Liner Materials Exposed To Municipal Solid Waste Leachate

Abstract

A laboratory study was conducted to determine the potential of various lining materials for controlling the movement of leachate from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. In the course of the study, 65 materials were subjected to at least one of seven different tests in which they were exposed to MSW leachate. These exposure tests involved placing liner samples in (1) landfill simulators containing 2.4 m (8 ft) of compacted, shredded refuse, (2) immersion tanks containing MSW leachate or water and (3) polybutylene bags containing deionized water. Materials tested included four admix materials, two asphaltic membranes, 50 commercial polymeric membranes, and nine miscellaneous materials. Exposing a wide range of polymeric membranes to a typical MSW leachate in the landfill simulators for up to 56 months produced only limited changes in liner properties. Asphaltic materials did exhibit deficiencies that might affect their serviceability as linings for MSW waste disposal facilities. The properties of soil cement tended to improve during exposure.