Current status of Pulau Burung Sanitary Landfill leachate treatment, Penang Malaysia

Leachate generation from landfill is known as the main pollution source associated with municipal solid waste (MSW). This is because landfill leachate is a complex liquid which contains numerous biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants such as organic matter, phenols, ammonia nitrogen, phosphate, heavy metals, and sulfide. If not properly treated and safely managed, landfill leachate may create environment hazard to surface and ground water as it can percolate throughout soils and subsoils, causing adverse impacts to receiving waters. Pulau Burung Sanitary Landfill (PBSL) which is the only sanitary landfill in Penang Malaysia has been in operation since 1991. Until now, PBSL receives over 1800 tonnes of MSW and industrial wastes from island and mainland of Penang daily. This paper evaluates current status of landfill leachate treatment research activities at PBSL. At this point, various types of treatment methods have been proposed to alleviate the risks of untreated leachate. However, some of the available techniques remain complicated, expensive and generally require definite adaptation during treatment process.