The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) containing significant fractions of food and organic matter presents critical challenges, primarily due to the potent and dynamically evolving nature of the resultant landfill leachate. This study addresses the persistent variability observed in leachate composition across diverse geopolitical regions, which often complicates the design and optimization of robust treatment systems, leading to inefficient resource expenditure and environmental non-compliance. Utilizing a comprehensive, comparative meta-analysis of leachate data derived exclusively from anaerobic decomposition phases of high-organic-content landfills globally, this research aimed to delineate the foundational physicochemical parameters that exhibit universal consistency, irrespective of confounding site-specific operational or climatic factors. This methodological approach involved the rigorous standardization and statistical integration of analytical metrics sourced from over fifty operational and closed landfill sites across four continents, focusing specifically on early to intermediate decomposition stages where the high initial organic loading remains the principal driver of chemical composition. The analysis conclusively identified several quantitative and qualitative characteristics intrinsic to high-organic-waste leachate that transcend geographic location or specific waste input details. Notably, a consistently high average BOD/COD ratio (ranging strictly from 0.45 to 0.70) was established as a definitive marker during the early acidogenic and intermediate methanogenic phases, signifying substantial initial biodegradability driven by massive concentrations of short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs), primarily acetic and propionic acid. Furthermore, ammonia nitrogen concentrations consistently ranked as the predominant inorganic constituent, often correlating directly with the initial protein input and exhibiting extreme resistance to conventional biological removal due to frequent co-occurrence with inhibitory high salinity levels. These findings collectively underscore the critical need for standardized pre-treatment strategies that specifically target VFA neutralization, recalcitrant ammonia stripping, and management of extremely high organic loading, offering a foundational, universal baseline for engineering design across disparate organic waste disposal scenarios.
| Published in | International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 13, Issue 5) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14 |
| Page(s) | 276-285 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Landfill Leachate, Food Waste, Organic Waste, Characteristics, Temporal Evolution, Chemical Composition, Environmental Pollution, Waste Management, Leachate Treatment
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APA Style
Aluvihara, S., Pestano-Gupta, F., Omar, M. H., Alam, S. F., Hilonga, A. (2025). Universal Characteristics of Landfill Leachate Generated from Food and Organic Wastes: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 13(5), 276-285. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14
ACS Style
Aluvihara, S.; Pestano-Gupta, F.; Omar, M. H.; Alam, S. F.; Hilonga, A. Universal Characteristics of Landfill Leachate Generated from Food and Organic Wastes: A Review. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2025, 13(5), 276-285. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14,
author = {Suresh Aluvihara and Ferial Pestano-Gupta and Mohammad Hamid Omar and Syed Fakhar Alam and Askwar Hilonga},
title = {Universal Characteristics of Landfill Leachate Generated from Food and Organic Wastes: A Review
},
journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
volume = {13},
number = {5},
pages = {276-285},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20251305.14},
abstract = {The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) containing significant fractions of food and organic matter presents critical challenges, primarily due to the potent and dynamically evolving nature of the resultant landfill leachate. This study addresses the persistent variability observed in leachate composition across diverse geopolitical regions, which often complicates the design and optimization of robust treatment systems, leading to inefficient resource expenditure and environmental non-compliance. Utilizing a comprehensive, comparative meta-analysis of leachate data derived exclusively from anaerobic decomposition phases of high-organic-content landfills globally, this research aimed to delineate the foundational physicochemical parameters that exhibit universal consistency, irrespective of confounding site-specific operational or climatic factors. This methodological approach involved the rigorous standardization and statistical integration of analytical metrics sourced from over fifty operational and closed landfill sites across four continents, focusing specifically on early to intermediate decomposition stages where the high initial organic loading remains the principal driver of chemical composition. The analysis conclusively identified several quantitative and qualitative characteristics intrinsic to high-organic-waste leachate that transcend geographic location or specific waste input details. Notably, a consistently high average BOD/COD ratio (ranging strictly from 0.45 to 0.70) was established as a definitive marker during the early acidogenic and intermediate methanogenic phases, signifying substantial initial biodegradability driven by massive concentrations of short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs), primarily acetic and propionic acid. Furthermore, ammonia nitrogen concentrations consistently ranked as the predominant inorganic constituent, often correlating directly with the initial protein input and exhibiting extreme resistance to conventional biological removal due to frequent co-occurrence with inhibitory high salinity levels. These findings collectively underscore the critical need for standardized pre-treatment strategies that specifically target VFA neutralization, recalcitrant ammonia stripping, and management of extremely high organic loading, offering a foundational, universal baseline for engineering design across disparate organic waste disposal scenarios.
},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Universal Characteristics of Landfill Leachate Generated from Food and Organic Wastes: A Review AU - Suresh Aluvihara AU - Ferial Pestano-Gupta AU - Mohammad Hamid Omar AU - Syed Fakhar Alam AU - Askwar Hilonga Y1 - 2025/10/28 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14 DO - 10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14 T2 - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis JF - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis JO - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis SP - 276 EP - 285 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-7667 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251305.14 AB - The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) containing significant fractions of food and organic matter presents critical challenges, primarily due to the potent and dynamically evolving nature of the resultant landfill leachate. This study addresses the persistent variability observed in leachate composition across diverse geopolitical regions, which often complicates the design and optimization of robust treatment systems, leading to inefficient resource expenditure and environmental non-compliance. Utilizing a comprehensive, comparative meta-analysis of leachate data derived exclusively from anaerobic decomposition phases of high-organic-content landfills globally, this research aimed to delineate the foundational physicochemical parameters that exhibit universal consistency, irrespective of confounding site-specific operational or climatic factors. This methodological approach involved the rigorous standardization and statistical integration of analytical metrics sourced from over fifty operational and closed landfill sites across four continents, focusing specifically on early to intermediate decomposition stages where the high initial organic loading remains the principal driver of chemical composition. The analysis conclusively identified several quantitative and qualitative characteristics intrinsic to high-organic-waste leachate that transcend geographic location or specific waste input details. Notably, a consistently high average BOD/COD ratio (ranging strictly from 0.45 to 0.70) was established as a definitive marker during the early acidogenic and intermediate methanogenic phases, signifying substantial initial biodegradability driven by massive concentrations of short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs), primarily acetic and propionic acid. Furthermore, ammonia nitrogen concentrations consistently ranked as the predominant inorganic constituent, often correlating directly with the initial protein input and exhibiting extreme resistance to conventional biological removal due to frequent co-occurrence with inhibitory high salinity levels. These findings collectively underscore the critical need for standardized pre-treatment strategies that specifically target VFA neutralization, recalcitrant ammonia stripping, and management of extremely high organic loading, offering a foundational, universal baseline for engineering design across disparate organic waste disposal scenarios. VL - 13 IS - 5 ER -
Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Division of Natural Sciences, Berbice Campus, University of Guyana, Tain, Guyana
Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Kabul Polytechnic University, Kabul, Afghanistan
LEJ Nanotechnology Center, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania
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