| The Landfill Leachate Problem |
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Landfill leachate is a term that describes the liquid that leaches down through a landfill. This liquid can come from the waste buried in the landfill or from rainwater that percolates down through the soil covering the waste. In either case, the liquid can contain a toxic brew of chemicals from the buried waste. Why Is Landfill Leachate A Problem?Leachate can often find it's way into the underlying groundwater where 40% - 90% of our drinking water comes from. For this reason, it's important to keep the landfill leachate from making it's way into the water table under the landfill. Until recently, most landfills were built without any attempt at constructing a waterproof barrier under the layer of waste. Clay landfill covers were used to cover the waste and prevent rainwater from seeping in. However, they haven't proven to be very durable and many are cracking and letting leachate percolate freely down through the layers of waste into the groundwater. When this happens, it can pollute an entire area's water supply and must be dealt with. What's The Solution To The Leachate Problem?As so many older landfill deteriorate and new waste is produced at an ever-increasing rate, a good solution to the leachate problem must be found. In some cases, entire landfills have been dug up and a waterproof membrane placed under the waste before covering it back up. In other situations, the entire landfill was trucked to another site. Obviously,neither of these methods are ideal and they are also very expensive, meaning that few rural communities could ever afford such a solution. Can Landfill Leachate Be Stopped By Phytocapping?Phytocapping is showing promise of being a relatively inexpensive way to fix these environmental landfill leachate disasters in a long-lasting and eco-friendly way. By planting a cover of vegetation on a meter-thick layer of soil, the water stays in the root system of the plants and evaporates up through the soil and plants, never even reaching the buried waste.  More information on landfill leachate
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