Landfill Leachate and Ecotoxicity

Leachate is wastewater generated in sanitary landfills, resulting from the degradation of solid waste, with a high polluting potential for water bodies. The ecotoxicological assessment of this effluent is essential to determine the impact of its pollutants on the aquatic ecosystem. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the acute toxic effects caused by some pollutants measured by the parameters total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total alkalinity, humic substances (HS), and chloride present in the leachates from different landfills in Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil). The test organisms evaluated represented different trophic levels of the food chain: Vibrio fischeri, Danio rerio, Daphnia similis, activated sludge microorganisms and Artemia sp. Ecotoxicity results for the selective removal of pollutants from the leachate, such as air-stripping and membrane filtration experiments, are presented. The obtained data were evaluated by principal components analysis methodology. This study highlights the importance of toxicity assessment for landfill leachates and choosing suitable test organisms.