill and into the surrounding air and soil. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and it is flammable and potentially explosive at certain concentrations, making it perfect for burning to generate electricity cleanly. Since decomposing plant matter and food waste only release carbon that has been captured from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, no new carbon enters the carbon cycle and the atmospheric CO concentration is not affected. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.[14] In properly managed landfills, the gas is collected and burned or recovered to use landfill gas.

Vectors

Poorly managed landfills can become nuisances due to vectors such as rats and flies that can spread infectious diseases. The appearance of such vectors can be mitigated by the use of daily coverage.

Other discomforts

Other potential problems include disruption to wildlife due to habitat occupation[15]​ and disruption to animal health caused by consumption of landfill waste,[16]​ dust, odor, noise pollution and reduced local property values.

In Spain, according to article 5 of Royal Decree 646/2020, the types of landfills are classified as.

A landfill may be classified in more than one of the categories set out in the previous section, provided that it has independent cells that meet the requirements specified in this royal decree for each type of landfill.

There are other classifications depending on their legality:

The garbage generated by a human group or settlement is destined for current traditional landfills. This usually contains mixed organic remains (such as food), plastics, paper, glass, metals, paints "Paint (material)"), fabric "Fabric (textile)"), diapers, batteries, and a great diversity of objects and substances considered undesirable.[5]​.

In the process of decomposition of matter in landfills, leachates are formed that carry the toxic products present in the garbage, and contaminate groundwater, which is sometimes used for human consumption and irrigation.[6]​[7]​ There is also the risk of proliferation of anaerobic microorganisms that produce compounds based on ammonia and sulfur that emit bad odors and also cause pathogenic microorganisms to multiply (that cause diseases).

Because organic waste is allowed to decompose underground, without exposure to oxygen, methanogens and other microorganisms produce significant quantities of gases such as methane, CO (greenhouse gases) or toxic gases such as benzene, trichloroethylene, etc., which can aggravate the greenhouse effect and global climate change.[8]​.

During accidental or arson fires in these landfills, chlorinated products are released into the atmosphere as they burn, some as toxic as dioxins, declared carcinogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite efforts to recover materials contained in waste, landfills are still necessary as infrastructure for waste disposal.

The reduction of environmental impacts, previously noted, can be achieved by designing landfills in such a way as to avoid contamination of the environment in which they are located.

In this sense, measures must be taken to waterproof landfills and install leachate collection systems, so that contamination of water and soil is avoided.

Some impacts of landfills can also be prevented through recovery systems for biogas produced in the decomposition of organic matter and through oxidation systems.[9]​.

A solution to eliminate the problems of both biogas emissions and highly contaminated leachate is biological mechanical treatment which, in addition to the elimination of biogas and leachate contamination, significantly reduces the volume to be confined and opens the option of making profits with the certification and commercialization of carbon credits.

A landfill is a place intended for the final disposal of waste or garbage, in which multiple measures are intended to be taken to reduce the problems generated by another method of garbage treatment such as landfills. These measures are, for example, the meticulous study of environmental, economic and social impact from the planning and choice of the place to the monitoring and study of the place throughout the life of the landfill.

To build a sanitary landfill, it is important to select the land that meets adequate technical conditions such as: topography, level of groundwater and availability of material to cover the garbage.

In a landfill, as the garbage is placed, it is compacted with machinery and covered with a layer of earth and other materials to later cover it with a layer of earth that is around 40 cm thick and on top of it deposit another layer of garbage and so on until the landfill is considered saturated.

It is an engineering method for the disposal of solid waste on the ground in a way that protects the environment, by spreading the waste in small layers, compacting it to the smallest practical volume and covering it with soil at the end of the work day, preventing adverse effects on the environment.

There are two landfills to manage urban solid waste: the uncontrolled landfills (in some places they remain in force) are the most primitive. The danger lies in the pollution they produce, due to their leaching, in the water layers, in nearby rivers or lakes and also in the soil. Controlled landfills represent a great advance in the management of this waste. There the discharges are compacted and arranged between layers of soil; Vents are left for the gases that originate from putrefaction and precautions are taken for the collection and purification of leachate. Some archaeological investigations of landfills show that the biodegradation of waste occurs at longer rates of time than expected, because landfills are better equipped to preserve their contents than to decompose them. worldwide.[11]​.

Furthermore, as a way to minimize the environmental impact and as an implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, landfills include treatment of leachates, which are the liquids produced by garbage, burning of decomposition gases, mainly methane, reforestation plans in the landfill area and odor control. Because untreated confined waste contains a high potential danger to the environment (damage to the waterproofing over time), Europe already has regulations that require waste treatment before confinement to eliminate its potential danger to both the environment and human health.

Contenido

Los vertederos tienen el potencial de causar una serie de problemas. Se pueden producir interrupciones en la infraestructura, como daños en las vías de acceso por parte de vehículos pesados. La contaminación de las carreteras locales y los cursos de agua por las ruedas de los vehículos cuando salen del vertedero puede ser significativa y puede mitigarse con sistemas de lavado de ruedas"). También puede ocurrir la contaminación del medio ambiente local, como la contaminación de aguas subterráneas o acuíferos o contaminación del suelo.

Leachate

When precipitation falls into open landfills, water seeps through the trash and becomes contaminated with suspended and dissolved material, forming leachate. If not contained, it can contaminate groundwater. All modern landfills use a combination of impermeable liners several meters thick, geologically stable sites, and collection systems to contain and capture this leachate. It can then be treated and evaporated. Once a landfill is full, it is sealed to prevent the entry of precipitation and the formation of new leachate. However, coatings must have a useful life of either several hundred years or more. At some point, any landfill liner could leak,[12]​ therefore the soil around landfills should be tested for leachate to prevent contaminants from contaminating groundwater.

decomposition gases

Rotting food and other decaying organic waste create decomposition gases, especially CO and CH from aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, respectively. Both processes occur simultaneously in different parts of a landfill. In addition to available O, the fraction of gas constituents will vary depending on the age of the landfill, the type of waste, the moisture content, and other factors. For example, the maximum amount of landfill gas produced can be illustrated with a simplified net diethyl oxalate reaction that accounts for these simultaneous reactions:[13]​.

4 CHO + 6 HO → 13 CH + 11 CO.

On average, about half of the volumetric concentration of landfill gas is CH and slightly less than half is CO. The gas also contains about 5% molecular nitrogen (N), less than 1% hydrogen sulfide (HS), and a low concentration of non-methane organic compounds (NMOC), around 2700 ppmv.[13]​.

Landfill gases can leak out of the landfill and into the surrounding air and soil. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and it is flammable and potentially explosive at certain concentrations, making it perfect for burning to generate electricity cleanly. Since decomposing plant matter and food waste only release carbon that has been captured from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, no new carbon enters the carbon cycle and the atmospheric CO concentration is not affected. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.[14] In properly managed landfills, the gas is collected and burned or recovered to use landfill gas.

Vectors

Poorly managed landfills can become nuisances due to vectors such as rats and flies that can spread infectious diseases. The appearance of such vectors can be mitigated by the use of daily coverage.

Other discomforts

Other potential problems include disruption to wildlife due to habitat occupation[15]​ and disruption to animal health caused by consumption of landfill waste,[16]​ dust, odor, noise pollution and reduced local property values.