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Global perspective of municipal solid waste and landfill leachate: generation, composition, eco-toxicity, and sustainable management strategies

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Abstract

Globally, more than 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated each year, with that amount anticipated to reach around 3.5 billion tonnes by 2050. On a worldwide scale, food and green waste contribute the major proportion of MSW, which accounts for 44% of global waste, followed by recycling waste (38%), which includes plastic, glass, cardboard, and paper, and 18% of other materials. Population growth, urbanization, and industrial expansion are the principal drivers of the ever-increasing production of MSW across the world. Among the different practices employed for the management of waste, landfill disposal has been the most popular and easiest method across the world. Waste management practices differ significantly depending on the income level. In high-income nations, only 2% of waste is dumped, whereas in low-income nations, approximately 93% of waste is burned or dumped. However, the unscientific disposal of waste in landfills causes the generation of gases, heat, and leachate and results in a variety of ecotoxicological problems, including global warming, water pollution, fire hazards, and health effects that are hazardous to both the environment and public health. Therefore, sustainable management of MSW and landfill leachate is critical, necessitating the use of more advanced techniques to lessen waste production and maximize recycling to assure environmental sustainability. The present review provides an updated overview of the global perspective of municipal waste generation, composition, landfill heat and leachate formation, and ecotoxicological effects, and also discusses integrated-waste management approaches for the sustainable management of municipal waste and landfill leachate.

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Abbreviations

MSW:

Municipal solid waste

HMs:

Heavy metals

LFG:

Landfill gas

ETs:

Elevated temperatures

LF:

Landfill

WHO:

World Health Organization

BIS:

Bureau of Indian Standards

MW:

Municipal waste

PM:

Particulate matter

GHGs:

Greenhouse gases

VOCs:

Volatile organic compounds

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

MWM:

Municipal waste management

SWM:

Solid waste management

SW:

Solid waste

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Authors and Affiliations

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Literature search was done by Ali Mohd Yatoo, Basharat Hamid, Tahir Ahmad Sheikh, and Shafat Ali. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ali Mohd Yatoo, Basharat Hamid, Tahir Ahmad Sheikh, and Shafat Ali. All authors, including Sudipta Ramola, Sartaj Ahmad Bhat, Sunil Kumar, Md. Niamat Ali, and Zahoor Ahmad Baba, commented on the early version of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ali Mohd Yatoo.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Ta Yeong Wu

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Yatoo, A.M., Hamid, B., Sheikh, T.A. et al. Global perspective of municipal solid waste and landfill leachate: generation, composition, eco-toxicity, and sustainable management strategies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 23363–23392 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32669-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32669-4

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