Health and Environmental Risks of Residents Living Close to a Landfill: A Case Study of Thohoyandou Landfill, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The by-products of solid waste deposited in a landfill has adverse effects on the surrounding environment and humans living closer to landfill sites. This study sought to test the hypothesis that the deposition of waste on landfill has an impact on the surrounding environment and residents living closer to it. This was achieved by evaluating the perception of the respondents drawn from people living close (100–500 m) and far (1–2 km) from the landfill site, concerning environmental issues, health problems, and life satisfaction. Results from the study showed that 78% of participants living closer to the landfill site indicated serious contamination of air quality evident from bad odours linked to the landfill site. Illnesses such as flu, eye irritation and weakness of the body were frequently reported by participants living closer to the landfill than those living far from the landfill. More than half of the participants (56%) living closer to the landfill indicated fear of their health in the future. Thus, the participants living closer to the landfill site were less satisfied with the location of their community with respect to the landfill, than those living far from the landfill site. Therefore, the need for a landfill gas (LFG) utilisation system, proper daily covering of waste and odour diluting agents are necessary to reduce the problems of the residents living closer to the landfill site.

Community Health Survey of Residents Living Near a Solid Waste Open Dumpsite in Sabak, Kelantan, Malaysia

“…Residents living near a landfill in South Africa reported poor air quality related to the landfill. Influenza-like illness, eye irritation, and body weakness were frequently reported by participants living closer to the landfill than those living far from the landfill [14]. A cross-sectional study was conducted among waste collector workers in Kota Bharu.…”

Application of Floating Aquatic Plants in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals Polluted Water: A Review

“…Intermittent and non-uniform percolation of moisture content occurrs via solid waste in landfill, which eventually leads towards the generation of landfill leachate [292]. Generated landfill leachate if not properly managed, can easily lead towards numerous adverse health and environmental impacts [293]. One of the major constraint in the management of landfill leachate is the lack of effective treatment methods for the huge amount of landfill leachate generated worldwide [294].…”

Reproductive toxicity assessment of Olusosun municipal landfill leachate in Mus musculus using abnormal sperm morphology and dominant lethal mutation assays

“…Landfilling, the most common method of managing solid wastes around the world, causes nuisance to the environment via the release of chemical laden landfill gases and leachates. Njoku et al reported enormous evidence linking exposure to solid waste chemicals with human and wildlife health challenges for over four decades [ 3 ].…”

“…The outcome of studies investigating reproductive failure in rodents exposed to landfill leachates may be useful in understanding how humans residing and working within 2–3 km radius of landfill facilities expressed high incidence of low birth weight, different congenital malformations, adverse pregnancy outcomes and other reproductive or developmental anomalies [ 3 , 15 , 16 ]. In the study herein, a dominant lethal test, an assay that detects mutagens capable of increasing male germ cell mutation during spermatogenesis, embryonic viability and/or present risk of transmissible genetic damage [ 17 ], was used to evaluate embryonic viability in female mice mated with leachate exposed male mice.…”