Chapter 6.

6
Land disposal

TRP Chapter 6.6 1

Structure of chapter
Introduction
Part A: Key principles of a landfill site
Part B: Handling industrial wastes in
municipal landfills as an interim
solution - Co-disposal
Part C: Purpose-designed industrial
waste landfill sites
TRP Chapter 6.6 2

Introduction: Current status of

landfill
Many industrialising countries are still practising
open dumping
Uncontrolled disposal of hazardous waste on
municipal and sanitary landfills
Many sites are unlined, with little management of
landfill gas or treatment of leachate
Poor operational standards of sites poses threats
to public health and environment
Short term priorities:
to raise standards
eliminate uncontrolled dumping

Long term:
some land disposal will still be needed

TRP Chapter 6.6 3

Risks of uncontrolled landfill

Leachate leakage into groundwater or rivers
Contaminated surface water run-off into soil,
watercourses
Uncontrolled burning
Gas migration into soil and air
Landslip of unstable wastes
Flies and vermin
Dust and odours
Poor disposal practices can cause:
harm to human health - workers, site
neighbours and scavengers
damage to flora
explosions and fires

TRP Chapter 6.6 4

Risk mitigation
Measures to mitigate risks include:
prohibition of certain wastes
proper site selection
waste compaction and daily cover
landfill liners
gas & leachate collection/treatment
design & engineering to control waste
deposition, water ingress

TRP Chapter 6.6 5

Uncontrolled landfill: landslip

Payatas dumpsite, Philippines 2000

Source: http://www.dr-koelsch.de/html/payatas__gb_.html

TRP Chapter 6.6 6

Need to raise standards

Chemical fire on European dump site 1993 - example of the

risks of mixing hazardous wastes with MSW
Source: David C Wilson

TRP Chapter 6.6 7

Part A:
Key principles of a landfill site

TRP Chapter 6.6 8

Stages in improving landfills

Sanitary
landfill

Industrial
waste landfill

Semi controlled landfill

Designated dump

Open dump

Engineering & operational

control measures in
place
Site supervised; controls
over wastes accepted/
waste placement; periodic
waste cover
Dumping kept within
designated area; no
control over operation
No controls

TRP Chapter 6.6 9

Components of a well-managed
landfill operation
Well chosen, properly designed site
Bottom liner - to protect soil and groundwater
Leachate collection and treatment - to prevent
contamination of groundwater
Gas management - to prevent damage to soil and
escape to air
Waste placement in cells - for operational control and
to reduce rainfall infiltration
Waste compaction - to limit access by vermin and to
reduce risk of fires
Daily and intermediate cover
Final cover
TRP Chapter 6.6 10

Choosing a site
In a depression
- preferred

On level ground

On a slope

TRP Chapter 6.6 11

Improving municipal landfill

practice:
site considerations
Need to take into account:
geological & hydrological characteristics
eg drinking water sources in vicinity,
areas liable to flooding or erosion
proximity to urban areas
Preferred sites may include:
sites containing thick clay layer
sites above unusable groundwater

TRP Chapter 6.6 12

Siting a landfill: example

Solid waste management for economically developing countries, ISWA, 1996

Suitable for site with:

level land surface
low groundwater table
soil layer thicker than 2 metres

TRP Chapter 6.6 13

Site design - liner systems

Single liner
Clay or synthetic liner

Composite or double lined

One clay liner and one synthetic liner

Two synthethetic liners

Liner selection criteria:

Cost
Local geology and hydrogeology
Availability of appropriate materials
Desired degree of protection against leachate escape
Liner durability

TRP Chapter 6.6 14

Site design - liner materials

Natural lining materials
Clay
Bentonite liners
Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA)

Synthetic lining materials

Polyethylene
- HDPE
- LDPE
Polyvinyl chlorine (PVC)
Chlorinated polyethylene

TRP Chapter 6.6 15

Cross-section of multiple liner system

Geotextile filter
Stone/ gravel layer
Primary
geomembrane layer

Secondary
leachate
collection layer
acts as leak
detection

Secondary
geomembrane layer
Primary and
secondary leachate
collection piping

Compacted clay

TRP Chapter 6.6 16

Site design - leachate control

Drainage pipes in a composite liner system

Source: Landfill of hazardous wastes, Technical report No 17, UNEP

TRP Chapter 6.6 17

Site design - landfill gas management

Gas monitoring by:

