Assessment of Environmental Effects of Kirkuk Landfill's Leachate on Soil Pollution

The environmental effects of landfill leachate on the dump site and surrounding soil were investigated in this study. To assess the levels of soil contaminants, Seven test locations were selected. The physical, chemical, and biological contaminants in soil and leachate were assessed using standard techniques. The soil pollution indices such as PLI, CF, and Igeo were used to assess Soil quality. Soil maps have been predicted using GIS techniques. The nine-month test period ran from February to November 2024. The results demonstrated a significant influence of leachate on soil properties contingent upon leachate concentrations. The Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) findings for leachate samples varied between 25.43 and 40.52. Also, the TOC, SO ₄   ^− 2 , Cl ⁻ , and phenol concentrations exceeded the limits established by WHO guidelines. At multiple testing locations, the levels of heavy metals in the soil were higher than allowed, except for the Pb element, which was below the allowable limit. The quantified concentrations of these elements adhered to the sequence: Ni > Cr > Cu > Pb. According to PLI, the soil at the testing sites was at the polluted level for heavy metals in S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. According to CF and Igeo, Ni and Cr elements have contaminated the soil through a distance of 800 meters from the landfill. Correlation analysis showed a substantial link between most factors. Pollutant concentrations decrease with distance from the landfill site due to the significant negative correlation between distance and parameters. The research suggests employing customized pipe networks to limit leachate leaks from landfill cells and current methods to treat leachate before it reaches the soil to reduce contamination.