A comprehensive study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and scientists from the University of Oklahoma finds distinct microbial assemblages (microbiomes) in landfill leachate across the United States and investigates factors related to microbiome formation.
Unlike previous studies investigating the microbiomes of landfills, the national study described here is the first to investigate microbiomes associated with leachate samples from 19 municipal landfills across 16 States using high-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene libraries. Species richness, evenness, and shared diversity in landfill leachate samples were used to understand differences between landfill microbiomes and those of other previously measured environments and to understand differences among landfills.
Scientists found that the municipal landfill leachate contained a diverse microbiome essentially distinct from any of the other ecosystems used for comparison (sediments, soils, fresh water, salt water, bogs, permafrost, humans, and canines) confirming that physical and chemical factors influencing microbiome composition are unique in landfills as compared to other environments.
Scientists also found that the landfills clustered into different groups based on microbiome composition prompting questions about the factors related to microbiome composition. Numerous factors were related to the microbial composition among the groups including the concentration of barium and chloride, the rate of evapotranspiration, the age of waste, and the number of household chemicals detected. This baseline information provides the necessary first step to more fully understand the factors that affect microbiome composition in landfills that is important for understanding biodegradation processes
Microorganisms have varying abilities to degrade incoming waste because of the complex mixture of chemicals present, shifting chemical profiles, toxicity associated with wastes, and succession of landfill phase changes. The microbiomes present in leachate could one day benefit bioremediation efforts, bio-industrial processes, and the discovery of new natural products though further research is needed.
This research follows and advances previous national-scale research on the characterization of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in leachate prior to treatment or storage processes (that is, fresh leachate) as well as leachate that have undergone treatment or storage process (that is, final leachate).
This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology).
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
Landfill Leachate Released to Wastewater Treatment Plants and other Environmental Pathways Contains a Mixture of Contaminants including Pharmaceuticals
Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
Pharmaceuticals and Other Chemicals Common in Landfill Waste
Biosolids, Animal Manure, and Earthworms: Is There a Connection?
Complex Mixture of Contaminants Persists in Streams Miles from the Source
Hormones in Land-Applied Biosolids Could Affect Aquatic Organisms
Household Chemicals and Drugs Found in Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment Plants
- Overview
A comprehensive study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and scientists from the University of Oklahoma finds distinct microbial assemblages (microbiomes) in landfill leachate across the United States and investigates factors related to microbiome formation.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.New section of a landfill under construction. Photo Credit: Dana W. Kolpin, USGS. Unlike previous studies investigating the microbiomes of landfills, the national study described here is the first to investigate microbiomes associated with leachate samples from 19 municipal landfills across 16 States using high-throughput sequencing of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene libraries. Species richness, evenness, and shared diversity in landfill leachate samples were used to understand differences between landfill microbiomes and those of other previously measured environments and to understand differences among landfills.
Scientists found that the municipal landfill leachate contained a diverse microbiome essentially distinct from any of the other ecosystems used for comparison (sediments, soils, fresh water, salt water, bogs, permafrost, humans, and canines) confirming that physical and chemical factors influencing microbiome composition are unique in landfills as compared to other environments.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS scientist sampling landfill leachate at the closed Norman Landfill, Norman, Oklahoma. Photo Credit: Jason R. Masoner, USGS. Scientists also found that the landfills clustered into different groups based on microbiome composition prompting questions about the factors related to microbiome composition. Numerous factors were related to the microbial composition among the groups including the concentration of barium and chloride, the rate of evapotranspiration, the age of waste, and the number of household chemicals detected. This baseline information provides the necessary first step to more fully understand the factors that affect microbiome composition in landfills that is important for understanding biodegradation processes
Microorganisms have varying abilities to degrade incoming waste because of the complex mixture of chemicals present, shifting chemical profiles, toxicity associated with wastes, and succession of landfill phase changes. The microbiomes present in leachate could one day benefit bioremediation efforts, bio-industrial processes, and the discovery of new natural products though further research is needed.
This research follows and advances previous national-scale research on the characterization of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in leachate prior to treatment or storage processes (that is, fresh leachate) as well as leachate that have undergone treatment or storage process (that is, final leachate).
This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology).
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
The team studies toxicants and pathogens in water resources from their sources, through watersheds, aquifers, and infrastructure to human and wildlife exposures. That information is used to develop decision tools that protect human and wildlife health.New Study Measures Crop Bactericide, Nitrapyrin, in Iowa Streams
First-ever reconnaissance study documents the off-field transport of nitrapyrin — a nitrification inhibitor applied with fertilizers as a bactericide to kill natural soil bacteria for the purpose of increasing crop yields — to adjacent streams. This study is the first step in understanding the transport, occurrence, and potential effects of nitrapyrin or similar compounds on nitrogen processing in...Landfill Leachate Released to Wastewater Treatment Plants and other Environmental Pathways Contains a Mixture of Contaminants including Pharmaceuticals
New scientific research from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) details how landfill leachate, disposed from landfills to environmental pathways, is host to numerous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists studying a midwestern stream conclude that pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in treated wastewater effluent discharged to the stream are transported into adjacent shallow groundwater. Other mobile chemicals found in wastewater are expected to have similar fates.Pharmaceuticals and Other Chemicals Common in Landfill Waste
Landfill leachate contains a variety of chemicals that reflect our daily activities, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists concluded as a result of a nationwide study. Landfills are a common disposal mechanism for our Nation's solid waste from residential, commercial, and industrial sources. The scientists found that pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and other contaminants of emerging...Biosolids, Animal Manure, and Earthworms: Is There a Connection?
Animal manure and biosolids, the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment, often are applied to agricultural crops to provide nutrients for plant growth and to improve the quality of soil. Earthworms studied in agricultural fields where manure and biosolids were applied have been found to contain organic chemicals from household products and manure. Earthworms continuously ingest soils and may...Complex Mixture of Contaminants Persists in Streams Miles from the Source
Natural processes in stream ecosystems such as dilution and microbial degradation are known to attenuate some contaminants to below levels that can cause harm to ecosystems. However, a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists has shown that many chemicals discharged from municipal wastewater treatment facilities persist for miles downstream at levels known, or suspected, to cause adverse...Hormones in Land-Applied Biosolids Could Affect Aquatic Organisms
Hormones from biosolids applied to fields may be present in rainfall runoff at concentrations that are high enough to impact the health of aquatic organisms if the runoff reaches streams, report scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Colorado State University in Environmental Science and Technology. Artificial rainfall runoff from agricultural test plots where biosolids were applied...Household Chemicals and Drugs Found in Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment Plants
Biosolids, the treated sludge generated by the treatment of sewage at wastewater treatment plants, is something that most people don't think about as they flush everyday chemicals and drugs down the drain. However, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists found that biosolids contain relatively high concentrations (hundreds of milligrams per kilogram) of the active ingredients commonly found in a... - Publications