Gas end uses:

surface and sub-surface

monitoring

Fuel eg in vehicles, boilers,

kilns & furnaces

excavated pits
boreholes and wells

Power eg gas turbines,

diesel engines

Gas components Typical values %

Methane
63.8
Carbon dioxide
33.6
Nitrogen
2.4
Oxygen
0.16
Hydrogen
0.05
Other trace gases

Risks
Explosion
Asphyxiation
Fire
Toxicity

TRP Chapter 6.6 18

Site preparation

Fencing to control accessTRP Chapter 6.6 19

Site operation
Key factors:
Waste placement in cells
Waste compaction
Daily and intermediate cover
Final cover

TRP Chapter 6.6 20

Cellular structure

Source: ISWA, Solid waste management for economically developing countries, 1996

TRP Chapter 6.6 21

Waste compaction

Maximises void space

Reduces risk of fires in waste
Deters vermin

TRP Chapter 6.6 22

Purpose
of
cover

Improves site appearance

Minimises wind-blown litter
Reduces landfill odours
Inhibits colonisation by vermin & vectors
Reduces rainwater infiltration thus reducing leachate
Controls gas and leachate migration
Reduces soil erosion

TRP Chapter 6.6 23

Final cover
Final cover must be:
durable
weather resistant
flexible
regularly inspected & maintained
Vegetation

Aims:
to stabilise site
improve its
appearance
enable postclosure use

Top cover
Drainage layer
Clay layer

TRP Chapter 6.6 24

Completed landfill - cross section

TRP Chapter 6.6 25

Part B:
Handling industrial wastes in
municipal landfills as an interim
solution - Co-disposal

TRP Chapter 6.6 26

Basic requirements for co-disposal

Control the waste that comes in
require pretreatment of some wastes
exclude some wastes eg flammable liquids
test wastes
keep detailed records
Improve waste reception and handling systems
Employ skilled, trained staff

TRP Chapter 6.6 27

Testing and record keeping

Important to know what is being handled
A testing and record keeping regime should be
introduced when upgrading an existing site or
starting a new one
Enables detailed tracking of wastes from point of
generation to location in completed site
Hazardous wastes should be tested:
prior to acceptance to ensure appropriate disposal and
waste compatibility
again on delivery to verify composition
Waste details must be recorded and records stored safely
Records should provide:
details of sources - waste generator, transport contractor
composition, form and quantity of wastes
date of placement
exact location in site

TRP Chapter 6.6 28

Compatibility of hazardous wastes

One of the reasons for
upgrading is to reduce
the potential for harm
from the uncontrolled
mixing of incompatible
hazardous wastes

TRP Chapter 6.6 29

Co-disposal
Co-disposal is the disposal of selected hazardous
wastes with other heterogeneous wastes such as
biodegradable municipal solid waste, industrial &
commercial wastes
it takes place in properly managed sanitary landfill
it is a highly skilled and technically controlled operation
it is suitable for selected solid and sludge wastes at controlled
rates of application
it uses the physical, chemical and biological processes
within an MSW landfill to treat hazardous constituents
it is not the same as uncontrolled mixing of hazardous wastes
and MSW

TRP Chapter 6.6 30

Co-disposal - considerations &

status
Co-disposal needs great care because:
both hazardous wastes and MSW are variable and
complex
it is difficult to predict chemical & biological
reactions
Co-disposal:

has been discredited by uncontrolled past practice

has been widely practised in parts of Europe eg UK
is being phased out under EU Landfill Directive requirements
is worth considering as short-medium term option
is better than uncontrolled disposal

TRP Chapter 6.6 31

Wastes suitable for co-disposal

Bottom ash from waste incineration

Contaminated soils
Heavy metal hydroxides (pH > 8)
Slag, bitumen waste
Oil sludges, paint sludges, tannery sludges

AVOID aqueous wastes, bulk liquid wastes

AVOID mixing incompatible wastes
CHECK wastes compatible with liner material

TRP Chapter 6.6 32

Co-disposal - maximum
concentrations
Waste

Concentration

Acid wastes

0.1m3 acid / tonne of MSW

Heavy metals waste

100g soluble chromium, copper, lead,

arsenic, nickel or zinc /tonne of MSW
10g cadmium / tonne of MSW
2g soluble mercury / tonne of MSW

Phenolic wastes

2kg of total phenols / tonne of MSW

Cyanide wastes

1g/ tonne of MSW

Total organic carbon

5kg / tonne of MSW

Oil, grease and

2.5 kg waste/ tonne of MSW

hydrocarbon wastes
Source: World Bank Technical paper 93

TRP Chapter 6.6 33

Components of a well-managed
co-disposal operation
A continuing supply of municipal waste
Trained operational manager and staff
Sufficient mobile equipment for site preparation
No scavenging should be permitted
No direct burning of waste on site
Ensure only suitable waste types are deposited need to test all wastes prior to acceptance
Check and record waste types and their origin at
the site entrance
Supervised disposal at landfill face or in trenches
or pits dug into MSW at least 6 months old
Regular inspections on site
TRP Chapter 6.6 34

