Assessment of microbiological and chemical properties in a municipal landfill area

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the environmental hazards for soils posed by a large municipal landfilll. The concentrations of heavy metals and Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, as well as microbial composition (i.e., mesophilic bacteria, actinomycetes, molds, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Clostridium perfringens) in four soils within and in the vicinity of the landfill were evaluated and compared to waste samples. Both chemical and microbiological analyses revealed only limited contamination of surrounding areas. Although the increased alkalinity of soils was detected, the concentrations of heavy metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) did not exceed the admissible values. All examined microbial groups were abundant in soil and waste. The highest microbial cell numbers were observed in warm summer and spring months. Although the site south of the landfill shows no trace of microbial contamination, pathogenic bacteria were found north of the landfill. This may suggest that there are other, more effective, transmission routes of bacteria than groundwater flow.

Keywords:

• Landfill
• soil contamination
• soil microorganisms
• pathogenic bacteria
• heavy metals