Moreover, the knowledge of leachate
composition
is crucial to
gain
insight
into
the ongoing
processes in the waste body for both,
projections on the long-term environmental impacts of landfills
and selection of suitable treatment measures. In general, landfill
leachates contain very high concentrations of dissolved organic
matter and inorganic components, heavy metals and xenobiotic
compounds (Kjeldsen et al., 2002). The chemical composition of
leachates varies in a wide range dependent on the decomposition
stage and the environmental conditions (e.g. water supply, redox
potential)