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Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills
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Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 5726

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jongwan Eun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Lincoln, NE, USA 68588-0531
Interests: geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering; multiphase mass transport through porous and nonporous medium; unsaturated behavior of geomaterials; advanced application of sensing technics for geosystem; sustainable geotechnics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jiannan Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
Interests: smart barrier materials for waste containment; mining waste and low-level radioactive waste management; slope remediation and stability; flow and contaminant transport in saturated and unsaturated soils; life-cycle analysis for solid waste management; resource recovery.
Dr. Juan Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Interests: geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering; multiphase mass transport through porous and nonporous medium; unsaturated behavior of geomaterials; advanced application of sensing technics for geosystems; sustainable geotechnics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Waste containment systems (e.g., landfills) are engineered for the final disposal of solid and hazardous waste. The management of landfill assures the integrity of waste and earthen barriers, and controls the release of contaminants. However, the current practice of landfill management reveals emerging issues that need solutions: (1) on the environmental side, the emission of landfill gases (e.g., greenhouse gases, volatile organic compound contributions, and odor gases) and leachate leakage contribute to climate change and health risks; (2) on the operation side, the inspection of landfill, including landfill cover integrity, emission, capacity, and settlement, still rely on costly and time-consuming labor-based technologies.   

As such, this Special Issue aims to synthesize advanced technologies and current practices to address the issues surrounding the sustainable management and remediation of landfills. We invite studies explicitly highlighting ongoing and potential future efforts, technologies, and approaches for emission and leakage control, and studies developing prompt monitoring plans and techniques for landfill management. This Special Issue fits the scope of Sustainability by investigating solutions and practices for waste, recycling, and sustainable management. 

Both original research articles and reviews are welcome in this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

