Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy
Metals from Bhalaswa Landfill,
New Delhi, India
Balsher Singh Sidhu, Dikshant Sharma, Tushar Tuteja, Smit Gupta,
and Arun Kumar
Introduction
A landfill is the most common method of organized waste disposal, and in developing
countries like India, landfills continue to be the most commonly practised form of
municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal due to their economic advantages. Bhalaswa
landfill site, located in north-eastern part of Delhi, came into operation in 1993. It
has an area of 21.06 acres; this land was once used for sugar cane plantation. About
6 ha is devoted to a composting facility. This is an unlined landfill, and only has a
layer of waste construction material topped with soil instead of a layer of plastic
required for a secure landfill. Approximately, 2,200 tonnes of MSW is buried in the
landfill every day. The landfill has already reached about 22 m of height, and is past
its closure date of November 2009. A very pertinent danger to human health from
landfills such as Bhalaswa is the domestic use of groundwater that has been
contaminated by leachate. Contaminants are leached from the solid waste as water
percolates through the landfill and mixes with ground water. The heavy metals
usually pose a threat in a landfill when they enter the leachate. The motivation for
this study was the fact that the health risk posed by heavy metals is serious, and
requires immediate remedial measures.
Methodology
The risk assessment study was done using a five-step approach. First, the hazard
was identified by defining the harmful contaminants and their corresponding health
effects. Next, exposure assessment was done in which the concentration of the
Search WWH ::
Custom Search