ABSTRACT
The increase in urbanization is the cause of the generation of the massive amount of solid waste worldwide. The proper disposal and management of these huge amounts of solid wastes are now a problem in most of the countries of the world and is a potential cause of health risks for the biological community. The contamination of groundwater near the landfill sites by the addition of leachate is mainly due to open dumps and non-engineered landfills. Leachate generated from the landfill sites contains both suspended and dissolved materials, including heavy metals, which percolated inside the surface of the earth and finally mixed with the groundwater label. It is basically formed by anaerobic biodegradation of municipal solid wastes in landfill sites. The toxicity, composition, and characteristics of leachate depend upon the age of the landfill and the nature of the solid waste dumped. Leachate is highly toxic and acidic in nature, containing various chemicals, including many organic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, simple sugars, and dissolved form of CH4 and CO2. The use of groundwater containing leachate is the cause of serious health hazard problems, and long-term consumption may be fatal to biological society.