  • Environmental and geological engineering properties of alternative materials that can be used for landfill barriers, as well analysis of their performance; 
  • The efficacy of regulated composites or alternative barriers to contain landfill gas, leachate, and emerging contaminants; 
  • Advanced technology, modeling, and practice for high-efficiency and economic landfill management and operation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Jongwan Eun
Dr. Jiannan Chen
Dr. Juan Hou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • landfill
  • management
  • remediation
  • emission
  • leakage
  • operation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 12957 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Space Transformation Design Strategies for Post-Landfill Closure
by Jingwen Li and Kun Liu
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3463; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083463 - 21 Apr 2024
Viewed by 350
Abstract
This study explores strategies for promoting sustainable development in urban public spaces by focusing on transforming and reusing closed landfill sites. Using landscape regeneration theory and the genius loci principle from architectural phenomenology, this research investigates spatial redesign techniques to facilitate the sustainable [...] Read more.
This study explores strategies for promoting sustainable development in urban public spaces by focusing on transforming and reusing closed landfill sites. Using landscape regeneration theory and the genius loci principle from architectural phenomenology, this research investigates spatial redesign techniques to facilitate the sustainable utilization of these sites. Through the analysis of three representative case studies and the specific application of these strategies to the Zhangjiawan Landfill site in Xining City, Qinghai Province, northwest China, this study elucidates practical approaches for spatial function transformation, constructing community networks, and heritage preservation and cultural continuity. From an urban macro-planning perspective, the post-closure design of the Zhangjiawan Municipal Landfill emphasizes organic linkages with adjacent city parks, fostering community integration and enhancing recreational opportunities for residents. The transformed area facilitates social interaction and cultivates a harmonious community atmosphere by repurposing the site to incorporate community farms, cultural centers, and outdoor sports facilities. Moreover, integrating leisure spaces, cultural exhibitions, and ecological restoration initiatives contributes to ecosystem rehabilitation while providing residents with leisure, social engagement, and cultural enrichment spaces. This research demonstrates how effective spatial transformation can promote environmental education, heritage preservation, and urban functionality in redeveloping closed landfill sites. The theoretical insights and practical design strategies presented contribute to advancing sustainable practices in urban planning and public space utilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills)
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15 pages, 20132 KiB  
Article
Effects of Red Mud Leachate on the Microstructure of Fly Ash-Modified Red Clay Anti-Seepage Layer under Permeation
by Yibo Zhang, Yulong Wang, Yue Yu, Hongkang Hu, Hao Qin and Daoping Peng
Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 15161; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152015161 - 23 Oct 2023
Viewed by 647
Abstract
In recent years, the ecological safety issues of red mud tailings ponds have been frequent, with problems such as the seepage damage of anti-seepage materials at the bottom of tailings ponds, failure of anti-seepage systems, and leakage of pollutants. In order to deeply [...] Read more.
In recent years, the ecological safety issues of red mud tailings ponds have been frequent, with problems such as the seepage damage of anti-seepage materials at the bottom of tailings ponds, failure of anti-seepage systems, and leakage of pollutants. In order to deeply analyze the influence of red mud (RM) leachate on the microstructure of the modified red clay (RC) anti-seepage layer, this article explores the influence characteristics of strong alkaline RM leachate on the microstructure of a modified RC anti-seepage layer under actual working conditions through a combination of permeability tests and microscopic characterization. The results showed that as the RM leachate permeation time increased, varying changes occurred in the permeability coefficient of the modified RC with different FA contents, among which the permeability coefficient of the modified RC with an 8% FA content showed a significant decreasing trend, reaching 5.98 × 10−11 m/s after stabilization. After permeation, numerous small pores were generated in the modified clay; furthermore, the small particles of the FA-modified clay were significantly reduced compared to pure clay. As the permeation time increased, the 8% FA-modified RC showed a phenomenon of first increasing and then decreasing in specific surface area, with a small change from 27.71 m2/g to 27.52 m2/g, indicating that this sample had high stability and the specific surface area was not significantly affected by permeation. This is mainly caused by the influence of gelling materials produced by the pozzolanic reaction and activation effect upon FA addition. The soil structure became more compact at the microscopic level with increasing FA content, resulting in particle aggregation, increased specific surface area, and narrowed small-pore size distribution. After 60 days of permeation, the single-shoulder peak of the 8% FA-modified RC was still the lowest at about 0.30 dV/dr. Compared to other samples, the pore size was smaller and less affected by the leachate. Overall, the microstructure of the 8% FA-modified RC was less affected by the leachate. This study provides an explanatory basis for the macroscopic mechanical phenomena by analyzing the influence of microstructure. It further provides a reference for studying the selection of anti-seepage materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills)
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14 pages, 4224 KiB  
Article
Pore Scale Simulation of Rheology Properties on Residence Time of Polymer Hydrogel and Hydraulic Conductivity of Bentonite Polymer Composite Geosynthetic Clay Liners
by Hao Li, Jinbang Zhang and Juan Hou
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13052; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713052 - 30 Aug 2023
Viewed by 799
Abstract
Flow in an idealized bentonite polymer composite geosynthetic clay liner (BPC-GCL) containing bentonite comprising two idealized circular granules was simulated using a COMSOL hydrodynamic model. The effect of the polymer rheology properties, including viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle, on the hydraulic conductivity [...] Read more.
Flow in an idealized bentonite polymer composite geosynthetic clay liner (BPC-GCL) containing bentonite comprising two idealized circular granules was simulated using a COMSOL hydrodynamic model. The effect of the polymer rheology properties, including viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle, on the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs was investigated. The results showed that the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs significantly decreased by 2–4 orders of magnitude with polymer loadings of 3.3%, 6.5%, and 9.8% compared to conventional geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). The polymer rheology properties are critical to the residence time and the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs. The residence time increases with the viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle of polymer hydrogel. In the overall study, the hydraulic conductivities increased significantly from 2.80 × 10−9 m/s to 1.40 × 10−7 m/s when the residence time was insufficient. When the viscosity of the polymer hydrogel is 5000 Pa∙s, 1 × 104 Pa∙s, and 1 × 105 Pa∙s, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 14 min, 23 min, and 169 min, respectively. When the surface tension of the polymer hydrogel is 0 N/m, 0.01 N/m, and 0.02 N/m, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 9 min, 17 min, and 23 min, respectively. When the contact angle between the polymer hydrogel and the NaB granules is 30° to 60°, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 9 min and 33 min. These few minutes can approximate the actual passage of several days in physical time. When the viscosity, the surface tension, and the contact angle are higher than 1 × 106 Pa∙s, 0.03 N/m, and 60°, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs tends to be very long, which means that a very low hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs can be maintained in the very long term. This research unveils a nuanced and profound correlation between the rheological properties of the polymer hydrogel and the resulting hydraulic conductivity. This discovery enhances the understanding of the potential to tailor hydrogel characteristics for BPC-GCLs. The advanced model developed in this study also lays the groundwork for constructing a more realistic model that considers irregular geometries, interconnected pores, and diverse polymer distributions within the pore spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills)
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21 pages, 3312 KiB  
Article
Case Study-Based Integrated Assessment of Former Waste Disposal Sites Transformed to Green Space in Terms of Ecosystem Services and Land Assets Recovery
by Zane Vincevica-Gaile, Juris Burlakovs, Maija Fonteina-Kazeka, Magdalena Wdowin, Emil Hanc, Vita Rudovica, Maris Krievans, Inga Grinfelde, Kristaps Siltumens, Mait Kriipsalu, Hani Amir Aouissi, Aissam Gaagai and Muhammad Zahoor
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043256 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3326
Abstract
Growing global production leads to continuing generation of waste, part of which still ends its life cycle in landfills and dumps. Despite the efforts of waste reuse and recycling and waste self-degradation, existing and old landfills and dumps remain a huge challenge for [...] Read more.
Growing global production leads to continuing generation of waste, part of which still ends its life cycle in landfills and dumps. Despite the efforts of waste reuse and recycling and waste self-degradation, existing and old landfills and dumps remain a huge challenge for the future. The majority of landfills can be identified as non-sanitary and can be designated as existing or former dumps, meaning hills or fields of abandoned garbage and degraded inert waste masses without any or with little aftercare maintenance. In contrast, the term ‘landfill’ refers to legally organized waste disposal sites created in a controlled manner, according to modern environmentally responsible standards. The paper gives a case study-based integrated assessment of closed and revitalized waste disposal sites that have undergone a functional change from ‘lost territories’ to primarily green space beneficial for society and the urban environment, in terms of ecosystem services estimation based on the criteria evaluation approach and monetary assessment of land assets value recovery potential. The chosen four case studies (in the United States, Australia, Poland and Estonia) serve as successful examples of a sustainable degraded site revitalization gateway indicating opportunities for accelerating land value through the prism of ecosystem services estimations and spatial planning criteria. Beneficial value of land assets after site revitalization is assessed in monetary terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management and Remediation of Landfills)
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