COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE TOXICITY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LEACHATE FROM MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS IN UMUAHIA AND ABA METROPOLIS, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Heavy metals and physicochemical characteristics of the different sites of leachate from the municipal solid waste landfill dumpsite in Obehe and Ubakala along Port Harcourt – Enugu express way, Abia State, Nigeria, were investigated. The LLF 1 site of the landfill has the potential of being a source of immediate environmental risk compared to the LLF 2 site. The pH of all the leachate samples was slightly acidic, the range being 6.30±0.01 to 6.90±0.05. The electric conductivity in the studied area range between 987.00±0.40 and 2340.50±2.30 μScm-1 and was found to be high, The range of TDS at all sites falls in between 6700.20±0.50 and 12300.00±1.70 mgL-1. The COD level in the samples varied from 14780.00±2.20 to 18,500.30±1.50mgL-1. The results of BOD5 test of the samples range between 9600.30±0.40 and 12350.60±0.65 mgL-1. Dissolved oxygen (DO) level was very low (range of 1.25±0.03 – 2.45±0.08). Total suspended solids (TSS) ranged from 587.50±0.20 to 1095.50±1.70. The metals concentration in the leachate samples varied from 156.60 ± 1.20 to178.70±0.60 mgL-1, 123.50±0.20 to 145.60±0.20 mg L-1 , 0.98±0.01 to 1.30 ± 0.02 mg L-1 , 2.30 ± 0.02 to4.40 ± 0.01 mgL-1, 3.20 ± 0.02 to 7.50 ± 0.02 mg L-1, 8.54±0.05 to 13.40±0.30 mgL-1, 0.89±0.01 to 4.30±0.04 mgL-1, 14.67±0.30 to 14.67±0.30 mgL-1 and < 0.001 mgL-1 for Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, As, Cd, Pb and V respectively.