Answers to Current Questions Being Asked About Leachate Treatment

We have compiled a list of the most common questions being asked at the moment about leachate treatment and leachate management for landfill sites. Top of the list of these are:

1. What Is Leachate?
2. What Is A Leachate Attenuation Zone?
3. How To Calculate Leachate Generation?
4. What Are Leachate?
5. What Causes Leachate?

These are all questions which are answered at our main web site at www.leachate.co.uk .

However, to assist our readers I will provide quick answers below:

1.What Is Leachate?

Leachate is the contaminated liquid which runs out of another material, in our case we are talking about landfill leachate, and the dirty water that accumulates in, or runs out of the bottom of, landfill sites.

2. What Is A Leachate Attenuation Zone?

A Leachate Attenuation Zone is a soil material which is only partially permeable through which leachate flows (usually by gravity) and as it flows through slowly it becomes less contaminated ("cleaner"). The reduction in contamination can take place by biological action or by physico-chemical action.

3. How To Calculate Leachate Generation?

This can be difficult and there are several sophisticated water balance modelling softwares which will attempt to do this for you. The problem with using them is in understanding how they work and whether you can trust them to give the right answer. I usually carry out a water balance using  a spreadsheet, on an annualized basis. Contact me if you need assistance with a water balance problem for a landfill at http://ipptsassociates.co.uk/contact/  .

4. What Are Leachate?

Although this comes up as a question a lot online, it is grammatically incorrect and makes no real sense. See answer 1. above.

5. What Causes Leachate?

In modern landfills which do not accept liquids for disposal, it is mostly the organic matter (food scraps, grass mowings etc) which are in a municipal waste landfill which decay to form leachate. During decay, the cells of the organic material rupture and the contents of the cells dissolves in rainfall trickling through the leachate producing a smelly, and quite often black liquid which over time (if left in the landfill) usually turns into an amber liquid which often smells of ammonia, but may just smell "earthy".

For more information about commonly asked leachate questions visit our website at the leachate expert  .