Assessment Of The Impact Of Municipal Solid Waste On Soil Quality Characteristics In Kannahalli, A Urban Fringe Area Of Bangalore, Karnataka

Abstract

Disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the cities has become a colossal problem worldwide. Indian cities are also facing many problems due to improper solid waste. Littering of waste indiscriminately leads to the formation of leachate and landfill gas polluting water and air. Bengaluru generates around 1.385 million tonnes of MSW annually and is generally landfilled. In the present study, an attempt has been made to understand the effect of MSW on the soil characteristics of Kannahalli, a peri-urban area in the northern part of Bengaluru which is around 20kms away from the city center. MSW is being dumped in this site since a year. Soil samples were collected by excavation at two different locations in the site viz., one right below the landfill and the other about 90ft away from the landfill site. The soil samples collected from sites were tested for change in pH, chloride percentage, alkalinity, BOD and COD. The chemical analysis depicts a rise in alkalinity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in soil collected in the landfill site signifying that this contamination of soil is due to MSW.