Co-disposal site infrastructure 1

Separate areas of landfill should used for
different hazardous waste types
Roadways should be clearly signposted
Trenches should be clearly marked and fenced
Wheel cleaners should be provided for vehicle
entrance and exit
Laboratory facilities should be available on site
for simple analysis
Holding area is needed for lorries to be checked
Storage area

TRP Chapter 6.6 35

Co-disposal site infrastructure 2

Area for future co-disposal

in trenches

Source: World Bank Technical Paper No 93

TRP Chapter 6.6 36

Hazardous waste placement practicalities

At landfill face:
suitable only for small quantities of solid waste
Trenches or pits dug into MSW:
MSW at least 6 months old
thick layer of MSW below pit
cover after deposit
for particuarly difficult wastes, seal pit after
each deposit
all operations must be supervised

TRP Chapter 6.6 37

Co-disposal case study

Asbestos waste
Aim:
Containment, preventing human contact with, or
airborne release of, asbestos
Process:
All wastes must be delivered in double-wrapped, sealed bags
or containers
No mechanical handling or compaction which may damage
containment
Pits should be excavated in advance
Bags/containers should be placed into pit
Pit covered and sealed immediately
Location recorded to prevent future re-excavation

TRP Chapter 6.6 38

Part C:
Purpose-designed industrial waste
landfill sites

TRP Chapter 6.6 39

Option 1: multi-disposal
Requires secure landfill site dedicated to disposal
of hazardous waste
Site must be:
Highly engineered
Have discrete cells for different waste types, separated
by barriers
Designed to:
resist leakage
segregate incompatible wastes
contain waste in a safe manner
prohibit contact between landfill contents and
surrounding environment

Method commonly used in USA

TRP Chapter 6.6 40

Wastes suitable for disposal in

multi-disposal site
Drummed and bulky solids
Pretreated sludges
Metal-finishing wastes eg lead-, chromium-,
copper- and nickel-bearing wastes
Contaminated soils
Incinerator ash

TRP Chapter 6.6 41

Multi-disposal site design

Source: Hazardous wastes, sources, pathways, receptors, Richard J. Watts, 1997

TRP Chapter 6.6 42

Multi-disposal site operation

Check waste compatibility
Control types of HW waste to be buried
Place chemical HW in groups of stacked
containers
Separate cells from each other by fill
Record different HW types and their origin
Devise emergency plan for spills and accidents
Require the use of heavy machinery
Provide training for all personnel
Ensure health and safety of operators
TRP Chapter 6.6 43

Section through multi-disposal site

Source ???
TRP Chapter 6.6 44

Option 2: Secure landfill of

stabilised wastes
Driven by regulations
Accepts only cement-stabilised wastes,
possibly certain other solid wastes
Simplifies management
Enables higher level of regulatory control
Standard practice in EU and increasingly in
other countries

TRP Chapter 6.6 45

Basic principles of secure landfill

of stabilised wastes
Similar to sanitary landfill:
engineered, lined, top cover
cellular design/layout
Each cell filled with stabilised waste
Examples of secure landfill for stabilised
hazardous waste include:
Ratchaburi secure landfill, Thailand
Capacity 100,000 tonnes of HW
Shenzhen secure landfill, China
Capacity 23,000 cubic metres of HW

TRP Chapter 6.6 46

Adaptation of secure landfill of

stabilised hazardous wastes
Relies on structural properties of stabilised
waste
Cement-stabilised wastes built up either in
discrete blocks or monolithic celluar hills
Each batch left for a period to monitor
structural strength before continuing to build
the landfill

TRP Chapter 6.6 47

Option 3: The ultimate landfill

Consists of:
lined concrete basin
movable roof
wastes placed by overhead
crane
may accept a variety of solid
wastes
each cell topped by concrete
Pictures show AVR site
in The Netherlands

TRP Chapter 6.6 48

Chapter 6.6 Summary

Need to control landfill, to mitigate risks open dumping not acceptable
Stages in upgrading and design, and
operational standards necessary
Co-disposal as an interim solution - requires
good management, skilled staff
Purpose-designed landfill for hazardous
wastes

TRP Chapter 6.6 49