Effectiveness of Aerobic–Anaerobic Leachate Treatment and Its Implications for the Receiving Aquatic Ecosystem at Talumelito Landfill, Gorontalo
Leachate treatment and receiving-water implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35800/jip.v14i2.68528Keywords:
aquatic ecosystem; BOD/COD ratio; dilution factor; Lake Limboto; landfill leachate; removal efficiencyAbstract
Leachate from municipal solid waste landfills threatens receiving aquatic ecosystems when discharged without adequate treatment. This study evaluated the aerobic–anaerobic leachate treatment installation at Talumelito Landfill, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, operating since 2012, and assessed the implications of its effluent for the receiving stream that drains into Lake Limboto. Grab samples were collected in August 2024 from the inlet and outlet of the installation and analysed for pH, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and heavy metals following APHA and USEPA standard methods. Removal efficiency was calculated for each parameter, and the dilution required for the effluent to meet national river water quality standards was derived from the measured outlet concentrations. Removal efficiency was low for biochemical oxygen demand (7.1%) and chemical oxygen demand (21.4%); outlet concentrations of 1,180 and 2,130 mg/L exceeded the effluent standards of 150 and 300 mg/L. Total nitrogen showed the highest removal (66.5%) yet remained non-compliant at 315 mg/L. All heavy metals complied at the outlet. Meeting the class II river standard would require dilution factors of approximately 393-fold for biochemical oxygen demand and 85-fold for chemical oxygen demand, indicating that the receiving stream cannot assimilate the discharged load and that oxygen depletion and nitrogen enrichment of downstream habitat are likely. Upgrading the installation is therefore urgent for aquatic ecosystem protection.
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