S.P. JEYAPRIYA AND M.K. SASEETHARAN
Abstract
Dumping of solid wastes on land is a common waste disposal method and practiced almost by all the cities around the globe. Precipitation that infiltrates through the municipal solid waste leach the constituents from the decomposed waste mass and while moving down causes the subsurface soil to be contaminated by organic and inorganic solutes. In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the impact of municipal soild waste on the properties of soil at a landfill site at Vellalore, Coimbatore city. Soil profile pits were excavated before and after refuse emplacement. Results were compared for the physical, physico-chemical and chemical properties of soil after placing the solid wastes with that before placing the solid wastes. The study indicates that dumping of solid wastes has altered the color and texture of the receiving soil with increase in physico-chemical and chemical constituents. It was found that increase in organic matter content and interactions of the metals with the organic content (adsorption and complex formation) are the reasons for high values of the tested constituents in soil after the refuse is dumped in soil.