Assessment of Landfills and their Impact on the Soil: a Local Study in Ukraine

Abstract

Landfills are widely utilised for waste disposal due to their economic advantages and ease of implementation compared to alternative methods. However, landfills exert significant environmental and health impacts on adjacent agricultural land. Accumulation of heavy metals in soil is a risk to ecological and food safety. Methodological approaches to assess and mitigate the impact of landfills on agricultural land are essential for ensuring sustainable land use practices and safeguarding human health. In this study, landfills were assessed at the local level, and the hazard level was classified according to it. A set of priority measures for restoring technogenic disturbed areas and minimising their impact on agricultural land was determined. The need to select a set of innovative, ecologically oriented methods for remediation of landfills, depending on the type and degree of soil contamination, was identified in context of ensuring environmental and food security.