Assessment of the Impact of Urban Solid Waste Management on the Ground of a Landfill: A Case of the Bonoua Landfill, Ivory Coast

Abstract

Environmental protection has become a collective concern since 1990 and the issue of waste management has become an essential aspect to consider due to population growth. According to the European Environment Agency, poor management of solid waste leads to the degradation of the natural environment (soil, surface water, groundwater and air, etc.) and the quality of life. The objective of this work was to assess the impact of solid urban waste management on the soil of the Bonoua landfill, Ivory Coast. Data collection was carried out in the period from April to May of the year 2022. It consisted of three joint activities, namely a field visit, the collection of three soil samples and three leachate samples. The samples were taken on the landfill site and interviews with ANAGED and Bonoua Town Hall were carried out. Analyzes carried out made it possible to detect the presence of trace metal elements (TME) in the various soil and leachate samples. The pH values determined are respectively acidic and basic for the leachate and the soil. These pH values respectively demonstrate young leachate with the average pH value greater than 7. The interviews showed that solid waste management in Bonoua is not completely mastered due to inadequacies in terms of equipment and of adequate infrastructure despite state funding. The study made it possible to understand the different aspects linked to the proliferation of this waste. These aspects are economic and organizational.  The study reveals that waste of any origin produced by the city is directly dumped in the city landfill without any treatment. More in-depth analyzes of the different forms of TME detected would be even more interesting.