We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Generation mechanisms, environmental behaviors, and treatment technologies of conventional and emerging contaminants in landfill leachate: A review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review systematically examines the generation, environmental behavior, and treatment of both conventional and emerging contaminants — including microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals — in landfill leachate, which poses major risks to surrounding soil and groundwater when improperly managed.
Landfill leachate, derived from municipal solid waste landfills, is generated by external factors (e.g., rainfall erosion, solar radiation) and internal processes (e.g., physical sedimentation, chemical reactions, biodegradation). With high concentrations of heavy metals, organic pollutants, pathogens, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotics, this highly toxic effluent seriously threatens surrounding environments (soil, groundwater, etc.) and human health if improperly discharged/leaked. Thus, this paper systematically reviews the generation mechanisms, environmental behaviors, and treatment technologies of conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, BOD5, ammonia nitrogen) and emerging contaminants (e.g., MPs, PFASs, PPCPs) in leachate. To date, various technologies (e.g., adsorption, AOPs, microbial treatment, phytoremediation) have been developed to reduce leachate ecotoxicity and meet discharge standards: membrane separation and AOPs perform well among physicochemical methods, while anaerobic-aerobic coupled systems and constructed wetlands excel in biological approaches. However, leachate composition is highly heterogeneous (pollutant types/concentrations affected by landfill age, climate, etc.), greatly challenging treatment efficiency—this reduces conventional process effectiveness and raises operational time/costs. Thus, future research should focus on developing efficient, low-consumption collaborative systems, optimizing process combinations, and enhancing leachate full-life-cycle management to support sustainable landfill environmental governance. • Landfill leachate exhibits high heterogeneity, emerging contaminants (MPs, PFAS, PPCPs) pose significant challenges. • Integrated physicochemical-biological systems demonstrate superior efficiency, combining membrane separation, advanced oxidation, and microbial-plant synergies. • Membrane technologies and advanced oxidation processes are preferred for high-concentration organic and refractory pollutant removal, though fouling and energy costs remain limitations.
More Papers Like This
Sources, distribution, and impacts of emerging contaminants – a critical review on contamination of landfill leachate
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how landfill leachate, the liquid that drains from garbage dumps, carries emerging contaminants including microplastics into surrounding soil and water. The authors warn that microplastics in landfill leachate are a growing environmental threat and call for better treatment technologies to prevent contamination of groundwater and nearby ecosystems.
Microplastics as emergent contaminants in landfill leachate: Source, potential impact and remediation technologies
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how landfills generate microplastics as buried plastic waste gradually degrades from physical, chemical, and biological processes. These microplastics enter the environment through leachate, the contaminated liquid that seeps from landfills into surrounding soil and groundwater. The authors evaluate current remediation technologies and highlight the need for better landfill management to reduce this growing source of microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in landfill and leachate: Occurrence, environmental behavior and removal strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics form and accumulate in landfills and their leachate, which is the liquid that drains from waste sites. Researchers found that landfill leachate is an overlooked source of microplastic pollution that can carry toxic substances and antibiotic resistance genes into the surrounding environment. The study evaluates current removal strategies and calls for better treatment systems to prevent microplastic contamination from waste disposal sites.
Microplastics in landfill leachate: Sources, abundance, characteristics, remediation approaches and future perspective
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the sources, abundance, and characteristics of microplastics found in landfill leachate, a difficult-to-treat waste liquid that can carry pollutants into the environment. The authors highlight the urgent need for standardized microplastic analysis methods and more research into cost-effective approaches for removing microplastics from leachate before it reaches waterways.
Occurrence of per- and polyfluorinated substances, microplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products as emerging contaminants in landfill leachate: A review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how landfill leachate -- the liquid that seeps out of waste dumps -- contains significant levels of emerging contaminants including PFAS ("forever chemicals"), microplastics, and pharmaceutical residues. These pollutants can leak into groundwater and surface water at concentrations influenced by landfill age and composition, posing ongoing risks to drinking water safety and human health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.