Some aspects of environmental risk assessment of soil-like material from landfills
Abstract
Some aspects of environmental risk assessment of soil-like material from landfills
Incoming article date: 05.08.2025A comparative assessment of the contamination level and ecological risk of landfill-derived soil-like material was carried out using results of quantitative chemical analysis and biotesting on two test organisms: Daphnia magna and Scenedesmus quadricauda. It was shown that estimating the contamination level of soil-like material using the Zc index leads to overestimated results. The assessment of soil-like material quality through biotesting revealed low and moderate toxicity. Soil-like material exhibiting low toxicity can be utilized for the production of recultivation soil, whereas material with moderate toxicity must undergo mandatory detoxification prior to use. It was established that Cu and Zn contribute the most to the material's toxicity, which is explained by the high sensitivity of the test organisms. It was determined that heavy metals account for a significant portion of the observed toxicity variation, but not all of it. Biotesting is thus a necessary and effective tool for decision-making regarding the utilization of soil-like material.
Keywords: landfill, soil-like material, biotesting, toxicity, pollution level