Landfill leachate (leachate) is a liquid generated during the storage process of municipal waste. Due to its complex composition (which often includes highly toxic inorganic and organic compounds), leachate samples must be detailed characterized to ensure their effective treatment and environmental protection. The most commonly used indicators for the characterization of leachate samples are color, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (1/R), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (N-NH4+), chlorides (Cl-), and heavy metal content. However, the measured values of these indicators largely depend on the time elapsed between sample collection and their actual determination. In order to obtain accurate values, this study presents a methodology for leachate sample analysis, in which the order of indicator determination was established experimentally. The experimental studies were conducted using the same leachate sample, and each indicator was measured periodically over four days. By following such a methodology, accurate values for the qualitative, physical and chemical indicators characteristic of the leachate samples can be obtained, which may be useful in waste management.
Nuțu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.