Socio-environmental assessment of a landfill using a mixed study design: A case study from México.

Municipal solid waste management is a challenge for local authorities since mismanagement leads to environmental damage and social discontent. The objective of this study was to assess in an integrated manner the socio-environmental situation of a municipal landfill from México, using a design of mixed methods, which considered a quantitative evaluation of physicochemical and microbiological variables measured in leachates, surface and groundwater samples, soil and air, and a qualitative evaluation by in-depth interviews with the near-by inhabitants about their perception of the impacts of the landfill. The results show that leachates polluted the soil and surface water in a radius of up to 500 m from the landfill, but did not reach the groundwater, while the mean concentrations of PM10, Mn, and Ni measured in air samples at the landfill of 146 µg m-3, 0.12 µg m-3, 0.10 µg m-3, respectively, in the dry season and of Mn and Ni of 0.13 µg m-3 and 0.11 µg m-3, respectively, in the rainy season, surpassed permissible limits. From the residents perspective the landfill pollutes soil, water and air and it contributes to vehicle traffic and noise, promotes harmful fauna and disturbs the esthetic view. Air measurements coincide with social perception and in general, the applied mixed study design helped to assess in an integrated manner the socio-environmental concerns and to give advice to improve the current management of the landfill.