ABSTRACT
One of the most important applications of engineering to the management of solid wastes has been the design and control of landfills. The sanitary landfill has evolved in recent decades — in industrialized countries and in developing countries that can afford the costs — from essentially open dumps in convenient locations to systems with modern engineering standards, including sophisticated liner and leachate collection and gas migration controls. These controls have developed from increased understanding of the role of injurious water quality and air quality, public health impacts of the practice of placing large volumes of biodegradable wastes at sites and allowing natural decomposition to proceed. While there is warranted focus on control of the impacts of disposal once wastes are placed in a site, development methods of examination of how natural decomposition proceeds at waste sites can provide engineers with added tools for improved management.
