The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 17 No 1 (2013): 24 – 29

 

 

 

LEACHATE CHARACTERIZATION FROM A CLOSED LANDFILL IN AIR HITAM, PUCHONG, MALAYSIA

 

(Pencirian Air Larut Resap dari Tapak Pelupusan Ditutup Air Hitam, Puchong, Malaysia)

 

Nur Fatin Dahlia Mat Salleh^1*, Ku Halim Ku Hamid²

 

¹Faculty of Applied Sciences,

²Faculty of Chemical Engineering,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: fatin_dahlia@hotmail.com

 

 

Abstract

Leachate, wastewater that was collected from landfill is known to have pungent smell and may impose serious harm to human health and the environment. Air Hitam, Puchong Sanitary Landfill has stopped its land filling operation since December 2006 and is under post-closure maintenance stages. After several years of stopping its operation, a landfill will still produce leachate hence it needs constant monitoring and maintenance. The main aim of this paper was to characterize leachate produced from Air Hitam, Puchong Closed Landfill, according to several important parameters: pH, temperature, chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄-N), total organic carbon (TOC), total solids, volatile organic acids (VOA) and heavy metals content, to determine its suitability in producing methane by identifying its phase. Leachate samples were drawn weekly for a period of 3 months from three different ponds, untreated raw leachate pond 1 and treated leachate pond 2 and 3. Results obtained showed that the average values were around 25°C, average pH 8, highest COD reading was 5,248 mg/L, TOC highest at 6,797 mg/L, VOA highest at 1,424 mg/L and ammoniacal content of 3.10 mg/L the highest.

 

Keywords: Leachate, characterization, closed landfill, COD, Air Hitam sanitary landfill

 

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