Sustainable Treatment of Landfill Leachate Using Constructed Wetlands

Abstract

Sanitary landfilling is the major method of disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in developing countries. The disposal of MSW in landfills generates a large amount of highly toxic leachate, which has high potential hazards for the public, flora, fauna health and ecosystems. Advanced leachate treatment systems using biological and chemical treatment methods are recently implemented in developed countries, but high investment and operating costs restricted their application in most of the developing countries. To overcome this problem, an alternative sustainable treatment technology such as phytoremediation could be beneficial. The constructed wetland treatment system is an economical alternative for leachate treatment using local resources and is an energy-efficient technology. These green systems utilize anaerobic and aerobic reactions to break down, immobilize, or incorporate organic substances and other contaminants from polluted effluent. This chapter highlights the recent advances in the treatment of landfill leachates using constructed wetlands.