Characteristics and Impact Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Landfilling and open dumping have been the most widely used municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies over the past decades due to lower costs and less treatment efforts. However, landfilling continues to be an acceptable final disposal strategy for MSW. Non-sanitary landfill sites (lacking modern environmental technology) that rely on direct landfilling without waste pre-treatment pose a significant threat to the entire ecosystem. Many of these sites are situated in environments adjacent to residential districts or water bodies, affecting the local environment and population health. The assessment of the environmental impact of landfills is thus a key issue in the literature that has recently received more attention as a result of growing environmental concerns. This chapters reviews the major impacts due to waste mismanagement worldwide, particularly in developing countries where the unsustainable management of solid waste is common. Potential analytes and composition found in MSW landfills and their related risk assessment are also highlighted in this book chapter with a focus on heavy metals accumulation. This narrative literature review assessed global issues due to improper waste management and showing how potential contaminants found within landfills waste can affect the environment and human health. It can also be of reference for scholars and stakeholders to evaluate and estimate the potential risk posed by poor MSW management in order to improve sustainability at a global level.