What do landfills affect

Eighty percent of waste is dumped in open landfills near our rivers, lakes, and oceans posing serious risks to people, animals, and the environment. Recycling has helped. Other landfill solutions are being explored, including landfill alternatives and finding ways to divert waste from landfills, and these alternatives offer real promise.

Modern landfills are, according to the EPA , well-engineered facilities designed to protect us against toxic contaminants. Older and inactive landfills, many of which are now covered by public parks and other structures, are another story.

While experts have long focused on the carbon dioxide emissions landfills give off, an increased focus on climate change has given rise to worries about the effects of methane. Landfills produce millions of cubic feet of methane gas each day.

Landfill methane is a natural result of the decomposition of organic materials and is invisible. Problems result when methane leaks into the air before being captured and used for things like natural gas. In the U. Although other chemicals may have been present in the air, many of these effects are consistent with exposure to hydrogen sulfide.

Methane is the major component of natural gas. It is highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air if it concentrates in an enclosed space with poor ventilation. Landfill gas explosions are not common occurrences. Methane and carbon dioxide are colorless, odorless gases that can displace oxygen in enclosed spaces. Health effects associated with both methane and carbon dioxide result from the lack of oxygen rather than direct exposure to these gases.

Health effects caused by a reduced oxygen level include a faster heartbeat and having to take deeper breaths, similar to the effects felt after vigorous exercise. These effects have rarely been reported from landfills. When landfills have reached the maximum amount of waste they can hold, several feet of cover material are placed over the landfill mass. Gas collection wells are then installed throughout the capped landfill.

These wells are made of perforated pipes which give the gas an easy path to move vertically to the surface rather than laterally outward toward off-site locations e. As the gases enter these wells they are either vented into the outdoor air, passed through a flame and broken down by burning, passed through a filter, or used in an energy recovery program. Landfill gas vents need to be kept drained and clear of obstructions such as snow and debris. Older landfills and smaller dumps may not have gas control measures.

Changes also occur in local species, with some mammals and birds being replaced by species that feed on refuse, such as rats and crows. Vegetation changes also occur, regardless of the duration of the landfill site, as some plant species are replaced by others. As rain falls on landfill sites, organic and inorganic constituents dissolve, forming highly toxic chemicals leaching into groundwater.

Water that rinses through these chemicals collects at the base of the landfill and usually contains high levels of toxic metals, ammonia, toxic organic compounds and pathogens.

This can result in serious contamination of the local groundwater. Even more dangers, this mixture usually creates a high biological oxygen demand, meaning it can quickly de-oxygenate water. If or when these noxious chemicals reach rivers or lakes, it could result in the death of aquatic life.

The mixture of toxic substances and decaying organic material can impact the soil quality of the areas surrounding a landfill site. This can compound the effects on biodiversity as local vegetation may cease to grow and be permanently altered. Landfill sites impact the natural landscape: they stink, they are trashy looking and a become a bacteria breeding ground.

This removes the oxygen and causes it to break down in an anaerobic process. Eventually this releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The implications for global warming and climate change are enormous. Methane is also a flammable gas that can become dangerous if allowed to build up in concentration.

Composting your food scraps and green waste in a compost bin eliminates many of these problems. Apart from the financial costs, garbage buried in landfill breaks down at a very slow rate and remains a problem for future generations.