EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL LANDFILL LEACHATE ON SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL LAND: A CASE STUDY OF LEACHATE ON ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS (OKRA) FARM

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to assess the characteristics of leachate and its impact on surrounding agricultural farmland (Okra farm) in Yenagoa central waste dump site, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Leachate samples were collected from four separate locations and mixed for homogeneity before the laboratory analysis. Quality parameters such as pH, BOD, COD, TDS were measured for leachate samples and heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, Pb, Cd, and Cr were also analyzed. The results showed that leachate concentrations of BOD, COD and TDS were 10 mg/l, 366 mg/l and 6125 mg/l, respectively which exceeded WHO inland surface water standard which were BOD (5 mg/l), COD (10 mg/l) and TDS (500 mg/l) respectively. The leachate samples were not contaminated with heavy metals as their concentrations were below instrument detectable limits, which meant they were below toxic limits. Therefore, the wilting of crops noticed after the landfill leachate was released (drained) into the Okra farm could have been as a result of leachate flooding of the farmland other than heavy metals poisoning. It was recommended that as much as lands close to municipal waste dumps remained fertile and good for agriculture, additional managerial practices should be put in place for preventable economic losses