Problems
"Landfills are the fourth largest source of warming gas in the US" (Intergoverment Panel Of Climate Change). Global warming is not just a problem in the US it is a worldwide crisis. Methane, created in landfills generates one of the most devastating warming gases in the world. Methane is fuelling climate change. Landfill gas is produced when bacteria breaks down the trash. Other gases are also produced such as ammonia, sulfide and carbon dioxide. Another name for these gasses is greenhouse gases. Toxins are also a major problem to the world from landfills. Toxins can be found in waste materials, especially electronic waste. They pose a threat if they leak into natural soil or if they reach the underground water and drinking supply. By getting in the soil and water, toxins can kill plants, animals and potentially humans. Leachate is a highly toxic liquid produced when water passes through the landfills waste layers. Leachate can pollute land or water and can do similar damage to that of toxins. Land consumed by landfills is the last major problem. Landfills consume more and more of the natural environment or space where houses could developed.
Solutions
There are many solutions to problems in landfills but I will address them in order starting with Greenhouse gasses/ landfill gases. A solution to this is to put more covers over the top of the landfills. Landfill gasses must be stopped from reaching the surface and going into the atmosphere. To solve the problem of toxins there is two fairly easy solutions create better bottom liners and repair old ones in order to stop the toxins from reaching the water supply bellow. The other is to constantly monitor the waste for toxins to get rid of them immediately better posing a threat. The same solutions are also apparent for leachate. Also there must be more leachate monitoring systems deployed around the landfill. To stop landfills from growing in size so rapidly we must have a worldwide waste reduction. In order to do this we must educate the general public to recycle, composting, reusing and source reduction. This will slow the growing of landfills and control our need for them.
Summary
To summarise landfills are sites were waste is dumped and buried until it decomposes. Another name for a landfill is dump or tip. Although unlike dumps or tips, landfills are supposed to be regulated and managed on a daily basis in order that pollutions and problems are minimised. The problem is not all landfills do follow these strict rules and some even are unknown and not official to EPA the organisation associated with waste management. Many problems occur in landfills, to name a few leaking, leachate, toxins and greenhouse gases. Some solutions are waste reduction, more recycling, household awareness, and updated laws. As I have just said there are solutions to these problems but we are not yet using them effectively. That is why we must educate everyone about landfills and waste minimisation in order to make a difference.
References
ReferencesAdvanceddisposal.com, (2014). Learn About Landfills. [online] Available at: http://www.advanceddisposal.com/for-mother-earth/education-zone/learn-about-landfills.aspx [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Conserve-Energy-Future, (2014). What is Waste Management and Methods of Waste Disposal? - Conserve Energy Future. [online] Available at: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/waste-management-and-waste-disposal-methods.php [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Environmentvictoria.org.au, (2014). The problem with landfill | Environment Victoria. [online] Available at: http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Ergon.com.au, (2014). Ergon Energy | Landfill. [online] Available at: https://www.ergon.com.au/ergonia/energysources/renewable-energy/landfill [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Gomez, A., Yannarell, A., Sims, G., Cadavid-Restrepo, G. and Moreno Herrera, C. (2011). Characterization of bacterial diversity at different depths in the Moravia Hill landfill site at Medellín, Colombia. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, [online] 43(6), pp.1275-1284. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.018 [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
User, S. (2014). Environmental Landfills problems and solutions. [online] Beyondlandfilling.org. Available at: http://www.beyondlandfilling.org/landfills-problems.html [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Conserve-Energy-Future, (2014). What is Waste Management and Methods of Waste Disposal? - Conserve Energy Future. [online] Available at: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/waste-management-and-waste-disposal-methods.php [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Environmentvictoria.org.au, (2014). The problem with landfill | Environment Victoria. [online] Available at: http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Ergon.com.au, (2014). Ergon Energy | Landfill. [online] Available at: https://www.ergon.com.au/ergonia/energysources/renewable-energy/landfill [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
Gomez, A., Yannarell, A., Sims, G., Cadavid-Restrepo, G. and Moreno Herrera, C. (2011). Characterization of bacterial diversity at different depths in the Moravia Hill landfill site at Medellín, Colombia. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, [online] 43(6), pp.1275-1284. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.018 [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].
User, S. (2014). Environmental Landfills problems and solutions. [online] Beyondlandfilling.org. Available at: http://www.beyondlandfilling.org/landfills-problems.html [Accessed 21 Oct. 2014].