Landfills are a necessary evil that only deserves to be properly managed in order to avoid related problems. Human life will be more difficult without places they could dump their waste, especially given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) puts the rate of average dumping at 4.5 per person. Landfills are directly related to population, in that, as the population grows, landfills increase in number and size. Other than the fact that human beings are generally not willing to live near them, landfills are also very ugly and cause environmental problems. These problems occur through Leachate, Toxins, and Greenhouse gases. The problems can be farther classified into hydrological and atmospheric. Landfills are helpful in making human life comfortable. Therefore, the negative effects of landfills can be considered as the cost of the comfort that people derive from the landfills.
Most of the waste dumped into landfills contain toxic materials that eventually reach the important components of the environment, (Okvat and Alex 374). When the toxic materials reach the underground water and the soil, they become environmental hazards, (Frändegård, et al. 24). A good example is electronic waste which contains toxic materials. When electronic waste is dumped in the landfills, these toxic materials will eventually reach the soil and underground water. Waste in the landfills may also break down and lead to other forms of environmental hazards. When the waste breaks down and water filters through the waste, it forms the liquid form of toxic waste referred to as Leachates. Leachate is a highly toxic liquid that could flow into the water and soil leading to pollution.
Another form of environmental hazard that emanates from the landfills is the Greenhouse gas emission problem. The main method of maintaining a landfill is compacting and covering, (Mazzanti 563). This implies that the organic materials are compacted and covered in a landfill. The removal of oxygen and increased pressure caused by this process leads to other forms of processes which are anaerobic. The anaerobic processes lead to the emission of Methane gas, which is worse that carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming and climate change. Unlike Carbon Dioxide, Methane is flammable, which makes it even more dangerous when it builds into concentrated amounts, (Mazzanti 563). This can lead to another set of Landfill problems including Landfill fires. The fires may destroy property and habitats and may lead to the pollution of water and air. Landfill fires are caused by Methane and are very difficult to put out because of the accessibility.
Yet another problem caused by landfills emanates from the process of creating and covering the landfills, (Okvat and Alex 374). The process of creating a landfill may involve covering of the landfill with soil and seeding it with grass. Sometimes, the landfills are transformed into recreational areas to make better use of the land. The creativity of this procedure leads to the development of a new façade in the area of the landfill. However, the decomposition that continues to happen under the new façade leads to the emission of the gases whose control remains one of the major problems of dealing with the landfills. Another problem directly linked with decomposition is the fact that some components of the waste may decompose within few days while some may take millions of years to decompose. The cost associated with the landfills may last for the millions of years the landfill will be in existence.
Hydrological problems associated with the landfills include the toxic leachate made up of chemicals from the different sources of the waste. Some of the sources include industry solvents and home-cleaning chemicals, (Frändegård, et al. 24). The hydrological effects affect the soil, water, and animals. The biggest concern is on the animals that come into direct contact with the toxic wastes. Atmospheric problems, on the other hand, refer to the gases including Methane and Carbon Dioxide produced from the landfills, (Mazzanti 563). When the gases make their way into the atmosphere, this is considered an environmental hazard. The gases may cause problems like bad odor, fire, climate change, and global warming. The presence of this gases and other non-chemical contaminants that emanate from the landfills causes air quality concerns.
Conclusion
The popularity of recycling has brought about a new means of eliminating landfill problems. Some problems like gas emission and toxic products released from the landfills are completely avoidable. For these reasons, companies are looking at landfills as goldmines for the materials that had been earlier compost and covered in landfills. As much as landfills are important for waste disposal, they also posse environmental hazards that need to be addressed. These environmental concerns can be addressed through strict following of EPA guidance and tips on lessening a person’s contribution to environmental hazards. It is also important to consider recycling the recyclable materials and to separate such materials from organic ones. This is because, as described above, chemicals produced from this materials are toxic and others contribute to the anaerobic processes that lead to gas emissions. Generally, landfills bring both harm and good to the environment.
Work Cited:
Frändegård, Per, et al. "A novel approach for environmental evaluation of landfill mining." Journal of Cleaner Production 55 (2013): 24-34.
Mazzanti, Massimiliano, Anna Montini, and Francesco Nicolli. "Waste dynamics in economic and policy transitions: decoupling, convergence and spatial effects." Journal of environmental planning and management 55.5 (2012): 563-581.
Okvat, Heather A., and Alex J. Zautra. "Community gardening: a parsimonious path to individual, community, and environmental resilience." American journal of community psychology 47.3-4 (2011): 374-387.
