Assessment of Groundwater Quality around the Municipal Solid Waste Landfill in Sirte City, Libya

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Sirt municipal solid waste landfill on the vital groundwater resources in the Sirt coastal area, due to the lack of accurate environmental data. It relied on analyzing a water sample collected from a well located near the landfill to measure four main indicators: pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and E. coli, and then comparing the results with international and Libyan standards.

The results showed bacterial safety (E. coli at 0.15) and an acceptable pH value of 7.5, both falling within the permissible ranges. However, they recorded a drastic elevation in TDS concentration (16,900 mg/L), exceeding the allowable limit by 16 times, and a TSS value of 1,038 mg/L, far surpassing the standard thresholds. This indicates severe physical and chemical contamination resulting from salts and dissolved/suspended solids. The study concluded that the water is unsuitable for direct human consumption, despite the low bacterial indicator. It recommends treating the water using advanced filtration and desalination technologies, along with imposing continuous periodic monitoring and conducting a systematic risk assessment of the landfill, aiming to develop effective engineering solutions to limit leachate seepage and prevent the future deterioration of groundwater quality.