Assessment of Selected Landfill Impacts on Selected Segments of the Environment – A Case Study

Abstract

Landfilling is the oldest method of waste management. A number of biological, chemical, and physical reactions occur at the landfills, which cause a threat to the environment. For this reason, landfill monitoring is necessary, and biomonitoring is increasingly beginning to be used. The aim of this study is to (i) determine some effects of the landfill on the surrounding environment, (ii) analysis of plant bioindicators and (iii) biomonitoring based on the occurrence of plant species producing allergenic pollen. Furthermore, plants producing fruits and seeds were also analysed. During biomonitoring, no serious effects of the landfill on the surrounding environment were detected. The plant species found were evaluated based on the frequency of occurrence, pollination vector, distribution of fruits and seeds, and intensity of allergen effects. Thanks to the occurrence of plant allergens, there is a potential risk of the spread of allergens to the landfill surroundings. Furthermore, some species of non-native and invasive plants were found on the active part of the landfill. These species spread their seeds and fruits, and they pose a potential risk to the ecosystems.

A comprehensive investigation of geoenvironmental pollution and health effects from municipal solid waste landfills

“…Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills play a significant role in waste management systems (He et al, 2022 ; Matheson, 2022 ; Vaverková, 2019 , 2023 ). Nevertheless, landfills, even well-designed and secured, can pose potential risks to both the environment and human health, particularly because of the presence of heavy metals (HMs) in the waste stream (Aendo et al, 2022 ; El Fadili et al, 2022 ; Koda et al, 2020a ; Podlasek et al, 2021 ; Siddiqua et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Considering that landfills may coexist with agricultural areas, the risk of their negative impact on these areas should not be overlooked (Vaverková, 2019 , 2023 ). As reported by Kicińska and Wikar ( 2021 ), increased concentrations of Cr and Ni may be measured in agricultural soils owing to the use of phosphate fertilizers and municipal wastewater.…”

“…Given the above, it is justified to research human health risk assessment of HMs pollution to evaluate the magnitude and extent of contamination and determine the potential impacts on both the environment and human well-being (Vaverková, 2019 , 2023 ). Human exposure to HMs from contaminated soils is a significant concern, particularly for individuals residing in proximity to MSW landfills (Ihedioha et al, 2017 ).…”