Landfill Water Chemicals Identified

Water percolating through waste in landfills across the U.S. contains numerous chemicals that reflect the daily activities of Americans, according to the first nationwide study of chemicals in landfill leachate. Conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the study shows that pharmaceuticals, insect repellent, and other chemicals in household products are widespread in U.S. landfills. The chemicals that were most frequently detected include the estrogenic plastics chemical bisphenol A, the nicotine metabolite cotinine, the insect repellent N,N-diethyltoluamide (DEET), the anesthetic and anti-itch compound lidocaine, and the moth-repelling chemical camphor. The number of chemicals detected in the leachate samples ranged from six to 82, with a median of 31. Concentrations spanned six orders of magnitude. Landfills that received the highest amounts of precipitation had the highest concentrations and greatest number of chemicals detected. Leachate samples were taken from 19 landfills across the U.S. The study provides information for chemical disposal policies.