Determining the Quality of Leachate at Sarbah Landfill Site at Weija, Ghana

Leachate is generated when liquid percolates through the waste mass. It contains a lot of toxic substances that, when leached into the environment, cause a lot of health problems. The objective was to assess leachate quality at the Sarbah landfill site in Accra for possible treatment. The leachate was alkaline, with significant biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and oil and grease concentrations. Leachate samples were obtained from various locations near the landfill. Heavy metal such as Cd, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Hg and Cu, and their contamination were within the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA) guideline limits except for Fe, which was relatively high. The study found that surrounding water bodies could be contaminated by leachate. Microorganisms were found in the leachate, some of which have public health consequences. Total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Vibro spp, Bacillus spp, Yeast, and Moulds were the most common pathogens found in the Sarbah dumpsite leachates. All of the sites had high amounts of TC and FC, which exceeded the EPA's allowed limits. The highest levels were recorded at site I, TC (26 x106 CFU/100 ml); FC (33 x 105 CFU/100 ml) and the lowest observed at site IV, TC (18.6 x 102 CFU/ 100 ml); (FC (38.4 x 10 CFU/ 100ml). Specific bacteria pathogens E. coli (22.4 x 105 CFU/100 ml), Salmonella (41 x 103CFU/100 ml), Vibro spp. (12 x 10 CFU/100 ml) were present at the site I but absent at site II. Malaria, intestinal worms, upper respiratory infections, typhoid fever, dysentery, salmonellosis, cholera, and gastroenteritis are among the diseases that could be spread through the leachate by the major biological contaminants.