Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Leachate on Ground Water Quality of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India

Anju Anilkumar^1, , Dipu Sukumaran² and Salom Gnana Thanga Vincent¹

¹Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram

²Central Pollution Control Board, Southend Conclave, Rajdanga Main Road, Kolkata

Cite this paper:
Anju Anilkumar, Dipu Sukumaran and Salom Gnana Thanga Vincent. Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Leachate on Ground Water Quality of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2015; 3(5):151-157. doi: 10.12691/aees-3-5-5

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate on ground water quality by using water quality index (WQI) in Thiruvananthapuram corporation area, Kerala, India. Ground water samples were collected from dug wells 1 kilometer around the MSW dumping site and control samples from 10 kilometer away from the site both in two seasons (pre monsoon and post monsoon) for analysis of physicochemical and microbiological parameters. The characteristics of leachate of the MSW were also studied. Ground water near the MSW dumping sites were found to be more polluted than the control sites in both seasons. From this study, it is evident that the leachate from the MSW dumping site plays a major role in polluting the ground water in the area. The nitrate (88 mg/l) and total dissolved solids (TDS) (726 mg/l) concentration in ground water is in alarming state that should be taken into consideration before using for drinking purpose. The ground water near the MSW dumping site was also contaminated by fecal coliform (8 CFU/100ml) which makes unsuitable for drinking purpose.

Keywords:
ground water pollution leachate municipal solid waste water quality index

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