Ecotoxicity of In-Situ Produced Compost Intended for Landfill Restoration

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) has become a matter of increasing global concern. Biological conversion is considered to be the most applicable disposal method, especially for the organic fraction of MSW. The aim of this study was to evaluate composting as a treatment method for the sustainable management and recycling of MSW and to test the ecotoxicity of the compost produced on the landfill surface. The ecotoxicity of the compost was investigated by means of a set of biological tests. The ecotoxicological impact of the compost was evaluated by plant growth tests with white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plants were grown under controlled conditions for 21 days, in earthen pots, treated with MSW compost (MSWC) to study the effect of MSWC on plant biomass production. Sprouts and the number of growing plants occurring in the earthen pots were counted. The values obtained from three simultaneously conducted experiments were averaged and presented. Plants growing in the earthen pots with the compost exhibited increasing plant biomass while no changes were observed in their appearance; retarded growth or necrotic changes were not recorded. The ecotoxicity tests performed show that the analyzed compost produced in the composting plant situated on the landfill surface achieved high percentages of the germinating capacity of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds and can be therefore used in the subsequent reclamation of the landfill concerned.