Phytoremediation Treatment of Open Landfill Leachate

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that utilize the potential of green plants and their associated microorganisms to detoxify, remediate and stabilize potential contaminants in leachate. Eight young rhizome type plants (Heliconia psittacorum), commercially grown for landscaping and ornamental purposes were utilized in the phytoremediation of Taiping landfill leachate via hydroponics technique. The study focused on the plants growth, where the leaf length and the plants height were measured on weekly basis. The reduction of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) by plant uptake was also determined and two level of leachate concentration having C, N and P low (180 mg/l C, 35.84 mg/l N and 1 mg/l P) and moderate (400 mg/l C, 125.44 mg/l N and 2.14 mg/l P) were tested throughout the study period. Phytoremediation of nutrients is a slow-working process, therefore low to moderate contamination levels in the leachate samples are prerequisite to achieve reasonably short remediation periods. Based on the findings of this study, it shows that the phytoremediation of landfill leachate is possible as heliconias can grow in leachate and reduce nutrients to tolerable limits. It was also indicated that landfill leachate is less suitable as a plant fertilizer than a commercial liquid fertilizer in term of long-term nutritional demand of plants as plant might suffer from major P-deficiency if nutrients are not replenished.