Classification criteria for restoration and post occupation of waste disposal sites

Abstract

In Brazil, 40.49% [I] of all domestic and public solid waste produced, involves unsuitable
disposal. The dynamism of urban space causes a constant succession of soil uses in most
Brazilian cities. When a waste disposal site is deactivated, its mere abandon may be
hazardous to the environment and communities around it as a result of leachate percolation.
Waste dumping sites deactivation with further use, whichever, exposes the population to
contamination. This paper proposes an assessment system of areas that were used as urban
solid waste disposal sites,. Even if they receive or have received care in terms of
environmental protection for some time before their closure, these areas do not normally have
documented background on the events occurring there. The proposed assessment establishes
criteria for classifying urban solid waste fills whose activities are being closed down and for
those that were already closed for a longer period. Indicators of potential environmental and
health hazards are used, considering volume of the waste landfill and age; groundwater depth,
soil permeability, residences proximity, commercial and industrial centres, environmental
topographic and morphological indicators and the water balance. This paper is the result of a
two-year field study in Paracambi landfill surrounding areas, close to Rio de Janeiro city. This
study included tests of physical characterizations of soil, permeability tests in the field and
laboratory, column tests on distribution and spread of pollutants, physicochemical and
chemical soil analyses at various depths. Besides, downstream groundwater and surface water
were analyzed. The prime purpose was to create a tool to help decide which activities are to
reinsert areas used as waste disposal sites in the suitable urban context The result of the
assessment will point to different levels of care in relation to the procedures to be adopted
with regard to its closure and later monitoring.